Boat Ramp Improvements Planned at Valentine National Wildlife Refuge

LINCOLN, Neb. – Boat ramp improvements will be made to Hackberry, Clear, West Long and Pelican lakes on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in Cherry County.

The angler access project, a partnership of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), will begin Sept. 11 and should conclude by early November.

Existing launch sites will be replaced with concrete ramps extending into the lakes, and steel docks will be added alongside the ramps. The docks will accommodate changing water levels and allow anglers access to deeper water adjacent to the shoreline. Each boat ramp site will have a handicap-accessible concrete parking pad and walkway to the docks.

Signs and barriers will advise the public of temporary closures at ramps under construction. All lakes, except Clear Lake, have other boat ramps available for use. Water levels in several of the lakes were lowered this spring in preparation for the project. Lowered levels and the drought have made it difficult to launch large boats.

The project is made possible primarily by USFWS Visitor Facilities Enhancement funding and Game and Parks Angler Access funds through the purchase of Aquatic Habitat Stamps.

Call the refuge at 402-376-1889 for more information.