Ashland residents react to lake proposition
ASHLAND — The thought of Ashland lying beneath a massive lake seemed so ludicrous to those who learned of the plan Friday, more than one resident hauled out swimming gear to poke fun.
Liz Laughlin donned a wetsuit complete with flippers to visit the Ashland city office; Dennis O’Kelly wore a snorkeling mask at Cheri O’s coffeeshop on Ashland’s main drag.
Both were responding to news that state Sen. Pam Brown of Omaha introduced a bill this week calling for a $3 million study regarding the feasibility of building a hydroelectric dam on the Platte River just east of Ashland.
The project would flood nearly all of Ashland, and plans call for the town of 2,600 to relocate eight miles to the west and rebuild on the west side of what could be an 80-square-mile lake.
Laughs were few for furious Ashland Mayor Ronna Wiig, who said she felt blindsided and misled by Brown. Wiig said she first heard about the bill from a reporter Thursday afternoon.
“I’m not worried about the lake because I don’t believe it will ever happen,” she said.
“I’m more concerned with the bad politics of how this was handled, how this is going to stunt our growth and how it will waste taxpayer money.”
Even if the plan proves unrealistic and is later discarded, Wiig said, the economic damage to Ashland is done.
“We’re striving to do everything we can to attract development, but who is going to invest here with this pipe dream of a plan floating around?” she said.
The proposal isn’t new: Similar dams were proposed along the Platte River east of Ashland in the 1930s, 1970s and 1990s, Wiig said.
“I will do everything I can do to fight this,” she said. “I don’t think taxpayers want to spend $3 million on a project that’s been shot down again and again.”
Leaders of Waverly, Gretna and Greenwood said they were similarly left in the dark until Thursday.
They first heard of the bill that evening during a meeting of the Nebraska Innovation Zone Commission, a group charged with examining ideas for development in the Interstate 80 corridor between Lincoln and Omaha.
“I would feel the same way if someone proposed annihilating Gretna,” said Gretna Mayor Tim Gilligan about Wiig’s reaction.
“It’s the worst case of P.R. that I’ve ever seen in state government,” he said. “Somebody had to know about this in advance. The least they could have done was prepare her to answer questions from her constituents.”
He said the lake could provide opportunities for Gretna by turning the town into lakefront property. But he was wary of its repercussions on those living west of town.
Displacing farmers and landowners would be traumatic for many. “You’re robbing them of their livelihood,” he said.
Waverly Mayor Ron Melbye, whose town also could benefit from the tourists brought in by the lake, said he was taken aback by the announcement. “I have a hundred thousand questions about how they could make this work.”
On Friday residents, too, wondered aloud about how the massive lake could ever fill up when the Platte River has run nearly dry for the past few years.
They asked what would happen to Lincoln’s wellfields, which draw water from the Ashland area, and how endangered species such as the pallid strurgeon would fare.
They expressed concern about such an enormous dam’s cost and its ability to operate on the Platte, which they said carries vast amounts of silt and sand downstream to the Missouri River.
Ashland artist Gene Roncka has a downtown gallery that features a babbling waterfall, taxidermied wildlife and an indoor re-creation of four seasons along the Platte.
He said he isn’t worried about his business ending up underwater.
“I’m not concerned because I don’t see how this could happen in my lifetime,” Roncka said.
But he said the news spread like a plague across Ashland.
“The whole town is unbelievably disturbed,” he said. “People get awful excited when you say you’re going to take away their house, take away their land.”
Roncka said he tried to consider this project with an open mind. “You need for people to think big; there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Places such as Mahoney State Park add a lot to Nebraska, he said, “So I can see why people would dream this up. But you are trading the dreams of one group of people for another.”
Dennis and Cheri O’Kelly, owners of Cheri O’s, said the town was abuzz with caffeine and confusion Friday.
“Everybody wanted to know what’s going on but no one really knew anything,” said Cheri O’Kelly.
She called the day Black Friday because of the high number of customers who came to her shop to try to learn more about the project.
“Everyone we saw today, they were all shocked, angry and scared,” she said. “Not one said this was a good idea.”
Still, she joked about transforming her roof into a marina and said the day’s special was “hot water.”
“Because that’s what we’re in.”
Reach Kendra Waltke at 473-7303 or kwaltke@journalstar.com.
Liz Laughlin donned a wetsuit complete with flippers to visit the Ashland city office; Dennis O’Kelly wore a snorkeling mask at Cheri O’s coffeeshop on Ashland’s main drag.
Both were responding to news that state Sen. Pam Brown of Omaha introduced a bill this week calling for a $3 million study regarding the feasibility of building a hydroelectric dam on the Platte River just east of Ashland.
The project would flood nearly all of Ashland, and plans call for the town of 2,600 to relocate eight miles to the west and rebuild on the west side of what could be an 80-square-mile lake.
Laughs were few for furious Ashland Mayor Ronna Wiig, who said she felt blindsided and misled by Brown. Wiig said she first heard about the bill from a reporter Thursday afternoon.
“I’m not worried about the lake because I don’t believe it will ever happen,” she said.
“I’m more concerned with the bad politics of how this was handled, how this is going to stunt our growth and how it will waste taxpayer money.”
Even if the plan proves unrealistic and is later discarded, Wiig said, the economic damage to Ashland is done.
“We’re striving to do everything we can to attract development, but who is going to invest here with this pipe dream of a plan floating around?” she said.
The proposal isn’t new: Similar dams were proposed along the Platte River east of Ashland in the 1930s, 1970s and 1990s, Wiig said.
“I will do everything I can do to fight this,” she said. “I don’t think taxpayers want to spend $3 million on a project that’s been shot down again and again.”
Leaders of Waverly, Gretna and Greenwood said they were similarly left in the dark until Thursday.
They first heard of the bill that evening during a meeting of the Nebraska Innovation Zone Commission, a group charged with examining ideas for development in the Interstate 80 corridor between Lincoln and Omaha.
“I would feel the same way if someone proposed annihilating Gretna,” said Gretna Mayor Tim Gilligan about Wiig’s reaction.
“It’s the worst case of P.R. that I’ve ever seen in state government,” he said. “Somebody had to know about this in advance. The least they could have done was prepare her to answer questions from her constituents.”
He said the lake could provide opportunities for Gretna by turning the town into lakefront property. But he was wary of its repercussions on those living west of town.
Displacing farmers and landowners would be traumatic for many. “You’re robbing them of their livelihood,” he said.
Waverly Mayor Ron Melbye, whose town also could benefit from the tourists brought in by the lake, said he was taken aback by the announcement. “I have a hundred thousand questions about how they could make this work.”
On Friday residents, too, wondered aloud about how the massive lake could ever fill up when the Platte River has run nearly dry for the past few years.
They asked what would happen to Lincoln’s wellfields, which draw water from the Ashland area, and how endangered species such as the pallid strurgeon would fare.
They expressed concern about such an enormous dam’s cost and its ability to operate on the Platte, which they said carries vast amounts of silt and sand downstream to the Missouri River.
Ashland artist Gene Roncka has a downtown gallery that features a babbling waterfall, taxidermied wildlife and an indoor re-creation of four seasons along the Platte.
He said he isn’t worried about his business ending up underwater.
“I’m not concerned because I don’t see how this could happen in my lifetime,” Roncka said.
But he said the news spread like a plague across Ashland.
“The whole town is unbelievably disturbed,” he said. “People get awful excited when you say you’re going to take away their house, take away their land.”
Roncka said he tried to consider this project with an open mind. “You need for people to think big; there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Places such as Mahoney State Park add a lot to Nebraska, he said, “So I can see why people would dream this up. But you are trading the dreams of one group of people for another.”
Dennis and Cheri O’Kelly, owners of Cheri O’s, said the town was abuzz with caffeine and confusion Friday.
“Everybody wanted to know what’s going on but no one really knew anything,” said Cheri O’Kelly.
She called the day Black Friday because of the high number of customers who came to her shop to try to learn more about the project.
“Everyone we saw today, they were all shocked, angry and scared,” she said. “Not one said this was a good idea.”
Still, she joked about transforming her roof into a marina and said the day’s special was “hot water.”
“Because that’s what we’re in.”
Reach Kendra Waltke at 473-7303 or kwaltke@journalstar.com.
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