Description: The Snyder-Winnebago Complex is located along the left descending bank of the Missouri River and covers approximately 2,864 acres in its entirety.
- Snyder Bend consists of Nebraska land on the Iowa side of the river along with Iowa land. The majority of the site is undeveloped and remains in primarily in forested and wetland vegetation communities. Agriculture use is allowed on some tracts within the site but these are mainly on the periphery and between the Snyder Bend and Winnebago sites.
- The upstream portion of Snyder Bend functions as a cooling pond wetland area. An outlet pipe from MidAmerican Energy's Neal South Plant provides water to this area. The cooling pond/ wetland area allows the temperature of water exiting the Neal South Plant to cool before it reaches other wetland areas and Snyder Bend’s oxbow lake located further downstream.
- The oxbow lake provides fishing and boat launching opportunities for local and private residents and travelers visiting Snyder Bend Park, which is adjacent to the lake. This 35-acre park is operated and maintained by the Woodbury County Conservation Board and provides additional hiking, horseback riding, camping, wildlife viewing, and picnicking opportunities for visitors. Winnebago Bend is located just over a mile south of Snyder Bend.
- The main project element for the this site was reconnecting an old side channel to the river that was closed in conjunction with the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project. Project features consisted of a pilot channel and a constructed pump system that served to reestablish hydraulic connection with the Missouri River to restore migratory waterfowl and fishery habitat.
- The 2011 high flow event damaged the project features beyond repair and in 2016, the pump and associated structures were removed from the site. The site remains undeveloped and contains numerous wetland areas, bottomland timber, and scrub-shrub communities.
- The Snyder-Winnebago Complex became authorized for Mitigation as a part of the May 1981 Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project Final Feasibility Report and Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan, wherein it states “mitigation measures compatible with recreation use will be implemented on these lands to the maximum extent possible”. This has created a mitigation site that includes diverse shallow water and terrestrial flood plain habitats.
Status: Open to the public. Construction complete. Site/Habitat is in operations and maintenance status.
Site Use: The site is open to the public for a variety of outdoor activities including fishing, bird watching, hiking, and hunting when in season.
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, primitive camping or off-road vehicles permitted.