Learn Salt Creek Levee Impact, Provide Planning Input at Open House

LINCOLN (NE) March 14, 2016– The Lower Platte South Natural Resources District (NRD) is planning an update of the Salt Creek Levee system in Lancaster County.  The public and property owners protected by the levee can learn about the developing plan, about Salt Creek flooding history and the impact the levee has had, provide their own input and learn ways to stay safe at an Open House on Thursday, March 24th, from 4:30pm to 7:00pm at the NRD office; 3125 Portia Street (approximately 15th and Adams), Lincoln.  A map to the office is available at lpsnrd.org.

The NRD is working with the City of Lincoln and has hired JEO Consulting Group to help complete the plan, called a System Wide Improvement Framework Plan (SWIF) overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps).  The SWIF plan, according to NRD General Manager Glenn Johnson, “involves a comprehensive evaluation of Salt Creek and the levee system through Lincoln, identifying deficiencies or improvements that need to be made and developing a multi-year plan to make the improvements.”  Johnson said the plan and the resulting projects are intended to keep the levee in good working order, so it continues to protect Lincoln neighborhoods and businesses for another 50 years.  He said the public is also an important partner in the process and can provide feedback that will be valuable to the overall SWIF plan by utilizing opportunities such as the scheduled Open House.  By attending, Johnson said, “They’ll also learn ways to help themselves and their family be safe during flood events.”  Even with the dams, levee and other flood risk reduction measures in place, there is still a risk for flooding along Salt Creek.  With that in mind, the NRD and local partners are updating the emergency action and public communications plans and looking for ways to increase public awareness to those plans.

Ten upstream dams and the 13 miles of levee, which lines both sides of Salt Creek, from Calvert Street to Superior Street, are credited for preventing $235 million in damage from flooding, since the system was built by the Corps in the 1960s. About $87 million in damages were prevented last May, when record flows in Salt Creek filled the levee to within one foot of overtopping.  The dams and levee worked together to avoid large losses in Lincoln. 

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Contact:  Mike Mascoe, Public Information Specialist

                 Lower Platte South Natural Resources District    

                 402-476-2729, mmascoe [at] lpsnrd.org