Common Man vs. the Giant

It has been interesting to read the frustrations of camper owners that are being kicked off their long-time rented spots on nearby Bureau of Reclamation Dam sites. Swanson Lake near Trenton seems to be in the crosshairs at the moment though Harry Strunk Lake near Cambridge has had its fight and lost. Hugh Butler Lake north of McCook is sure to be next.

Evidently someone high up in the hierarchy of the Bureau of Reclamation has decided that long-time occupancy of privately owned camping trailers on Federal Land is not a good thing and they gotta go! The common man, those fortunate to have and enjoy those campers over the years, simply got outvoted although there was no formal vote taken.

Having been fortunate to live in this area of Nebraska for a fair amount of time the evolution of our flood control dams has been interesting to observe. The 1935 Republican River flood seems to be what kicked things off. And the fix, build several large flood control dams! What could go wrong? No more life-destroying floods plus irrigation water for crops in this area to boot.

Actually, river and creek water was being used to water crops before the flood control projects were envisioned. My dad used water from the Republican River, diverted west of Perry, to irrigate corn, potatoes and sugar beets that he grew at the time. That project was known as the Meeker Canal and was just one of several in existence around the 1950s when the major dams were built.

As I remember it was the Corps of Engineers that built our dams under the supervision of the Bureau of Reclamation. Then it became the Bureau’s job to manage the dams as they have so ably done over the years. A testament to their effectiveness was last month’s ten-inch rain that caused minor flooding but not the disaster that occurred in 1935.

It is little mentioned but the construction of the dams and their cost of ongoing maintenance is paid for by those farmers being serviced by irrigation from the stored water from those dams. Each year those who irrigate are assessed so much per acre to cover the costs involved. It is a simple tax and those who pay have no say in how those lands are operated and used by the public. And yes they too have to pay for the permit to bring their automobile onto the Bureau managed land that they paid for.

In the letters written for public consumption, it appears that in exchange for the long-term camper sites, the Bureau is building more of the short-term camper rental sites. Reportedly that hasn’t worked out too well down at Cambridge where with the long-term campers gone also the small restaurant with its equipment and bait shop went away. To compensate over on the east side of the lake the newer campsites for trailers and tent campers reportedly are doing well and the restrooms are nice. Bring your own or go to Cambridge to get a bite to eat.

It appears that the Cambridge model will be the future for our area lakes.

I personally have not been a regular user of our lake facilities. I do like to fish but find most times it interferes with my aviation interests. I do enjoy stopping by the Marina at Red Willow for a bite to eat but have never spent the night in one of the camping trailers out there, not even when I did own a camper. Still, it is disheartening to watch friends that have invested in facilities for long-time enjoyment of nature in this area get pushed aside. Really I don’t have a dog in the hunt but like everyone else, I do have opinions.

Somehow I have always wondered why the Bureau of Reclamation has a prejudice against people who circle their lakes with cabins, marinas and boating-related facilities. Look at our three lakes, pretty barren around the shorelines. Then compare with the cabins, the clubs, marinas and other people-loving fun places around differently owned Johnson Lake and the string of lakes along the waterway that feeds Platte River water to the large irrigated area clear to Holdrege. Possibly I just love people more than some of the bureaucrats that we put in charge of our natural resources.

The Bureau promises to spend “lots of federal dollars” to make improvements in the recreational facilities of our flood control lakes. We on the sidelines can only wait and see what happens. Hopefully, it will turn out for the best for all. Sorry if I retain a bit of skepticism!

That is the way I saw it.

Dick Trail