Contractors at Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford have started demolition of the swimming pool complex to make way for a new aquatic facility.

The new aquatic center — to be built on the same site within the park — will feature a zero-entry outdoor pool, two slides and a splash pad. Fort Robinson-themed elements will include a water-tower dump bucket, a stagecoach-inspired children’s slide, and spray features shaped like horseshoes and longhorn cattle.

Crews also will construct a new bathhouse and shade structures.

The pool improvement project is funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund with matching dollars from the Nebraska Game and Parks Capital Maintenance Fund and anonymous donors.

The project is expected to be completed in 2026. It builds on other park improvements completed in the past several years, including the Mare Barn and Red Cloud campground expansions, cabin and lodge upgrades, and added experiential opportunities. All are aimed at improving the guest experience at the park that annually sees more than 350,000 visitors.

Fort Robinson’s pool was 46 years old and in need of significant repairs.

Nebraskaland photo contest begins Oct. 1

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will accept submissions for the 2025 Nebraskaland Magazine photo contest starting Oct. 1.

Submissions should be made at Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov. To be eligible for the contest, photos should be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time Oct. 31.

Photographers of all ages and skill levels are invited to submit photos in four categories:

  • Wildlife — wild mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish
  • Scenic — in which landmarks, scenery or inanimate objects are prominent
  • Recreation — people enjoying the outdoors through hunting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, skiing or other outdoor activities. No traditional sports images will be accepted.
  • Macro — native wildflowers, foliage, fruiting bodies or other parts of plants and the creepy crawly creatures that inhabit them.

All photos must be taken in Nebraska.

Submissions will be judged by Nebraskaland staff, and winning photos will be published in the January/February 2026 issue of Nebraskaland Magazine. First-, second-, and third-place prizes will be awarded in all categories, and a Best in Show prize also will be awarded.

Find the complete contest rules at Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov/about/photo-contest.

With miles of winding rivers, wide-open vistas and wildlife from border to border, Nebraska is a photographer’s paradise. Each year, Nebraskaland Magazine celebrates the state’s beauty and recognizes the outstanding work of photographers across Nebraska during this annual photo contest.

Learn more about the magazine at Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Safely handle big game to reduce disease spread

With deer season underway, hunters are encouraged to use safe handling procedures when harvesting, transporting or disposing of a deer or elk carcass to minimize the potential spread of chronic wasting disease.

CWD is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that can be unintentionally transmitted from CWD-positive carcasses that are moved from the harvest location and not handled or disposed of appropriately.

Research shows the misfolded proteins, or prions, that cause CWD can linger in the soil, making elimination or reduction of spread to new areas vitally important. For that reason and when possible, unwanted parts of the animal should be disposed of in landfills.

Hunters also should adhere to the following guidance to protect themselves and other wildlife:

  • Do not shoot, handle or consume any animal that is acting abnormally or appears to be sick, and avoid consuming meat from any animal that tests positive for CWD.
  • Avoid consuming the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils or lymph nodes of harvested animals. Normal field dressing coupled with the boning out of a carcass will remove most, if not all, of these body parts. Cutting away all fatty tissue will remove remaining lymph nodes.
  • When processing, don’t saw through bone, avoid cutting through the brain or spinal column, and minimize the handling of brain and spinal tissues. Wear protective gear, such as disposable gloves.
  • Knives, cutting boards, and other items used for processing should be soaked for 5 minutes in a 50% solution of household bleach for decontamination. For this process to be effective, no tissue or organic matter can be present on materials.
  • Double bag all unwanted carcass parts prior to disposal at a landfill. If this option is not feasible, leave unwanted carcass parts at the harvest site.

For more information on the safe handling of big game animals, visit cwd-info.org.

Game and Parks releasing rainbow trout

The annual fall stocking of rainbow trout into ponds and lakes across Nebraska is beginning.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission fish hatcheries staff are releasing catchable (10-inch or greater) trout to enhance fishing opportunities this fall and winter.

“This popular program emphasizes our urban and community waters statewide,” said Daryl Bauer, Game and Parks’ fisheries outreach program manager. “We encourage anglers to get out and enjoy the weather and harvest a few trout.

“Don’t let this pass by as an opportunity to teach a new angler how to fish either,” Bauer said. “Trout are a great starter fish.”

For young or new anglers, a spinning or spincast rod-and-reel with a worm baited hook works well.

If you are just getting into fishing, read Game and Parks’ Going Fishing Guide, available at OutdoorNebraska.gov. There, you also can find additional information on fishing or buy your fishing permit.

Game and Parks is seeking input from trout anglers, particularly those who fish put-and-take lakes. To accomplish this, a survey is available at OutdoorNebraska.gov. Search “trout stocking reports.” Information from this survey will be used to inform future trout management and stocking decisions.

The following is a schedule for rainbow trout set to be stocked, including quantities. Dates can change because of weather or unforeseen circumstances:

Week of Sept. 22

Gilbert-Baker Wildlife Management Area pond, Harrison, 450

Cherry Creek Diversion Pond, Fort Robinson State Park, 200

Week of Sept. 29

Middle Ice House Pond, Fort Robinson SP, 200

Lower Ice House Pond, Fort Robinson SP, 500

Chadron SP Pond, Chadron, 400

Chadron Creek Ranch WMA Pond, Chadron, 150

Week of Oct. 6

East Branch Verdigre Creek, Royal, 200

Crystal Cove Lake, South Sioux City, 3,000

Grable South Pond, Fort Robinson SP, 1,000

Grable Middle Pond, Fort Robinson SP, 450

Grable North Pond, Fort Robinson SP, 600

Riverside Park Pond, Scottsbluff, 700

Bridgeport State Recreation Area northwest lake, Bridgeport, 700

Week of Oct. 13

Holmes Lake, Lincoln, 2,500

Kramer Park Lake, Bellevue, 2,000

Towl Park Pond, Omaha, 200

Fontenelle Park Pond, Omaha, 400

Benson Park Pond, Omaha, 700

CenturyLink Lake, Eugene T. Mahoney SP, 1,200

Ta-Ha-Zouka Park Lake, Norfolk, 1,500

Pawnee Park East, Columbus, 1,000

Fremont Lakes SRA Lake No. 18, 2,000

East Branch Verdigre Creek, Royal, 200

North Morrill Pond, Morrill, 1,500

Middle Morrill Pond, Morrill, 200

South Morrill Pond, Morrill, 200

Rock Creek Lake, Parks, 2,500

Laing Lake, Alliance, 1,000

Bridgeport SRA northwest lake, Bridgeport, 700

Gracie Creek Pond, Burwell, 1,000

Optimist Lake, Auburn, 470

Humboldt City Park Lake, Humboldt, 200

Pawnee City Lake, Pawnee City, 200

Stanton Lake, Falls City, 200

Auble Pond, Ord, 1,200

Bethpage Pond, Axtell, 200

Central Nebraska Veterans Home Pond, Kearney, 200

Heartwell Park, Hastings, 600

Suck’s Lake, Grand Island, 500

Fort Kearny No. 6, Kearney, 1,060

Windmill SRA No. 2, Gibbon, 1,000

North Park Lake, Holdredge, 1,300

Elm Creek, Elm Creek WMA, Red Cloud, 750

Oxford City Lake, Oxford, 300

Melham Park Lake, Broken Bow, 700

Week of Oct. 20

Grove Lake, Royal,1,500

East Branch Verdigre Creek, Royal, 200

Birdwood Lake, North Platte, 3,000

Humphrey Pond, Ogallala, 480

Lake Helen, Gothenburg, 1,600

Weeping Water No. 1, Weeping Water, 750

Steinhart Park Pond, Nebraska City, 400

Plum Creek Park Lake, Lexington, 600

Ansley City Lake, Ansley, 800

Bessey Pond, Halsey, 300

Geneva City Pond, Geneva, 200

Clark’s Pond, Sutton, 200

Louisville SRA Lake 1A, Louisville, 500

Lake Halleck, Papillion, 1,200

Gretna Crossing, Gretna, 200

David City west pond, David City, 450

Bowling Lake, Lincoln, 400

Week of Oct. 27

East Branch Verdigre Creek, Royal, 200