Volunteers Run Nebraska Lake After Budget Cuts Hit Hard

At Nebraska's Harlan County Lake, volunteers aren't just helping out anymore. They're running the show.

When operations project manager Thomas Zikmund started working at the lake in 1998, 19 full-time U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff managed the reservoir's 10 campgrounds alongside paid contractors. Today, with budgets tightened and staffing slashed, volunteers have become essential to keeping the state's second-largest reservoir open to the public.

The shift wasn't by choice, but it created something unexpectedly powerful. As five underutilized campgrounds closed and contracts ended, volunteers took over daily management of busy areas like Hunter Cove and Methodist Cove, greeting campers, answering questions, and maintaining facilities.

Bill and Sherry Anderson became fixtures at Methodist Cove for 15 years, earning the nickname "The Face of Methodist Cove" from locals who returned season after season. Tom Schonscheck spent over a decade building fish habitat structures throughout the lake, transforming the fishing experience for thousands of anglers.

These volunteers aren't paid employees. They're retirees, conservationists, and full-time RV travelers who work 20 to 24 hours weekly in exchange for a campsite with full hookups. But Zikmund says the free camping isn't what keeps them coming back.

Why This Inspires

The real magic happens in the relationships volunteers build with visitors. Campers feel more comfortable approaching a fellow RVer than a uniformed ranger, creating natural connections that make families feel welcome and turn first-time visitors into regular supporters.

When extreme weather strikes, whether severe storms, droughts, or flooding, these volunteers are first to grab cleanup tools and keep parks operational. The program has saved the Corps thousands of dollars in contract costs while maintaining access to public lands that might otherwise have closed.

"I think they really like to know that what they are doing is making a difference and that we couldn't do it without them," Zikmund says. "They truly feel like they are a part of the Harlan County team."

What started as a budget workaround became proof that purpose matters more than paychecks, and community spirit can fill gaps that government funding leaves behind.