Old Town in Nebraska Show Its Building Again Because Lake Drive Up
LINCOLN — A reservoir bigger than Iowa's Lake Okoboji could be bound for eastern Nebraska, under a proposal unveiled Monday by state lawmakers.
The lake would span 4,000 acres, reach 30 feet or so deep, and stretch 7 miles, according to Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, speaker of the Legislature. And it would be dredged near the Platte River in a location roughly equidistant from Omaha and Lincoln.
Hilgers announced the proposal along with a list of other water-related projects Monday, the result of a half-year process undertaken by the Legislature's Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) special committee, which was created by Legislative Bill 406. The committee will request $200 million from the state to support the projects, Hilgers said.
The STAR WARS committee, created to look into managing water resources while spurring economic activity, was tasked with studying a few specific areas of the state, including along the Platte River and its tributaries from Columbus to Plattsmouth.
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Among the committee members is Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, whose district includes Saunders County, which is home to Ashland.
"The vision that we had is: How do we make Nebraska an even better place to live, work and raise a family, and how do we compete with some of our neighbors?" Hilgers said.
The idea of damming the Platte to create a lake along the Interstate 80 corridor has come up every so often in Nebraska. The earliest push was in 1896. In the past, residents of Ashland, which would have been left underwater in past proposals, have pushed back when the Legislature has proposed studying it.
But Hilgers said this proposal is different. First off, it doesn't include a dam.
He said the group was mandated to not explore damming the Platte and to not affect Ashland or the communities and economic development in that area. And, he said, they're trying not to negatively affect those that draw water from the Platte, such as Lincoln and the Metropolitan Utilities District.
"We believe that there is an opportunity to build a reservoir of this size that will do all of those things: that will add economic opportunity for our state and help us control more of our own water, sustain more of our own water while not in any way impacting Ashland and the surrounding communities," Hilgers said.
Beyond managing and preserving water, he said, locating the lake between the state's two largest metro areas could attract people who, in a world altered by the pandemic, can work remotely from anywhere. The reservoir on its own, Hilgers said, is projected to have over a $5 billion impact on the state.
He didn't offer any specific locations that are under consideration but said he thinks that the land identified could be acquired through purchase.
If the lake is funded, it would be a while before Nebraskans could plan a getaway. Design and permitting alone could take a couple years, Hilgers said.
The other proposed projects include:
Lower Platte: A levee near Schuyler and a series of upstream dams in the Wahoo Creek watershed for flood control.
Lake McConaughy: A marina, road safety improvements and a grand entrance.
Lewis and Clark Lake: Expanding the marina and amenities.
Niobrara State Park: Replacing a boat access facility and constructing an event center and lodge.
While the big lake has been a focus for additional private funding, Hilgers said lawmakers are looking at "complementary funding sources" and "possibilities of public-private partnerships" for the other projects, too.
At the same press conference, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced that he will seek $500 million in his budget proposal, which is expected to be released Thursday, to build a canal and reservoir system along the South Platte River.
The river, which flows into Nebraska from Colorado, is the subject of a compact between the two states that dates back to 1923 and guarantees Nebraska a certain amount of water.
Colorado should be delivering 120 cubic feet per second during the irrigation season and 500 cubic feet per second during the non-irrigation season, Ricketts said. That's happening during irrigation season, but Colorado has issued permits that he said have "infringed upon" the threshold during non-irrigation season.
The compact anticipated a canal and reservoir system as part of delivering that 500 cfs, according to officials, and Nebraska started developing that system but never completed it. Now, Ricketts said, Colorado is planning about 300 projects, and a Nebraska Department of Natural Resources analysis predicts that, if those go through, it would "dramatically reduce" the water that ends up here. Ricketts warned of impacts on agriculture, drinking water across the state, power generation and the environment.
"After our people, water is the greatest natural resource that we have in our state," he said.
Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said the compact gives Nebraska the right to use eminent domain authority to build a canal, about 24 miles of which would be in Colorado. The canal would extend into Nebraska to a reservoir system, which Ricketts said would also require using eminent domain.
Both Peterson and Ricketts said Colorado officials have been "polite" in conversations.
"We're simply notifying Colorado today that we're moving forward with this process and completing the terms that we're entitled to complete pursuant to this agreement dating back to 1923," Peterson said.
Ricketts, who has been vocally opposed to President Joe Biden's 30-by-30 conservation initiative, calling it a "land grab," said this is different because, rather than conserving land as proposed by the Biden administration, it would create reservoirs that would allow the state to continue to use land for agriculture.
Incentivizing and rewarding voluntary conservation efforts by ranchers and farmers was among the recommendations in a federal report published last year that offered a starting point for 30-by-30 efforts. The document repeatedly emphasizes honoring private property rights.
Top Nebraska tourist attractions
1. Lake McConaughy and Lake Ogallala
The two adjoining State Recreation Areas in western Nebraska are a big draw for out-of-staters. In 2018, they attracted 1,948,321 visitors, 86% of whom were from outside of Nebraska.
2. Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
The Omaha zoo, often ranked among the best in the world, had 1,694,954 visitors in 2018.
3. Ponca State Park
Ponca State Park attracted 906,305 visitors in 2018.
4. Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area
Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area had 858,800 visitors in 2018, 92% of whom were from Nebraska. It's less than an hour's drive from downtown Omaha.
5. Eugene T. Mahoney State Park
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, about halfway between Omaha and Lincoln, attracted 827,372 visitors in 2018.
6. Fort Robinson State Park
Fort Robinson State Park, in the far northwest corner of Nebraska, recorded 577,724 visitors in 2018.
7. Platte River State Park
Platte River State Park, which, believe it or not, is along the Platte River, had 532,451 visitors in 2018.
8. Harlan County Lake
Harlan County Lake brought in 397,101 visitors in 2018.
9. Pawnee State Recreation Area
Pawnee State Recreation Area had 351,434 visitors in 2018.
10. Omaha Children's Museum
The Omaha Children's Museum attracted 324,821 visitors in 2018. Almost half of them came during the summer.
11. Calamus Reservoir State Recreation Area
This spot in central Nebraska had 308,650 visitors in 2018.
12. Louisville State Recreation Area
Louisville State Recreation Area brought in 307,141 visitors in 2018.
13. Wagon Train State Recreation Area
Wagon Train State Recreation Area, in Lancaster County, had 299,086 visitors in 2018.
14. Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area
Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area, along the Missouri River reservoir named for the famed explorers, attracted 287,623 visitors in 2018.
15. Indian Cave State Park
Indian Cave State Park, where you can find ancient Native American carvings, had 261,100 visitors in 2018.
16. Lauritzen Gardens and Kenefick Park
Omaha's botanical center attracted 236,220 visitors in 2018.
17. Lake Maloney State Recreation Area
This spot near North Platte had 224,510 visitors in 2018.
Source: https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/lawmakers-propose-4-000-acre-lake-between-omaha-and-lincoln/article_0e5608f8-7235-11ec-a1d8-5384bae90001.html
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