Nebraskaland Magazine
LINCOLN – Missouri River boaters in northeast Nebraska will have two new ramps to launch from by next spring, one at Ponca State Park (SP) and another at Mulberry Bend Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will begin work soon at both sites in Dixon County.
A new concrete boat ramp and parking area will be built on Elk Point Bend on the northwest edge of Ponca SP. The work site will be closed to public access during construction, which will begin with rock rip-rap delivery and bank grading.
An existing boat ramp at Mulberry Bend WMA, located north of Newcastle, was damaged by the 2011 Missouri River flood. A longer concrete ramp will be built in its place, and new bank stabilization will be installed. The new facility will be handicap accessible and include walkways and a restroom.
A small, temporary launch site will be available at Mulberry Bend WMA, but parking will be limited. The old boat ramp will be closed to public access while repairs are being done starting in November. Boaters and duck hunters should use an alternate boat ramp located 5 miles upstream west of Vermillion in Clay County, South Dakota.
Funding for the project is provided in part by the federal Recreational Trails Program and matching Capital Development Maintenance funds administered through the state. Construction at both sites is expected to be completed by early March 2016.
For more information, call Game and Parks’ Steve Satra at 402-471-5446 or Tom Welstead at 402-370-3374, or visit OutdoorNebraska.org.
