A Falls City man wants to build a  lake development that would include one of the largest private-public lakes in the state, two golf courses, public recreation and as many as 3,000 homes.

Lake Neiamoka would be formed by a three-quarter-mile-long earthen dam and would cover between 3,000 and 3,500 acres, said Mike Sotak, vice president of Olsson Associates in Omaha.

"It would be the largest lake in Nebraska that is not an irrigation reservoir," said Sotak, who is  working with developer William Reed of Falls City.

Lake Neiamoka, which would be bigger than the 1,870-acre Branched Oak Lake northwest of Lincoln, would be built about six miles south of Pawnee City and half a mile north of the Nebraska-Kansas line. The water would come from Turkey Creek.

But it wouldn't be built without controversy — 49 landowners would have to give up farm land and wooded acres.

Scott Farwell of DuBois, who represents some of the landowners, said Reed's development would  cover some of the best farm ground in Pawnee County.

"Well, most of the landowners, including me, aren't really in favor of anything that has been proposed so far," he said.

Many are worried the project won't deliver all of its promised economic benefits. The only winners, they say, would be investors, most of whom don't live in the area.

"If the lake is built without a lot of development, it would be an economic downfall for the county," Farwell said.

Reed, a former football coach at Omaha Central High School, said he thinks the project would be a "great thing" for the area. He never expected a battle, he said.

"I have all the resources to do it," he said. "Being in the midst of the kind of venomous fighting … is not appetizing to me."

Reed was involved in a similar project called Poverty Point near Delhi,  La., where he grew up. Some of the same investors who helped build Poverty Point are interested in Lake Neiamoka, he added.

Reed has verbal commitments from potential investors, he said, including football contacts he made over the years. He's formed a group called the Louisiana Purchase Group to spearhead the project.

"For us, being from Louisiana, there was a great land purchase that had to happen before we could make a project," he said.

Reed estimates it would take about $100 million to put the infrastructure in place "before we realize a dime of profit."

"We feel people will always want to vacation. We think eventually the best and most sound vacation spot will be towards the middle of the country and that is how we are going to market this thing," he said.

The biggest  hurdle is getting the land. Reed said he won't do the project until there is a blanket purchase of all 11,000 acres.

"I think this is potentially a great project for Nebraska," he said. "But it can only be realized if the people of the immediate area want it to happen. 

"Right now there is no project. I won't come into a project unless the people in the area want it and I don't know how to get to that part."

Marvin Johnson, mayor of Pawnee City, said the lake would be good for his town, Pawnee County and Southeast Nebraska and Northeast Kansas.

The Pawnee City Council endorsed the project last month. Johnson said there's also support in  Humboldt and Auburn.

"Anything that enhances a community to bring up the level of participation of other people to bring in revenue is a plus," he said.

But Farwell said most of the landowners are not interested in selling.

"There's enough landowners right now that are upset enough that you couldn't give them enough money," he said.

Reed dispelled rumors he would try to use eminent domain to acquire the land. And he said he's looking to the local natural resources district for help developing public recreation offerings.

"We will buy the land that we need to and the NRD will do the things they will do if they are to be a part of this project," he said.

In a booklet Reed created outlining his plans for buying the land, he said he wants landowners to put their land in a conglomerate. They would be paid for their land and then could receive a portion of the profit once the land is developed. Landowners were never asked to be investors in the project, he added.

Last month, about 80 people attended a meeting at the Nemaha Natural Resources District in Tecumseh to learn about Reed's plans.

Assistant NRD Manager Scott Nelson said the district has not endorsed the project but is interested in the public benefits and whether the cost of those benefits are worth becoming a project partner.

Lake Neiamoka could be used for boating, fishing and swimming and could have an 800-acre park that could be run by the NRD or the state Game and Parks Commission, Nelson said.

 The NRD is familiar with the site Reed chose. It was one of two potential sites identified in a 1995 study that looked at building at least a 500-acre lake in the area. The other was near Shubert.

Nelson said a task force at the time determined the site was appropriate for a 1,500- to 3,000-acre lake.

"The site was feasible," he said,  "but there was not enough public benefits to spend public funds."

The district also looked at using the lake as a source of drinking water for area towns.

Nelson said Kansas officials were approached to help pay some of the cost because the project would provide flood control, but they weren't interested.

Some people have questioned whether Turkey Creek has enough water to fill Lake Neiamoka.

"Although you can expect minor fluctuations in dry years, there is water to support a lake that size," said Sotak of Olsson Associates in Omaha.

Turkey Creek drains about 200 square miles, he said.

Nelson said  Reed hopes to draw people from a 300-mile radius to Lake Neiamoka. That would include the Kansas City area, Omaha, Lincoln and Des Moines, Iowa.

"It's not like building a residential subdivision on the edge of Lincoln or Omaha," Sotak said. "When you assess the feasibility of something like this you have to be more of a visionary."

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