Lake Wanahoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Wanahoo |
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 Lake Wanahoo
Location in Nebraska
Lake Wanahoo
Location in the United States
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| Location | Saunders County, near Wahoo, Nebraska |
| Coordinates | 41°14′39″N 96°36′41″W / 41.2440889°N 96.6112956°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
Lake Wanahoo is a large reservoir (a man-made lake) in Saunders County, Nebraska. It's about one mile (1.6 km) north of the town of Wahoo. This lake covers about 637-acre (2.6 km2) and is part of a bigger plan called the Sand Creek Environmental Restoration Project. The project includes a dam, the lake itself, and a recreation area, making it a great spot for outdoor fun!
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What is Lake Wanahoo?
Lake Wanahoo is a key part of the Sand Creek Environmental Restoration Project. It was named after Wanahoo Park, a popular recreation area that used to be in the Wahoo area until the mid-1960s. This new lake helps with flood control and offers a place for people to enjoy nature.
Why Was Lake Wanahoo Built?
Solving Flood Problems
The idea for the Lake Wanahoo/Sand Creek Project started in the early 1990s. The main goal was to control serious flooding that often happened along Sand Creek and Wahoo Creek. People had been trying to find solutions for these flood problems since the mid-1960s. Many studies showed that flood control was really needed in the area.
Planning the Project
Not much progress was made until 1993. That's when the town of Wahoo, Saunders County, and the Lower Platte North Natural Resource District started looking seriously into building a large reservoir. This reservoir would be just north of Wahoo.
Preliminary studies in 1994 and 1995 showed that the idea looked promising. So, in 1996, the project partners asked for a more detailed study. This study was finished in June 1997. It confirmed that the plan was a good one and recommended that the project should move forward.
Project Goals Expand
As the project continued, it grew into something more. It became a wider plan focused on restoring the environment in the entire watershed (the area of land that drains into the creeks). Flood control and recreation became extra benefits of this larger environmental effort.
Funding and Opening
In July 2007, the Lower Platte North Natural Resource District Commission fully approved $9.2 million in funding for Lake Wanahoo. This money helped make the project a reality.
Lake Wanahoo officially opened for people to use for fun activities in April 2012. Today, it's a popular spot for fishing, boating, and enjoying the outdoors.
