Grabbing catfish and preventing floods: just a few of Antelope Creek’s benefits

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I ride the bus a lot.

During one of my usual bus rides between city and east campus, I heard some girls talking behind me about how they thought the Antelope Creek project was a waste of time.

“It’s just a big improvement to a sketchy part of town; no one will actually want to use it,” one girl said.

I, however, have found Antelope Creek to be a great little patch of water and green space near campus.

Work began on the Antelope Creek Valley project in August of 1999. The project had three main goals: flood control, transportation improvements, and community enhancements.

The area around Antelope Creek was designated a 100-year flood plain. Basically, that means there’s a 1% chance that a catastrophic flood will occur annually. The important issue here is that the City of Lincoln has stringent policies concerning construction and redevelopment of existing structures in the 100-year flood plain. These policies are designed to lessen flood damage to new construction projects, but do not avert damage to existing structures.

As the girls noted on the bus, the area around Antelope Creek was a bit “sketchy” – that’s because the City would not allow improvements in a 100-year flood plain. However, the Antelope Creek Valley project has decreased the flood plain by 80%. If a flood were to occur, the water would be channeled through the creek. This will allow for more development and enhancements in the surrounding area.

In short, those girls were crazy to think the Antelope Creek Valley project was a waste of time. Below, I list five of my personal reasons for enjoying the new recreational area.

1)   Close contact with nature

Sometimes, you just need to grab a catfish to get close with nature. Last spring, my roommate and I went to Antelope Creek for some “fishing.” Armed with an aquarium fish net, a cat litter container, and some pickle jars, we caught anything that moved in the water. At one point, the water was so shallow that we could just grab minnows without even trying. Pictured above is my catch-of-the-day, a nine-inch catfish.

2)   Fresh air for exercising

This school year, I made it my goal to work out more and stay fit. I started running through the Antelope Creek area, since I wouldn’t have to deal with traffic. As I run – or walk, since I’m a terrible runner – ducks splash around in the creek, birds chirp, the sun rises. Whenever I start my day off with a run through Antelope Creek, my mind is clearer and more alert throughout my classes.

3)   Play area for kids

I don’t know about you, but I always wanted to go to the park when I was a kid. Okay, truth be told, I still like going to the park. Located next to the creek, this play area allows kids to let their imaginations wander from the jungle gym to the critters crawling around in the water. The drums (pictured above) are my favorite part though. I highly recommend trying them.

4)   Picnic area

My boyfriend and I are cheap dates. Sometimes for dinner, we like to get a sack lunch and just sit by the creek for a while. Food always tastes better outside, especially after a long day of classes. Plus it’s fun to feed the fish and ducks. The amphitheater (pictured above) has plenty of space to sit and watch the water.

 5) Aesthetics

Call me fickle or whatever you like, but I need to live in an attractive place. It just feels good knowing there’s some flowing water and green space a short walk away. The photo above proves my point.

For more information about the Antelope Creek Valley Project:

http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/pworks/projects/antelope/

Photos of completed projects:

http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/pworks/projects/antelope/const/complete.htm