Missouri River Recovery Program Logo

Hamburg Bend

Image capture of Hamburg Bend

General

Size (acres):  1,575.54 in Nebraska and 321.1 in Iowa

River Mile:  551.3 to 555.7 (right bank - Neb.) and 552.7 to 554.2 (left bank- Iowa)

Bank:  Right and left banks

County:  Otoe (Neb.) and Fremont (Iowa)

State:  Nebraska and Iowa

Ownership, Management and Access

Ownership:  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Acquisition Status:  Acquired from willing sellers between 1993 and 2004, under Water Resources Development Acts 1986 and 1999 authorizations.

On-Site Management:  Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) administer and/or perform operation and maintenance activities on behalf of the Corps according to the terms of various agreements.

Site Access:  Motor vehicles are restricted to established roadways and parking areas.  

Description, Use and Regulations

Description:  This site is unique in that it has a Nebraska side, sometimes referred to as Upper Hamburg, on which work has been done, and an Iowa side, sometimes referred to as part of Lower Hamburg Bend, on which work has been done as a part of the Lower Hamburg Bend in the State of Missouri.  The Nebraska and Iowa side are counted together because they are both within the Omaha District, whereas Lower Hamburg Bend is part of the Kansas City District.

  • Nebraska side:
    • The major portion of the site lies in the Missouri River floodplain between the USACE levee and the Missouri River. The remaining 15 acres lies directly adjacent on the west side of the levee south of County Road M. The Steamboat Trace Trail borders the area along the southwest portion of the area and the Missouri River borders the entire east side. 
    • Original construction of the project was completed in 1996 and included a flow through chute approximately 2.5 miles long that mimicked pre-channelization secondary channels, and created an island approximately 800 acres in size which is accessible by boat only. Riprap and grade control structures were also placed.
    • The chute has been allowed to erode and expand over time and provides critical shallow water habitat for numerous fish species including the pallid sturgeon.
  • Iowa side:
    •  As originally constructed, the major project features were a pilot channel for a new chute along a historical chute alignment, grade control structures, and a backwater that connects to the chute. The chute length is approximately 12,900 feet with a bottom width of 50-feet. The backwater, approximately 4,430 feet in length, was constructed along a historic low elevation swale. 
    • The area places about 1.3 miles of Missouri River frontage and 1400 feet of a side channel in public ownership in Iowa with the project site extending over the state line into Missouri.
    • This site provides critical shallow water habitat for numerous fish species including the pallid sturgeon.
    • See Lower Hamburg Bend for more information.

Status:  Open to the public. Site/Habitat is in operations and maintenance status.

Site Use:  The area is available for a variety of outdoor activities including bird watching, hiking, fishing and hunting.

Site-use Regulations:  

  • People visiting these areas must comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, including hunting, fishing, etc.  In general Title 36 Part 327 of the Code of Federal Regulations governs the use of Corps property.  Other regulations may apply to properties owned by other federal agencies.
  • Special regulations and restrictions may be posted on site.

Special-use Regulations:  No target shooting or primitive camping permitted.

For More Information

Contact Information: 

  • For the Nebraska side, contact NGPC at (402) 471-0641 or visit the NGPC webpage; it is in the "Nebraska City to Brownville" section, available in the radial buttons on the left. 
  • For the Iowa side, Contact IDNR at (712) 350-0147 or visit the IDNR web document
  • Also contact the Corps' Missouri River Project Office at (402) 996-3761.

Story Maps Link:  http://rsgisias.crrel.usace.army.mil/story_maps/nwo/mrrp/index.html#

[viewing instructions]