A group of interested citizens, city and public power officals and university administrators began preservation efforts in 1987. These foresighted people had three goals:
To stop further deterioration of the land and buildings
To landscape the power plant site in order to provide a place of beauty for both the university and city.
To create a museum celebrating the role of water and electric power and irrigation in the development of this area.
Three phase plan for Spillway Park & Museum
Phase 1 Restoration of the hydro Power Plant and Planting of trees and shrubs.
Phase 2 Construction of two new bridges to enhance the scenic walkways between the east and west parts of the campus
Phase 3 Restoration of the power plant building and its conversion into an electrical museum.
Artist's Conception by Bill Haack, Nebraska Public Power District, Columbus, NE.
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