Improvements made at many south-central Nebraska state parks

Visitors to Nebraska’s south-central state parks will notice several improvements this year. Projects completed in 2022 or to be finished in 2023 will appeal to an array of park users.

The following is a roundup of those improvements and projects:

Johnson Lake State Recreation Area

At Johnson Lake State Recreation Area near Lexington, 70 campsites are being upgraded to 50-amp electrical service and one site is being upgraded to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This project, to be completed this year, will cost $297,647. Electrical pedestals are replacing a system installed in the 1980s so the pads may accommodate large RVs and campers.

Fort Kearny State Recreation Area

Following the park’s master plan for Fort Kearny State Recreation Area near Kearney, an ADA-compliant shower house was installed in the east campground at a cost of $404,192.

An outdated vault toilet was replaced with an ADA-compliant structure at a cost of $28,991.

Mormon Island State Recreation Area

A consultant was hired for $26,666 to design seven new full-service camping pads for recreational vehicles at Mormon Island State Recreation Area near Grand Island. The design has been completed, and the camping pads will be built in conjunction with a future road project at the park.

Also, a new sewage lagoon, to serve present facilities and any future development, will be completed in 2023.

Windmill State Recreation Area

In 2020, a new archery range was installed at Windmill State Recreation Area near Gibbon at a cost of $16,682. The range helps further the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s effort to recruit, retain and reactivate outdoor enthusiasts in the region.

These state park system projects largely have been funded by Capital Maintenance Funds, which were established by the Nebraska Legislature in 2016 to help preserve Nebraska’s public outdoor recreation facilities and parklands; state and federal funding sources; and Nebraska Game and Parks’ funds generated from user fees of the state park system.