2021 Map of Valley

About this map

The confluence of the Elkhorn River and the Platte River defines the hydrologic character of this western Douglas County landscape. Broad floodplains are marked by abandoned channels like Rawhide Creek (Old Channel) and a series of sand-pit and recreational lakes including Pleasure Lake, Lake Taormina, and King's Lake. The settlement pattern follows the high ground and historic transport corridors between the rivers, where the community of Valley and the village of Waterloo serve as hubs for the surrounding agricultural tracts. On the eastern bluffs overlooking the Elkhorn valley, Elk City and several landmark burial grounds, such as Elk City Cem and Mount Michael Abbey Cem, provide focal points for local family history research. This contemporary survey captures the area as the northwestern outskirts of Omaha continue to influence the rural-to-suburban transition of the plains.