NORFOLK, Nebraska – No matter where you live in Nebraska, you’re never far from a public outdoor recreation area. Many of these recreational opportunities, such as trails, lakes, parks, and wildlife areas, are built and maintained by Natural Resources Districts (NRDs). One of the 12 responsibilities of the NRDs is the development and management of recreational park facilities.

Many NRD projects are developed for multiple purposes. Recreational trails are built atop flood-control levees or along abandoned railroad lines. Habitat areas and wetlands may be available to hunters and are often preserved for interpretive nature study. Dams built for flood-control (another responsibility of the NRDs) often develop into recreational areas. The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) has built three dams across their 15-counties for flood protection: the Willow Creek State Recreation Area, southwest of Pierce; Maskenthine Lake, north of Stanton; and the Maple Creek Recreation Area, northwest of Leigh.

At their January meeting, the LENRD board of directors voted to approve a contract with Reserve America to begin accepting online reservations for a portion of the camping sites at Maskenthine Lake and the Maple Creek recreation areas. 

“By implementing the online service, we can establish a fair playing field and give everyone an opportunity to either reserve a spot or take advantage of the first-come, first-served option," said LENRD Recreation Area Superintendent Leonard Boryca. "We’ve had a number of requests for this service, and we’re excited to give it a try.”

The board also approved the updated rules and regulations for the recreation areas, including the new reservation and cancellation policy. The new reservation website will be available later this spring.

The LENRD board & staff meet each month to develop and implement management plans to protect our natural resources for the future. The next LENRD board meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. Watch for further updates and stay connected with the LENRD by subscribing to their monthly emails.