LINCOLN- A recent legislative study into developing a huge recreational lake between Omaha and Lincoln was careful to reassure residents of Ashland that it wouldn’t include damming the Platte River and flooding the town of Ashland.

The report, issued in May after the Nebraska Legislature adjourned for the year, looked at how to mitigate flooding in the lower Platte River, from Columbus to where it flows into the Missouri River at Plattsmouth.

The consultant that prepared the report, Omaha-based HDR, homed in on 21 “potential sites” to build reservoirs on tributaries of the Platte River, such as the Loup and Elkhorn Rivers and Salt, Wahoo and Logan Creeks.

The bulk of the money was allocated for building new marinas at Lake McConaughy and Lewis & Clark Lake, a new lodge at Niobrara State Park and a flood-control levee near Schuyler. But $20 million was set aside for further study of building a huge sand-pit lake near Linoma Beach in Sarpy County, with $26 million designated for possible future construction.

HDR’s report says more study would be needed before any reservoir construction could happen on the tributaries of the Platte.

State Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, the Speaker of the Legislature and head of the STAR WARS committee, made similar observations, adding that consideration of flood mitigation was part of the committee’s charge but that further work on the tributary dams was not funded.

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