Nebraska Game and Parks releases third aquatic habitat plan with 71 projects over 15 years

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission on a public webinar outlined its third statewide aquatic habitat plan, a 15-year program that lists roughly 71 projects intended to improve angler access and aquatic habitat across Nebraska.

The plan, presented by Jeff Jackson, aquatic habitat program manager for NGPC, and Tony Bridal, fisheries division administrator, combines the agency’s access and habitat priorities into a single, more focused program, Jackson said. The agency said the new plan will allow limited flexibility to add projects during the plan period if they meet program goals and receive approval from division leadership.

Jackson told attendees the third plan follows earlier efforts first produced in 1997 and updated in 2008 and 2010. “We wanted to kind of combine efforts with the access plan and aquatic habitat plan, kind of focus our effort,” Jackson said. He said the current plan lists about 71 projects and that many items are in design phases now.

Why it matters: the plan is intended to guide where NGPC will prioritize renovation, access, and habitat work and to provide a framework for outside agencies and grant partners to join projects. Jackson said the plan’s focus on distributed projects reflects anglers’ preferences for local access — generally within 30 to 40 miles of home.

Key projects and approaches - Harlan County Reservoir: Jackson described a nearly $10 million restoration completed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Section 1135 cost-share program. Work included dredging a channel into Methodist Cove, adding artificial habitat and cedar tree plantings, and building a jetty and underwater shoal to reduce the lateral sand drift that closes the bay during drawdown. - Lake Maloney: A $1.1 million access project added a jetty pier, ADA access to the inlet and underwater shoals intended to concentrate fish. - East and West Twin Reservoirs and other sandpit lakes: NGPC plans access improvements, targeted excavation to prevent isolation of fish during drawdowns, and experimental features such as floating islands and artificial habitat structures used at Lewisville State Recreation Area. - Fort Rob (Soldier Creek area) and Carter P. Johnson Dam removal: stream-restoration projects and dam removal are included; Jackson said grant funding secured to date covers more than half of at least one large stream-restoration project.

Funding and partners: NGPC emphasized grant leveraging. Jackson said the agency has used Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) grants, federal WaterSMART funding through the Bureau of Reclamation, and EPA Section 319 funds alongside agency resources. He described past projects as leveraging cost-share arrangements (for example, a 75% cost share on some projects) and said the plan is intended to attract partners.

History and scale: NGPC said over roughly the last 27 years it has spent almost $110 million and completed about 35 projects with assistance from roughly 91 partner organizations. Jackson said the third plan reduces the large number of projects listed in the 2010 plan (nearly 200) to a more focused list of about 71 projects.

Implementation and next steps: many projects are currently in design and expected to move into construction over the coming years. Jackson noted that design typically takes about a year and that some projects are contingent on outside approvals and funding. He encouraged anglers and stakeholders to review the full plan on NGPC’s website and submit feedback.

The agency will post recorded meetings on its YouTube channel and asked interested anglers to provide comments via the contact emails shown in the webinar slides.