Little Sandy Creek Dam Site 61

Near Daykin, Nebraska

Client:
Little Blue Natural Resources District

The Little Blue Natural Resources District developed a flood control project for the Little Sandy Creek watershed following extensive flooding in 1984. Project feasibility was first investigated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) under a PL 83-566 grant that covers planning aspects only. The Little Sandy Creek Natural Resources Plan and Environmental Assessment was completed by the NRCS and was submitted to the Nebraska Resources Development Fund (NRDF) for potential funding assistance.

The Little Blue NRD hired Schemmer to develop the project technical feasibility NRDF application. Several enhancements were added to the original project including recreation, groundwater recharge, water quality protection and sport fisheries enhancements. One dam site was moved to enhance the benefits and an extensive geotechnical sampling program was conducted to verify suitable subsurface conditions. Total project costs are estimated at $2.7 million.

Water budgets were calculated for each of the project sites to estimate the amount of groundwater recharge and to evaluate if the conservation pool would facilitate recreation. Gage data, geotechnical samples, as well as several studies performed by UNL were incorporated to perform the calculations. The project used GIS data to quickly obtain data for groundwater recharge calculations at 1,600 registered well sites. The recharge estimates were then used to predict the groundwater influence using EPA's computer model WhAEM 2000. The groundwater influence was then converted to present value dollars by calculating the pumping savings at each of the wells.

Extensive recreational facilities were added to one dam site. These facilities included: access roads, parking areas, hiking trails, RV camper pads, boat ramp, boat dock, ADA fishing pier, restrooms, drinking water system, swimming beach, pedestrian bridge, picnic shelters, and electrical service. Water quality was a major concern due to the desire for a high quality fishery and a swimming beach. Water quality features included the creation of an upstream sedimentation pond, placing shoreline stability gravel, jetty construction and shoreline plantings. Fisheries enhancement beyond the water quality improvements included gravel shoals, bay enhancement excavation, basin sculpting and access improvements.