The Papio NRD will close all river access parks to the Elkhorn and Platte rivers for the season on November 1st.
The access sites include Elkhorn Crossing, Graske Crossing, West Maple Road, and Platte River Landing.
The access sites will reopen April 1st, 2025.
Campers rejoice!
All RV and camping sites at Elkhorn Crossing Recreation Area will open at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 31st, following the installation of water and electric for RV site hook-ups. These are significant upgrades to the park we are excited to offer to make your camping experience even better.
The ten RV sites offer 50-amp electrical service. The campsite does not contain a dump station.
Campsite Registration Fees
All RV and camping sites can only be reserved for seven consecutive days. Campers register at the campground registration kiosk upon entering the facility.
After Saturday’s opening at 8:00 a.m., Elkhorn Crossing (located at the intersection of 252nd & Bennington Road) will open daily at 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. A reminder to campers the boat ramp is closed from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. with no boat launching or arrivals allowed during those hours.
The public access site will close for the season on November 1.
Today was a big day for trail users!
The Papio NRD, local government agencies, and recreation enthusiasts celebrated the grand opening of the Platte River Bridge Trail, a project two decades in the making.
The Platte River Bridge Trail provides greater safety for those who use the bridge and increased recreational opportunities for trail users. The trail connects Sarpy County to Cass County along the Highway 34 / Highway 75 bridge.
“Trails are designed to provide recreation, active transportation, and access to natural resources,” said Papio NRD Natural Resources Planner Eric Williams. “The Platte River Bridge Trail excels at all three of those objectives and represents a boundary-breaking accomplishment for regional connectivity,” said Williams.
Williams says additional projects are in progress to connect with the Platte River bridge and continue the expansion of trail benefits throughout the community.
“The Platte River Bridge Trail is a project that has been years in the making,” said Nebraska State Senator Rita Sanders. “This project has required true community building, leaning on a partnership between the city, county, and community leaders to benefit the people. It is truly wonderful that we can come together and enjoy this beautiful bike path that not only promotes community health, but also has a great view,” said Sanders.
Federal aid for the project consisted of 80% of funding from transportation programs managed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) and administered by the Papio NRD. Additional local agency partners included Sarpy County, Cass County, City of Bellevue, City of Plattsmouth, and Lower Platte South Natural Resources District.
“It’s great to see this project get across the finish line,” said Bike Walk Nebraska Executive Director Julie Harris. “We are grateful to everyone who answered the call to talk to their local officials about the need for safety for everyone who uses the bridge. This was a once in a generation opportunity to get it right and we’re so fortunate that our leaders had the vision and understood the need to think long term,” said Harris.
“The completion of the Platte River Bridge Trail will be a catalyst to further connect trails in the metro area,” said Bellevue Bicycle Club President Michael McGee. “The expansions of the trails are great for business along the route and all trail users.”
The Papio NRD Board of Directors voted to decrease the water level that determines the temporary closure of the Elkhorn River Access Sites for safety purposes at its meeting on Thursday, July 11.
Until the vote, the Papio NRD would close the access sites when the water gage at Waterloo read a stage height of five feet or greater. The access sites will now close when the water gage reads a stage height of four feet or greater.
“The Elkhorn River has degraded at least two feet over the past five years, likely due to the large flood events that have occurred,” said Papio NRD General Manager John Winkler. “This has resulted in higher water levels, increased water flows, and no visible sandbars. This makes recreation more dangerous,” said Winkler.
Winkler says recreation is more conducive at the new stage height as sandbars are either visible or just below the surface. As is always the case, Winkler says before sites can reopen, river access ramps may need to be cleaned of silt, debris and safety inspected.
The Elkhorn River Access Sites include:
River-goers can find out whether the access sites are open or closed here:
The access sites are open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. through November 1.
They may just look like big pipes, but they have a very important job – to help protect you from flooding. What you see in the time-lapse video is the installation of the principal spillway pipe, a major structural part of the Papio NRD’s new flood mitigation reservoir in Gretna, NE, slated to be completed in May of 2025.
So, what’s a spillway? In simple terms, a spillway serves as an outlet to ensure the safe passage of excess water if the water level of the reservoir goes above its regular permanent elevation.
Why should you care about this? While a flood mitigation reservoir’s primary job is to help protect you and your property from flooding events, it also creates recreational opportunities for the community. Once the project (located southwest of 168th Street and Giles Road) is completed, citizens can enjoy recreation amenities, such as fisheries, trails, kayak launches, and a picnic area – while at the same time, knowing their families are being safeguarded. A double win!
We will continue to keep you updated on the project’s progress and want to thank crews from Houston Engineering and Valley Corporation for all their hard work!
The Papio NRD will open the Elkhorn and Platte River access sites for the season on April 1st.
The access sites include:
High river flows occasionally force the Papio NRD to temporarily close the river access sites for safety purposes. Park closures for Elkhorn River sites are called for when the Elkhorn River gauge at Waterloo reads a stage of 5 feet or greater. Platte River Landing will close when the gauge at Leshara reads 7 feet or above.
River access ramps may need to be cleaned of silt, debris and safety inspected before reopening.
You can find out whether the access sites are open or closed throughout the season here:
There are no park entry fees. The access sites are open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. through November 1.
Enjoy!
The Papio NRD will open the Elkhorn and Platte River access sites for the season on April 1st.
The access sites include:
High river flows occasionally force the Papio NRD to temporarily close the river access sites for safety purposes. Park closures for Elkhorn River sites are called for when the Elkhorn River gauge at Waterloo reads a stage of 5 feet or greater. Platte River Landing will close when the gauge at Leshara reads 5 feet or above.
River access ramps may need to be cleaned of silt, debris and safety inspected before reopening.
You can find out whether the access sites are open or closed throughout the season here:
There are no park entry fees. The access sites are open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. through November 1.
Enjoy!
Over the next six months, segments of the Keystone Trail will be closing due to the rehabilitation of 21 stormwater pipes by the Papio NRD. These closures will occur at various times throughout the project, and most are expected to last between four to six weeks. Closings for individual locations will be provided prior to the closing (and updated in this post), but users should anticipate disruption through May 2023. The areas in which the trail will be impacted can be seen on this interactive map, a graphic here, and are listed below.
Little Papio Channel/Levee Culvert (Pipe) Project
The northern portion of the Keystone Trail, between Q and Fort Streets, runs along the Little Papio Creek. Within the Little Papio Creek, there are many corrugated metal pipes that carry local stormwater into the channel that are nearing the end of their design life. As part of our duty as the local sponsor, the Papio NRD must remove and replace or rehabilitate these pipes to maintain adequate stormwater drainage throughout the City of Omaha.
The Little Papio Channel/Levee Culvert (Pipe) Project, which began in November 2022, includes the rehabilitation of 21 stormwater pipes. The Papio NRD has taken every effort to focus on rehabilitation of these pipes to minimize construction timelines and impacts to the construction areas. Regardless of the selected method of repair, trail accessibility will be impacted due to this project.
Trail Areas Impacted
We appreciate your patience. We know how important the trail is to all its users.
The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District will close all access sites to the Elkhorn River for the season on the morning of November 1st. The access sites include Elkhorn Crossing Recreation Area, Graske Crossing, and West Maple Road. They will reopen April 1st. See you next season!
The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (Papio NRD), City of Valley, DC West Community Schools, YMCA of Greater Omaha, and other community partners today celebrated the grand opening of Valley’s new pedestrian bridge and trail.
The 450-foot pedestrian bridge and trail provide a major community connection point that improves safety, recreation, and active transportation for Valley residents.
“The pedestrian bridge spans the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and East Reichmuth Road (old Hwy 275),” said Eric Williams, natural resources planner for the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. “The City of Valley needed a solution to literally bridge the gaps between major parts of the community, especially a safe route that prevented kids from directly crossing the rail lines or walking on the highway overpass. The bridge and trail provide these safety measures as well as increased recreational opportunities. So, it’s a double win for Valley residents,” said Williams.
“The City of Valley is extremely excited to have the trail and bridge finally open,” said Valley Mayor Cindy Grove. “This has been a multiple year project and residents have been eagerly anticipating the opening. Being able to connect the YMCA with the school and south side of the community with a safe place for residents to walk and bike has been much needed for several years.”
Williams says the project is a great example of the power of community partnerships and one that came at no cost to Valley taxpayers. The total cost of the pedestrian bridge and trail is approximately $7 million, with a majority of the cost from federal transportation funding, and the remaining contribution from the Papio NRD.
“I am entering my ninth year as superintendent and this is a project that was in planning when I arrived,” said Dr. Melissa Poloncic, superintendent of DC West Schools. “To see this large-scale project finally come together is really a wonderful thing for our community!”
“We are so excited for the completion of the trail and the impact it will have,” said Rebecca Deterding, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Omaha. “This has been highly anticipated, and we look forward to it increasing access and collaboration between the YMCA, the school and the community.”