Posted: Sunday, December 25, 2005 6:00 pm
The economic benefits of recreational uses of Lake McConaughy have been overlooked for too long. A new study by a University of Nebraska-Lincoln agricultural economist should provide some grist for future discussions on how to manage the lake most effectively.
The new study by Professor Raymond Supalla concludes that in some circumstances it would be more beneficial economically to pay irrigators and producers of electricity to give up their water so the lake held enough water for boaters and fishers.
The study was requested by Rep. Tom Osborne a year ago after Lake McConaughy fell to record lows after years of drought. Some of the upstream portions of the lake have been dry for several years and now are covered by small cottonwood trees and other growth.
The study also offers evidence that there are steps Nebraska can take to boost revenue from recreational uses of the lake.
Eighty percent of users surveyed during the study said they would be willing to pay a fee to keep water in the lake.
That suggests that an entirely new revenue stream could be generated that would come largely from out-of-state visitors. About 60 percent of those using Nebraska’s biggest lake come from across the border. Most are from Colorado.
Conceivably, money from a new fee could be used to pay irrigators or hydropower interests for their water. The most attractive economic option would be to reduce winter releases for hydroelectric power, Supalla said.
In addition, new recreational opportunities could be developed in the area to capture more tourist dollars from those attracted by the lake, Supalla suggested in an interview.
Currently, recreation spending generates only $12.66 per visitor per day. Most visitors camp. Only 4 percent stay in motels. “Campers usually buy supplies before they leave home, do not pay motel fees and rarely eat in restaurants,” according to the report.
The lake is managed by the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, which is working on a management plan that attempts to address issues and conflicts on use of the lake’s water, as well as flows in the Platte River that feed the lake.
The district is worried that unrestricted groundwater irrigation is sucking water out of the river, diminishing the flow in the Platte and slowing replenishment of water in the lake.
For most of Lake McConaughy’s existence, the recreational economic benefits of the giant lake were largely taken for granted.
It’s only as the water receded, exposing miles of sandy lake bottom and leaving boat ramps far from the water’s edge that realization dawned how little priority recreation was given in lake management. It’s time the economic impact of recreation at Lake McConaughy finally received more attention.