36 Nebraskaland • August-September 2022
a surfer.
That kind of experience isn't needed to enjoy the
whitewater park, though. Paddlers on the trail can simply
point their boat downstream and ride right through the wave.
"They're both surfable," Knapp said. "The top one is a little
easier. The bottom is a little bigger. With both of them, you're
probably going to get water in your boat coming down, so
just be ready for that."
Flows at the features vary depending on natural fl ows in
Turkey Creek and, according to the U.S. Geological Survey
stream gauge on the creek, range from roughly 150 to 250
cubic feet per second on weekdays when NPPD's hydroelectric
plant is operating. "I would say anywhere from around 180
to 250 cfs is where it is best for surfi ng. Any higher and you
can't stay in the wave because the water is too high and
washes the wave out, and any lower it gets kind of rocky and
small," Knapp said, adding that the lower fl ows also mean a
bigger drop and more water coming over the bow of paddlers
heading through the features.
If you happen to capsize, the drop structures are designed
to spit you out of the whitewater and send you downriver,
where you can easily get to either shore. Life jackets are
recommended for all paddlers, and helmets for anyone
attempting tricks in the whitewater.
Below each feature, boulders terrace the shoreline,
providing a place for spectators to sit and watch. Paddlers can
carry their kayaks from the bottom feature back to the top
along the paved hike-bike trail on the south side of Turkey
Creek, part of a 13.1-mile trail connecting Cottonmill Lake
The Kearney Whitewater Park won't be the
only such park in Nebraska for long. Work
will begin this month on an $8.4 million
redevelopment project in downtown Norfolk that
will include eight drop structures on the North
Fork of the Elkhorn River.
The North Fork Development Project is
centered around restoration of Johnson Park, a
federal Work Project Administration plan from
the 1930s that was a centerpiece for the town
before it was wiped out by fl ooding in the 1960s.
The project will restructure the river,
replacing an aged hydroelectric dam with
smaller drop structures to create whitewater
features. It also includes a trail system, fi sh-
habitat improvements and angler access, an
amphitheater and festival space along the river,
as well as business and residential development
and street improvements. It is expected to be
complete in the fall or winter of 2023.
More Parks?
Zach Nelson paddles through the rapids below a drop
structure in the Kearney Whitewater Park.
