South-central Nebraska state parks enjoy many improvements

Visitors to state park areas in south-central Nebraska will find enhanced day-use and camping amenities. Projects in the works or completed will appeal to an array of park users. The following is a roundup of those improvements and projects:

Windmill State Recreation Area – Visitors to this Interstate 80 park south of Gibbon will have improved fishing experiences as an Aquatic Habitat Project is in the design phase.

Work, scheduled to begin in August, will take place at five of the park’s six lakes. Aside from various habitat features, such as riprap piles and floating wetlands, project plans include angler access highlights, like Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant fishing piers on lakes 1 and 2, with ADA-compliant sidewalks leading to a parking lot. Piers also will be built on lakes 2 and 3, a floating pier on Lake 4 and jetties on lakes 2 and 6. Lake 4 also will have a new parking lot.

The projects, set to be completed by spring 2026, is funded by a $500,000 Nebraska Environmental Trust grant, Capital Maintenance Funds and the Aquatic Habitat Fund. Anglers fund the Aquatic Habitat Fund through their purchase of Aquatic Habitat Stamps included with their fishing licenses.

Windmill will see additional improvements. A new playground is in the design phase. This playground, by Burke equipment, will be built near Lake 4 and have close access to a modern restroom and a large, reservable picnic shelter. The $150,000 cost is funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the CMF.

Also, the park’s new 18-hole disc golf course will be completed this spring. Money for this project came from private donors, a Kearney Visitors Bureau grant, and park cash. 

Mormon Island SRA, War Axe SRA, Cheyenne SRA, Kearney Outdoor Education Complex SRA – Guests to several parks along I-80 will appreciate the enhanced comfort from the installation of new, replacement CXT bathrooms. These toilets, which included ADA parking, cost $37,000 each, funded in part by LWCF.

Two bathrooms were placed at Mormon Island SRA and one each at War Axe SRA, Cheyenne SRA and Kearney Outdoor Education Complex SRA.

Johnson Lake SRA – A project at Johnson Lake SRA increased and improved the dump station to two lanes and built a longer entrance road to help with traffic congestion. The $242,500 project was funded by the CMF.

Cheyenne SRA – The park along the I-80 interchange south of Wood River, is going electric. Where none had existed, the park will have 21 50-amp campsites. The project, estimated to cost $462,000 in CMF funds, should be completed in May.

Sandy Channel SRA – A well system will be installed at Sandy Channel SRA south of Elm Creek this spring with LWCF funding. The total cost of this project is estimated at $26,000.

The projects funded by Capital Maintenance and Land and Water Conservation Funds improve safety and accessibility, protect natural habitats, boost local economies, and ensure long-term sustainability. These investments create more welcoming parks for everyone to enjoy now and in the future.

Capital Maintenance Funds were established by the Nebraska Legislature to help preserve Nebraska’s public outdoor recreation facilities and parklands. These, as well as state and federal funding sources, and Nebraska Game and Parks’ funds generated from user fees of the state park system, funded these park improvement projects.