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NGPC outlines Northeast District access and habitat projects, schedules Verdel ramp rebuild
Summary
NGPC said it completed multiple access upgrades (Grove Lake ramps and pier, new kayak launch, Willow Creek fishing deck), removed nearly 1,900 cubic yards of Gracie Creek sediment, and plans a $400,000 Verdel Boat Ramp rebuild in November 2025 that will temporarily close the site.
Jeff Schuckman, fisheries manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s Northeast District, summarized a string of completed and planned lake access and aquatic-habitat projects and warned of temporary closures during construction.
Schuckman said last year’s work at Grove Lake included a new concrete approach, reshaped access roads, improved parking and bank protection, a floating fishing pier in the lake’s middle area and an ADA-accessible pad at the north ramp. "That is fully ADA," he said of the north-ramp pad. He asked visitors not to camp at access points and said the improvements should ease launching and shore access.
The district installed a new kayak launch north of the ramp at Cramper (transcribed variably in the meeting as 'Crampyr'/'Cramper') that includes an ADA pad servicing both the kayak launch and the boat ramp. Schuckman described the dock as a sloped plastic pad with grab bars and handholds so users can launch without getting their feet wet.
At Willow Creek, crews rebuilt fishing infrastructure lost in the 2019 flood with a pile-driven offshore fishing deck and added a new concrete parking lot and ADA pad. Schuckman said additional jetties and jetty-associated habitat work will proceed as funding allows.
The district expects to begin a major rebuild of the Verdel Boat Ramp on the Missouri River (Knox County) in November 2025. The project—estimated at about $400,000—reduces the ramp slope to about 14 degrees, eliminates the hazardous low-water drop-off, and will include a double-wide ramp with a slide-in hybrid dock able to accommodate roughly 3 feet of elevation change. "That project will take place in probably November of 2025," Schuckman said, adding that the ramp will likely be torn apart during construction and access may be limited for duck hunters and fall anglers.
Schuckman also reviewed sediment-management work at Gracie Creek (upper Calamus/Gracie Creek trout pond). He said the sediment basin holds roughly 3,000 cubic yards and crews removed about 1,900 cubic yards in a recent cleanout; the Nebraska Department of Transportation accepted roughly 1,200 cubic yards for reuse, creating a revolving spoil area to lower future hauling costs.
Schuckman characterized the access and habitat program as dependent on partners and funding: larger lake renovations (for example, Willow Creek) could take several years and require public input and drawdowns during construction. He encouraged anglers and landowners to share concerns and to contact district staff with questions.
