805 Dorsey Street P.O. Box 826 Beatrice, Nebraska 68310 402/228-3402 FAX: 402/223-4441

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At its July 9, 2003, meeting the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission authorized the Lower Big Blue NRD to proceed with an application and feasibility study for a Lower Turkey Creek Watershed Project. The primary purpose of the project is for flood control, as the Lower Turkey Creek experiences flooding of some magnitude every year in portions of the watershed. Major floods occurred in 1973, 1984, 1993, and 1999. Other purposes of the project are to improve water quality, reduce sedimentation, reduce damage to public roads and bridges, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, and provide stream flow augmentation. Lower Turkey Creek is the last undeveloped watershed in the district.

Phase I of Turkey Creek Feasibility Study:

The NRD completed the first phase of the feasibility study in July of 2004. Phase I of the study included survey/data gathering, hydrologic/hydraulics assessment, preliminary economics, dam locations and sizes, and determined the cost benefit ratio of building the structures. The NRD, in an effort to identify a combination of sites that would provide the highest benefit, looked at several alternative combinations of constructing between 1 and 18 flood control structures. Phase I of the study found that the combination of sites 3,4,6,8,9,11 and 15 provided the most flood protection and had the highest cost/benefit ratio.

Phase II of Turkey Creek Feasibility Study:

Phase II of the study has focused on Sites 2A (1/8 of a mile south of Site 2), 3,4,6,8,9,11, and 15 and has included woodland inventory, land treatment inventory, road way impacts, cultural resources, and environmental assessment of the sites. It was determined that Site 6 would not be feasible to construct because of the impact to Highway 15. The board at its December 2004 meeting voted to eliminate Site 6 from the project and proceed with Sites 2A,3,4,8,9,11, and 15. Personnel from the NRD and representatives from Olsson and Associates, the engineering firm hired to complete the feasibility study, have been meeting with stakeholders and county officials and plan to hold public meetings during March of 2005 and submit the application to the Natural Resources Development Fund in April of 2005.

The project would cost an estimated 6 million dollars and the 7 flood control structures would control approximately 45,500 acres, 33% of the 139,000 acres, of the Lower Turkey Creek drainage area. It would reduce dollar damages of a 100 year storm by approximately two million dollars and have an average annual benefit of $440,500.

Attached is a map showing the locations of the seven flood control structures and a map of each structure.