Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.Nearly 15 years after work on Lake Wanahoo began in earnest, the recreation area's partners are still struggling to resolve some key details for the $30.5 million project.
The 637-acre lake on 1,600 acres of land one mile north of Wahoo in Saunders County is scheduled to open April 1. What hasn't been decided is how a $1.6 million shortfall for the land purchase will be paid; which agency will operate the recreation area; and when a permanent road will be built over the dam that created the lake.
John Miyoshi, general manager of the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District, said last week that his board is "in discussions" with the City of Wahoo and Saunders County over how to complete payment of $3.7 million for land acquisition. The $1.6 million shortfall came when a federal grant fell through.
"We thought we had a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) grant secured because it had been approved by the state and the region, but it didn't pass on the federal level," Miyoshi said.
Before the grant fell through, he said, the NRD had an agreement with the county and the city to share the cost of the land purchase equally.
While discussions continue on how to proceed, the Lower Platte North NRD board voted last week to approve a 24 percent increase in its tax levy, with the proceeds earmarked to pay off a $1.6 million loan. The NRD's tax rate will go from 4.4 cents per $100 to 5.5 cents, meaning that the owner of a home appraised at $100,000 can expect to pay about $10 more a year starting Jan. 1.
"The increase will net about $550,000, and that money is strictly earmarked to pay for debt reduction," Miyoshi said.
NRD board member Bob Meduna of Wahoo said it is important to start paying off the loan — with or without the help of its partners.
"From a business sense, we're paying interest, we're paying interest, we're paying interest — and nothing on principal," Meduna said. "Some day that bill's got to be paid."
Mike Murren, Lake Wanahoo's project coordinator for the NRD, said the lake is full and work on the surrounding recreation area will be "substantially completed" by the end of the month.
Activities available at the lake will include camping, hiking, no-wake boating and fishing. The recreation area also will include a four-mile trail around the lake, picnic shelters, restrooms, 72 campsites with electrical hookups, a boat dock and ramps.
"We've got people who want to use this lake already," Murren said. "We've had more than a little trouble keeping some of the fishermen out."
The recreation area may be almost ready to go, but the NRD and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission still are negotiating who will pay the operating funds. Roger Kuhn, the administrator of the commission, said his agency is projecting the recreation area will not generate enough money to break even.
Game and Parks' request for operating funds was rejected this year by the Legislature. The next state budget will be adopted in 2013.
"If we have to operate (the recreation area) ourselves, we will," Murren said. "Obviously Game and Parks has a lot more expertise, so we're still hoping something can be worked out and they will operate the area for us."
Game and Parks has stocked the two-mile-long lake with largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, blue catfish, walleye and northern pike.
"This fishing is going to be great," Murren said.
The final sticking point for the project is the proposed Nebraska Highway 77 bypass, which would skirt the west and north sides of Wahoo. The four-lane bypass would run across the front face of the dam directly west of the Nebraska Highway 92 junction.
"The roads department is telling us they won't have the money until 2017, but the project is shovel ready," Murren said. "We went ahead and built a crushed rock road across the dam, but it gets awfully dusty."
Murren said he is excited and gratified to be so close to the finish line.
"The local area is really excited for this to open up," he said. "This has been a real challenge, but it's something that will pay dividends for years to come."
This report contains information from the World-Herald News Service.
Contact the writer: 402-444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com
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