The new report rules out the original location predicted for the huge lake between Omaha and Lincoln

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – LINCOLN – It looks like we’re back to the drawing board for an ambitious proposal to dredge a huge recreational lake between Omaha and Lincoln to rival Iowa’s Lake Okoboji.

That comes after a report released Thursday ruled out the original location envisioned by state lawmakers — between Ashland and Gretna on the east bank of the Platte River.

The report said a lake there would threaten the water quality of the wells that provide drinking water to the city of Lincoln and “would not be a viable location for the lake.”

Those findings prompted those who consulted on the feasibility study, which included both Lincoln and Omaha water utilities, to instead consider two smaller sandstone lakes upstream and downstream of Louisville, and to explore the possibility of creating two recreational lakes by damming the Elkhorn River near Nickerson and Salt Creek west of Ashland.

State lawmakers, in an effort to make a “big splash” to attract tourists, jobs and development, envisioned a 3,600-acre sandstone lake along Interstate 80. To avoid controversy over earlier proposals to dam the Platte River in the Ashland area, they sought a sandstone lake created due to sand mining, in the floodplain near Linoma Beach, which is now mostly agricultural land.

A study last week found that either the two sand pits near Louisville or the two reservoirs at Elkhorn and Salt would provide about the same amount of water fun. But that report, as well as a report on whether philanthropists and developers would invest in the estimated $3.3 billion project, both recommended more research.

“Much more pressing needs”

Two state senators on the legislative committee that first proposed the large lake — dubbed “Lake 80” in a report last week — said Friday they were unaware the two studies had been released and were not available to comment on them. in details.

But one member of the State Committee on Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STARWARS) said officials need to move on and that Nebraska has higher priorities.

State Sen. Jane Raybould, D-Lincoln, said Nebraska cities recently requested more than $1 billion to help them remove nitrates and other contaminants from drinking water, but state funds to do so are lacking.

“We have much more pressing needs,” the senator said, referring to the need for clean drinking water.

The idea for the large lake came from a 2022 legislative study that looked at the state’s recreational and economic development needs. There was a lot of money in the state at the time, so several projects were funded, including new piers at Lake McConaughey and Lake Lewis and Clark, and money was allocated for research and construction of Lake 80.

State Sen. John Arch, speaker of the Legislature and chairman of the STARWARS committee, said his main concern is that any lake construction does not harm drinking water supplies for Omaha and Lincoln. About 930,000 Nebraskans rely on deposits along the Platte River.

While that concern appears to have been addressed in recent studies, Arch said the Legislature will have to reallocate money to build recreational lakes after lawmakers diverted previous Lake 80 construction funds to other needs.

“There’s no question, a lot of things have to be done for that to happen,” he said.

Two reports were released last week. One was developed to determine whether a huge lake of pit sand would threaten the well fields operated by the Lincoln Water System and the Metropolitan Utilities District in Platte County. It was concluded that it would, prompting the study of alternatives.

The the second report was to determine if philanthropists and developers were to invest in the $3.3 billion project — and they would initially have to provide about 90% of the costs.

Concerns have been expressed

Both reports were troubling.

A technical report by Olsson and Black & Veatch said 10-foot-high berms would be needed around sand pit lakes along the Platte, which would narrow the floodplain, causing “significant unintended consequences” during downstream flooding.

A financial feasibility study concluded that while private groups were clearly interested, there were “significant engineering, environmental and economic obstacles to dredging the lake” and that the state should explore alternatives that are “more cost-effective” and more feasible.

A spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, which is now the lead agency for the lake project, said Friday that the agency is “reviewing the study’s recommendations as the Department coordinates with the Governor’s Office, the Legislature and other agencies to consider options.” forward”.

Plans to dam the Platte River between the state’s two largest cities have been hatched for decades, but have always been stymied by opposition to the need to flood existing homes and businesses.

Concept drawings up to this point showed a single sandbox lake of about 3,600 acres on the east side of the Platte River near Linoma Beach on US Highway 6. Funding was to come from both public and private sources.

The technical study said five sites were initially considered for the lake, but after eliminating two sites (including the Linoma Beach site), the state DED asked a consultant to study two separate sandbox lakes. Another state agency, the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, asked to study another alternative, damming the Elkhorn River and Salt Creek.

Two sandbox lakes — one on the north side of the Platte just upstream from Louisville and the other north and east of the Nebraska Highway 50 bridge across the river — would provide about 3,000 acres of lake surface.

The two studied dams would provide 4,100 acre-feet of water. The Salt Creek Dam would be 50 feet high and 5,500 feet long, while the Elkhorn Dam would be 36 feet high and 9,000 feet long.

The report said the dams, which were not recommended by state lawmakers, were explored because “initial analysis indicated few options in the Platte River floodplain” for sand pit lakes.

The original proposed location, between Ashland and Gretna, included a large portion of the city of Lincoln’s wellhead buffer zone, an area set aside to prevent development that could harm drinking water.

Public-private partnership

Interestingly, the financial feasibility study conducted by Omaha fundraiser Sue Morris did not consider twin sandbars or two levees, but instead focused on the response to a single 3,000-acre lake near Linoma Beach.

It concluded the “apparent” interest from developers and the philanthropic community and discussed how public-private partnerships have been successful in Austin, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, to build large recreation areas connected to lakes and rivers.

The report says residential/commercial development would be concentrated on the east side of the lake, along Interstate 80, while the west side of the lake would become recreational trails and parkland.

It is estimated that 1.4 million visitors will visit the lake annually, with about a third coming from out of state. More than 4,000 primary residences and cottages were provided.

However, the Morris report said developers wanted to know if the state would buy the land for development or if it would be their job. Concerns were raised about the need for additional funding mechanisms beyond traditional sanitary districts (SIDs) — options such as tax increment financing — and who would manage the lake and development.

Concerns were also raised about the railway line running through the Linoma Beach site and the noise it would create for nearby luxury homes.

The report concluded that a governing body like the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA), which operates Omaha’s CHI Health Center and Charles Schwab Field, should be sought.

Both reports said that while no fatal flaws were found, more research was needed to ensure that a large lake or lakes or dams were technically feasible.

Nebraska Examiner is part of State Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The Nebraska Examiner supports editorial independence. Contact Editor Kate Folsom with questions: [email protected]. Subscribe to the Nebraska Examiner Facebook and X.

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