Nemaha NRD board vote kills its involvement in Lake Neiamoka project

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By ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS / Lincoln Journal Star

The Nemaha Natural Resources District is no longer involved in any lake project in Pawnee County, including Lake Neiamoka.

William “Coach” Reed of Falls City proposed the luxury lake development near the Kansas-Nebraska border. He wanted the Nemaha NRD to build the 5-mile-long lake. The project was to include two golf courses, an 800-acre recreation area and as many as 3,000 houses.

But the Nemaha NRD board voted 11-9 on Thursday to not proceed with any lake project in Pawnee County. Board member Scott Kudrna of Auburn abstained.

NRD General Manager Bob Hilske explained that the board’s vote was not aimed specifically at Lake Neiamoka. He said the district had been working on a lake project in Pawnee County for 10 years and had its own version before Reed’s proposal.

However, Hilske acknowledged the vote basically kills any district involvement in Lake Neiamoka.

“If they (Reed and his investors) want to continue working with Pawnee City or Pawnee County or some other entity, they could do it,” he said.

The NRD board first voted12-9 to give Hilske the authority to negotiate an interlocal agreement with Pawnee County and Pawnee City to proceed with a lake project in Pawnee County. However, Hilske said, two board members — Don Siske of Table Rock and John Albrecht of Nebraska City — switched their votes and the tally came out 11-9 on the second vote.

Albrecht maintained the votes were taken in the wrong order and that’s why he voted for the interlocal agreement and not the lake project. He said he wanted some type of agreement in place just in case it passed.

“We did not have enough of the local participation of the local government to justify the NRD’s continued involvement in the project,” Albrecht said.

He said he wanted more of a commitment from the Pawnee City Council and Pawnee County Commissioners. Albrecht said the only support came from the Pawnee City Chamber of Commerce, and most of the local landowners opposed the project.

Reed could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

His preliminary plan called for a dam on Turkey Creek and a lake that would cover more than 3,000 acres. The proposed project would be built about six miles south of Pawnee City and one-half mile north of the Nebraska-Kansas line.

Reed, who formed an entity called the Louisiana Purchase Group to work with investors, estimated it would cost about $100 million to build the infrastructure for the project.

The Lake Neiamoka project attracted a lot of interest in the Pawnee City area. Some saw it as a way to bring much-needed dollars to economically depressed towns in Southeast Nebraska and Northeast Kansas.

But many landowners feared the project would take some of the best farm ground in Pawnee County and wouldn’t deliver its promised economic benefits. About 50 landowners would have had to give up land for the 11,000-acre project.

Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.