Located in downtown Lincoln, the Antelope Valley Weir and Union Plaza are key parts of the flood control project. The Lower Platte South NRD, partnered with the City of Lincoln and the University of Nebraska, completed the Antelope Valley Project in 2012, twenty years after planning began. The project had three major components: community revitalization, transportation and flood control. Besides creating a beautiful open waterway through the heart of Lincoln, the project removed several hundred acres and 800 homes and businesses from the floodplain.

At the heart of the project, between “O” Street and “Q” Street, is Union Plaza. Its shining waterway (designed to characterize the Platte River), trails, linear park and nearby retail businesses combine to create an informal gathering place for University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and the general public. Organized outdoor events are also popular there. The flood control component of the project has shown its worth, proving the waterway can contain the runoff from a 100-year frequency storm, needing only minor cleanup.

Lincoln Saline Wetlands Nature Center (LSWNC), just east of Lincoln's Capitol Beach Lake, features a woodchip walking trail which unlocks the treasures of this dense and rare saline wetland to the public.

The several ponds on the wetland are frequented by a wide variety of waterfowl. The parking area is located on the south side of the wetland.

Learn more about the wetlands here

The MoPac East Recreational Trail is a 22-mile crushed limestone trail offering year-round recreation for hikers, joggers, bicyclists, horseback riders, cross country skiers and wildlife watchers. The trail also serves as an environmental education and public awareness tool. The MoPac features a blend of hometown, woodland and agricultural scenery along a former Missouri Pacific Railroad corridor. The rail line was active until 1984, when heavy rains destroyed a portion of track near Elmwood. The Nebraska Trails Foundation and the Great Plains Trails Network raised the funds to purchase the trail property. The property was then deeded to the Lower Platte South NRD on July 3, 1991, and the MoPac East Recreational Trail was born.

The MoPac East Trail connects to the MoPac Trail in Lincoln near 84th & “O” streets, linking it to the more than 130-mile city trail network. The trail is completed from Lincoln to Wabash, a distance of 22 miles. Eventually it will reach the Platte River Connection and Lied Platte River Bridge, a bridge over the Platte River at South Bend, with connections to the Omaha trail network.

Learn more about the trail here

Since Lancaster, NE (now Lincoln) was founded in 1859, Salt Creek has been a flooding threat. It still is, but since the Salt Creek Levee and ten upstream flood control structures were built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s, Salt Creek flooding in Lincoln is less frequent. A 15-year general updating of the 13-miles of levees continues, under the Corps' SWIF program.

Visitors can access the trail at it's southern most point at Park Blvd & Speedway Circle in Lincoln.

Along with Nebraska's other 222 NRDs, the LPSNRD is celebrating 50 years of locally managing natural resources. All NRDs have the same responsibilities under state statute, but their programs and projects are customized by a locally elected board to meet local needs. The Lower Platte South NRD is planning several public celebrations of its success, in 2022.

Event schedule