Preparing for and Fighting a Record-Breaking Flood: The Papio-Missouri NRD Clear Creek Levee on the Platte River was breached by flood waters.
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he Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (NRD) is located on the Missouri River near the city of Omaha, Nebraska. The district is also bordered by the state’s other two major rivers, the Elkhorn and the Platte. The district has broad responsibilities managing the area’s natural resources, including flood planning and control. In this interview, John Winkler, general manager of the Papio-Missouri River NRD, speaks with Municipal Water Leader Editor-in-Chief Kris Polly about the record-breaking flooding his district suffered earlier this year and how he and his staff responded to the event. Kris Polly: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.
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John Winkler: Our NRD encompasses about a third of the Missouri River in Nebraska, and our southern and western borders are the Platte River and the Elkhorn River, so the three major rivers of the state flow through and around our district. Kris Polly: What kind of damage did the NRD experience? John Winkler: Several of our levee systems overtopped, and we had at least two breaches, one along the Missouri River and one along the Platte River. The latter flooded Valley, Nebraska. There are numerous scour holes and washouts along the levees, and there are significant amounts of debris and silt, which is a big problem. Inside the Omaha metro area and the Papillion Creek basin, where we have a number of dams and levees, the system performed impeccably. There was little damage in the greater Omaha metro area. It was along the three major river corridors that the systems were overtopped or failed. The reason for that is that besides a few levees, there’s not a whole lot of control on the Platte and the Elkhorn. There are no dams to speak of, and there is no robust levee system along those. Of course, the Missouri is different. There is the U.S. Army
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAPIO-MISSOURI NRD.
John Winkler: I will have been with the district for 13 years in December 2019. I have a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in public administration, as well as a certification in mediation and negotiation, which comes in handy when dealing with the legislature and boards. Before I came to the NRD, I was the city administrator of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, which also experienced some significant flooding during this event. I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and I live along the Platte River, so I’ve experienced it at its best and worst.
Kris Polly: How much riverfront does your NRD have?
