BEATRICE – The City of Beatrice has cleared a hurdle in establishing a kayak and canoe access point along the Big Blue River.
City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer says a permit for the project has been approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the launch point, which would be located south of the West Court Street bridge along the west bank of the Big Blue River.


"We had designed it and sent it off to the Flatwater Group for them to review, because they had done a number of these across the state. With their few adjustments to it, we submitted it to the Army Corps of Engineers and they issued the permit, basically as we had designed it."


The river access would be in an area where a short stretch of concrete surface remains on what is Memorial Drive. Funds were allocated in this year’s city budget to construct the launch. Tempelmeyer said the city budgeted $6,500…and additional funds have been committed by the Lower Big Blue NRD, the Beatrice Plus program….with a potential for a tourism grant as another source.


"It's currently out for bids and we are out looking for some additional grant funds to help with the projected cost of the project. If everything comes together, we look for construction, probably this summer."


Tempelmeyer says the construction would likely take place after the spring season, since weather forecasters and hydrologists anticipate an elevated flood risk along creeks and rivers during the spring. Summer river levels have traditionally been lower.


The access point would be placed a safe distance away from a low-head dam in the area where river water spills over off the south edge of the bridge.


"It will be far enough away from there, we should be able to avoid the hazard. We're looking at putting some signage upriver to let people know the low head dam is coming...so they're aware that they need to get out (of the river) on the north side of the highway, there. So, that might be site you look for as an exit point in the future...we are looking to let people know that there is some danger there."


Several organizations have supported building one or more access points on the Big Blue River to attract a growing number of recreational kayakers and canoeing fans to the Beatrice area.