Lake Wanahoo
In addition to environmental restoration and flood control benefits, the Lake Wanahoo/Sand Creek Watershed Project will offer public recreation when it opens to the public in 2012.
To maximize the lake's recreational benefits, the project partners have worked closely with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Numerous habitat structures and shoreline protection features were designed into the lake to provide a high-quality fishery.
The recreation facilities straddle the 662-acre Lake Wanahoo, with camping and boating access on the west side and a day use area on the east. A rocked hiking/biking trail winds throughout the park, linking the east and west side recreation areas over a breakwater levee one mile north of the dam. Mowed trails north of the levee provide access to undeveloped areas set aside for wildlife habitat.
Click for larger version
The camping area on the west side offers 74 camper pads and 60 tent camping sites. All camper pads are equipped with electrical hookups and 50 of them are hard surfaced, with the remainder on grass. All tent sites will have fire rings and picnic tables.
The camping area also offers easy access to a large boat ramp that's wide enough to accommodate three boats at a time. Boating at the lake will be no-wake only.
The day use area on the east side of the lake will be a great location for groups both big and small, with two large picnic shelters and two smaller ones, all offering scenic views of the lake.
Both the camping and day use areas will provide excellent fishing access, with a total of seven fishing jetties. One jetty on each side has an attached handicapped pier. The lake was stocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, blue catfish, crappie, northern pike, and walleye in 2008. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission conducted several fish surveys in 2011 that showed all of the stocked species have good numbers and are at catchable sizes.
Limited hunting opportunities will continue to be available at Lake Wanahoo through the popular PATH Program, where adults can schedule a time to mentor a youth hunter at designated hunting sites north of the recreation area.
The recreation area is scheduled to open to the public in spring 2012. Later in 2012, the Nebraska Department of Roads will start taking bids for the Highway 77 Expressway. The expressway will skirt the west edge of Wahoo and run across the Lake Wanahoo dam to link up with the current Highway 77 junction north of Wahoo.
More Information
For more information about planned recreation facilities at Lake Wanahoo, please contact Project Coordinator Mike Murren.