Kansas City District – Harlan County Lake

US Army Corps of Engineers

Kansas City District Website

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Contact Harlan County Lake

Harlan County Project Office
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
70788 Corps Road A
Republican City, NE 68971

Phone: 308-799-2105
Fax: 308-799-5075

Office Hours

Monday through Friday

7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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Harlan County Lake News Releases

Welcome to Harlan County Lake

Responsible Recreation video

As our recreation areas begin to reopen we want to remind you that we need your help during these trying times.

&quot;View video&quot; in front of this link

Recreation area status updates

As we implement a phased reopening of campsites and recreation areas closed due to COVID-19, a complete list of recreation area status updates can be found online at: www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Lakes/Recreation-Area-Status.

News Release Recreation Area Status Updates

Play it safe with outdoor recreation

Follow CDC guidelines, even when outdoors. We are not staffed to maintain/clean lake & park areas. Be cautious about touching anything. Sanitize and wash often. Practice social distancing.

Campgrounds and swim beaches closed

To protect against the further spread of the Coronavirus all USACE-managed campgrounds have begun an orderly shutdown and will be closed indefinitely. Individuals with paid reservations will be contacted by email and full refunds will automatically be processed by Recreation.gov with no cancellation fees. Do not attempt to contact Recreation.gov to request a refund as that will lead to a cancellation fee being charged.

Visitor Center closed

We are taking precautions and have closed our Visitor Center effective March 13, 2020. We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide timely updates regarding other potential facility closures at our lakes on our websites and/or social sites.

Buy It Where You Burn It

Moving Firewood Transports TreeKilling Insects & Diseases. Remember to acquire your firewood locally near the campground or use certified pest free firewood.

Learn more here

Located in South Central Nebraska, lands surrounding Harlan County Lake are primarily classified as mixed grass prairie land. Harlan County Lake grasslands are made up of Big and Little Bluestem, Indian grass, western wheatgrass, buffalo grass, blue gramma and switch grass.
Native grasses are managed by controlled burning and hay production. These practices attempt to prevent envasion by introduced species, enhance prairie community health, and increase wildlife habitat value.

Harlan County Lake’s woodlands are restricted to locations providing sufficient moisture. A band of mature woodlands may be found along the Republican River and throughout the deeper drainages leading into the lake. Wood cutting permits are utilized to manage the woodland community. This practice assists with maintaining age and species diversity.

The most effective tool for enhancing wildlife populations and habitat at Harlan County Lake is the Agricultural Lease Program. Under this program several thousand acres of public lands are leased to farmers for the purpose of crop and hay production. Conditions of these lease agreements require the operator to incorporate specific wildlife management practices into their operation. These requirements often include specific crop rotations, food plots, and native grass and tree/shrub establishment

Natural Resource Management

Natural Resource management efforts at Harlan County Lake focus on maintaining and enhancing natural ecosystems. Click on the Natural Resources link in the "Here at Harlan County" section below.

Water Safety Works!

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers park ranger at Rathbun Lake applies temporary tattoos to children who were “caught” wearing their life jackets. The tattoos carried a safety message reminding children to wear their life jackets when in or near the water. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo.

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Useful Links

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Need to Know

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Campground Open Seasons

Hunter Cove & Methodist Cove 1-May thru 30-Sep

Gremlin Cove, North & South Outlet, East Gremlin

Cedar Point - 15-May thru 15-Sep

More information including reservations,

site prices, and park maps can be found in the

camping section in Outdoor recreation.

Rules and Regulations

The Harlan County Lake is regulated by Title 36 CRF 327 governing public use of Corps of Engineers water resources development projects. For a list of all rules and regulations please reference this link.

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