New Trail Makes Convenient Connections

LINCOLN (NE) May 27, 2016 – The newest extension of Lincoln’s Salt Creek Levee Trail will be officially opened on National Trails Day, June 4th.  The trail, north of the UNL City Campus, gives students, North Bottoms Neighborhood residents and others an outdoor exercise loop and better access between Haymarket Park, Oak Lake and the Bob Devaney Sports Center.  The Lower Platte South Natural Resources District (NRD) completed the project last year.  It connects the Salt Creek Levee Trail at Haymarket Park and the Antelope Valley Trail and provides convenient, safe passage under 14th Street, 10th Street and Interstate 180.  The trail opening, on Saturday, June 4th will begin at 10:00 AM at the Charleston Street Bridge, just west of Haymarket Park.  Parking will be available in the NSAA lot, north of Line Drive.

The connecting trail is built along the top of the Salt Creek Levee, which is operated and maintained by the NRD and helps protect much of the UNL campus and downtown Lincoln from Salt Creek flooding.  NRD General Manager Glenn Johnson said, “We hope UNL students will continue to utilize this new trail in combination with the Antelope Valley Trail, along the east edge of campus and the Salt Creek Levee Trail to the west as an exercise loop around campus for walking, jogging, biking, and going to class or to work.”  Johnson said, “The new trail is also convenient for students attending Husker baseball and softball games at Haymarket Park, making a relaxing visit to Oak Lake, patronizing West “O” Street businesses, or even venturing as far as Wilderness Park to enjoy the natural beauty it has to offer.” 

The NRD has built most segments of the Salt Creek Levee Trail, then turned them over to the City of Lincoln for administration and maintenance.  The newest segment is paved, but south of Haymarket Park, most of the Salt Creek Levee Trail has a crushed limestone surface, just like the three trails maintained by the NRD; the Homestead Trail, from Roca (currently) to Cortland; the Oak Creek Trail, between Valparaiso and Brainard; and the MoPac East Trail, from south of “O” Street on 84th to Wabash. 

Besides trails, the NRD maintains eight lakes and several wetlands and saline wetlands for public use.  They also monitor the District’s ground water for quality and quantity, partner with the City of Lincoln to reduce stream erosion, cost-share with landowners to conserve soil and water and the NRD offers extensive educational information and materials about natural resources.  The District includes most of Lancaster and Cass counties and smaller parts of Butler, Saunders, Otoe and Seward counties.  Learn more about the NRD’s public use areas and activities at lpsnrd.org.

                                                                        -30-

Contact:  Mike Mascoe, Public Information Specialist

                 Lower Platte South Natural Resources District                                                                                         

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