The Central Platte Natural Resources District is preparing to open a $15 million headquarters and learning center on a 1,000-acre site west of Grand Island, creating a public facility focused on water management, flood control, soil resources, wetlands, wildlife and agriculture.
The building is near the Husker Harvest Days show site, about three miles north of the annual farm event grounds. The 20,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in late November and will serve as the district’s headquarters as well as an educational center for producers, schoolchildren and urban residents.
A flood-reduction project
The headquarters is part of the Prairie Silver Moores Flood Reduction project, which the district purchased at a total cost of $28 million. Central Platte NRD Manager Lyndon Vogt said Hall County and federal and state resource programs helped with the purchase. Proceeds from selling the district’s existing Grand Island office also will help offset the cost.
The property includes a 600-acre detention cell designed to capture runoff. The area also will serve other purposes, including wetlands, as the district develops the site.
“The fertile farmland around here in the Platte River Valley is flat, so a large conventional dam or dams aren’t possible.”
Vogt said the detention cell provides a different approach to managing runoff in the valley, where the terrain limits the use of large conventional dams.
Water quality and education
The Central Platte district has dealt with elevated nitrate levels in groundwater for years and has used measures intended to limit contamination. Flooding also has been a recurring concern in the area, according to the district’s description of the project.
The central portion of the new building will house its education programs. The planned topics include how local resources are managed and how water, soil, wildlife and agricultural activities interact across the Platte River Valley.
- The site covers 1,000 acres west of Grand Island.
- The facility includes 20,000 square feet of headquarters and education space.
- A 600-acre detention cell will capture runoff and support wetland uses.
Vogt said the district’s long-term focus is expected to place greater emphasis on education and public engagement in natural-resources management. The new headquarters and learning center are scheduled to open in late November.
