FLOOD04472

• County: Statewide
• Community: Nemaha County Nebraska
• Stream Name: Missouri River Miles 532.4-528.9
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Langdon Bend Habitat Restoration/Preservation Project Volume 1
• Date: 6/1/1995
• Prepared For: US Army Corps of Engineers
• Prepared By: Greenhorne & O'Mara, Inc.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Project

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known Native American groups likely fished and exploited other resources of the Missouri River,
and used the river as a trade route (Alex 1980; Anderson 1975).

Any prehistoric and historic Native American utilization of the project site would therefore
represent very limited exploitation and any remains would be rather ephemeral. The migration
of the Missouri River and historic period disturbance would make recovery of any such remains
higWy unlikely. Thus, there is little or no potential for intact archeological sites within the project
area.

A review of the historic development of the area and historic maps supports this
observation. The first permanent Euro-American settlement within the boundaries of Brownville
Township, which incorporates the project site, did not occur until 1854. A 1923 soil map shows
the project area prior to channelization of the Missouri River in this area, but clearly indicates that
the project site was not much different from today (Benton and Russell 1923), The historic
research on the area and its generally unfavorable environment to historic development suggest
that there is little or no potential for standing structures within the project area.

Though there is little likelihood of standing structures within the project area, there is a
potential for steamboat wrecks along the Missouri River within the vicinity of Langdon Bend.
The peak for steamboat traffic along the Missouri River was between 1840 and 1870, when
steamboats supported the Rocky Mountain fur trade, mining in the western states, settlement of
the Great Plains and Oregon, and U.S. Army troops fighting with Native American tribes
(Bowers, et al. 1988). Langdon Bend is located between river miles 532.4 and 528.9 along the
Missouri River. While no steamboat wrecks have been documented in the immediate vicinity of
Langdon Bend, Bowers, et al. (1988) note that steamboat wrecks were so frequent along the
Missouri that there is only a partial record of the wrecks.

j. Socioeconomic Resources: The project site is mixed farm and forest land. Farm
production is the sole source of revenue directly generated from the property. The parcel of land
bordering the northern portion of the property is fully forested and its stated purpose is as a buffer
zone for the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant. The Federal Levee is located immediately adjacent to
the project site, to the west and south. Beyond the levee to the west and south of the project site
is farmland. The immediate area and the greater economy of the region is dominated by
agriculture.

Companies and public utilities in Nemaha County, Nebraska provide electricity, gas,
emergency and medical services to the area. Electricity is provided by the Nebraska Public Power
District (NPPD) and gas services are provided by People's Natural Gas. Twenty-four hour
emergency services are provided for residents in the area by Nemaha Fire and Rescue and
Brownville Fire and Rescue. Police services are provided by the Nemaha County Sheriff's
Department (Thies, pers. comm.). Hospital services are provided by the Nemaha County Hospital
located in Auburn. The hospital has twenty-four hour service and a staff with five doctors.

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