The volunteer network at Nebraska's Harlan County Lake has become the heartbeat of local operations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As budgets tightened and full-time staff dwindled over the last few decades, the park had to adapt, turning to passionate volunteers to step up and handle daily campground management.
Managing thousands of acres of beautiful public land and water resources requires a large amount of work and time commitment. For the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a dedicated network of volunteers has become the actual heartbeat of their operations.
At reservoirs like Nebraska’s Harlan County Lake, volunteers do far more than just keep the parks running, they build real connections with a wide range of visitors and families.
Nebraska’s second largest reservoir with over 13,000 acres of water, volunteers run the daily campground activity in busy areas such as Hunter Cove. They serve as friendly faces to greet campers, answer questions, explain park rules and keep an eye on the facilities.
Beyond physical labor, volunteers build unique trust with the local communities they serve and the project office staff they support. Campers and park visitors are often much more comfortable approaching a fellow camper volunteering in the park than a uniformed employee.
This natural connection makes people feel welcome, raises awareness about the lakes, and serves as the best recruiting tool, as many current volunteers decided to sign up after chatting with others on the job.
Critical Shift in Operations
The reliance on volunteers wasn't always as prominent as it is today, according to operations project manager Thomas Zikmund. When he started at Harlan County Lake back in 1998, the project was managed by 19 full-time USACE staff members alongside multiple contracted cleaners, mowers and gate attendants across 10 campgrounds. At that time, just two volunteers helped with minor maintenance.
“The volunteer program was admittedly an afterthought and most of the management and maintenance was left to our employees or contractors.”
Over the decades as budgets tightened and visitor habits shifted, the team had to find creative ways to stay efficient. The lake ended up closing five underutilized campgrounds and reduced mowing areas, however, the biggest change was expanding the volunteer program.
Today, with USACE staffing levels down, volunteers have stepped up to take on core campground management duties. This expansion has eliminated several expensive service contracts, saved thousands of dollars and allowed the agency to stretch its funding further.
When extreme weather strikes, like severe storms, droughts, or flooding, these volunteers are the first to roll up their sleeves to help with cleanup, keeping the parks open for the public.
Zikmound says “these volunteers are willing to step up to get the work done and reduce impacts to the recreating public.”
The Faces of the Parks
The dedication of these volunteers often leaves a lasting impact on visitors. While there are too many stories to count, a few individuals have truly defined the spirit of the program at Harlan County Lake.
For 15 years, from 2009 to 2024, Bill and Sherry Anderson were absolute fixtures in Methodist Cove. They were so active and welcoming that local visitors simply knew them as "The Face of Methodist Cove."
Meanwhile, beneath the water's surface, an angler’s success is directly tied to the hard work of Tom Schonsheck. Since 2009, Schonseck has spent his time assembling and building fish habitat structures scattered throughout the lake, completely transforming the local fishing environment.
“Everybody that fishes over one of our habitat structures in the lake right now can thank Tom Schonsheck for his effort over the last 10 years as he has assembled and built them.”
The program is a natural fit for retirees, conservationists, and full-time RV travelers looking for a purpose driven lifestyle. In exchange for 20 to 24 hours of work per week, the USACE volunteers are provided with a full utility campsite which includes water, 50-amp electricity, sewer hookups and trash removal.
But if you ask the volunteers themselves, the biggest draw isn't the free campsite, or the occasional award is not what keeps them coming back season after season — it’s the genuine sense of purpose since they know their work is essential to keeping these beautiful spaces open.
Zikmound comments “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. They truly feel like they are a part of the Harlan County team.
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