Lighthouse Marina concessionaires express gratitude

Twenty-six years ago this month, Willow Springs Investment Group, Inc., purchased the holdings, including a marina and mobile/RV park located at Red Willow Reservoir, Hugh Butler Lake. From the beginning, we sought to make the area family-oriented and recreationally available to everyone, no matter what their economic level.

First, the Nebraska Game and Parks was the managing partner, and when they withdrew, the Bureau of Reclamation became, as the owner of the grounds, the managing partner. The Bureau had a different vision of what the area should be, and yet, in fairness, they offered a solution for both Lighthouse Marina and Good Life Marina to pursue a land transfer to another governmental unit as a solution to remaining in business and retaining the mobile home/RV park that supported the marinas proper.

Many things could have gone wrong in this situation. The concessionaires might have accepted a buyout offer from the Bureau of Reclamation. Congressman Smith, Sen. Fischer, and their fellow representatives could have withheld support for the remaining concessions. Hitchcock and Frontier County commissioners might have rejected the proposal to become the trustees of the land. The mobile homeowners could have chosen to ignore the issue, believing that everything would resolve itself without their involvement. The Bureau of Reclamation might have opposed the bills in the House and Senate. Government bodies could have declined to pass the bills. The public could have remained uninvolved, failing to sign petitions or reach out to their representatives.

As we await President Biden’s signature on the Swanson and Hugh Butler Land Conveyances Act, we take a moment to express our gratitude that none of these potential setbacks occurred. We appreciate the support shown to Lighthouse Marina and Good Life Marina, and we’re excited to move forward in this journey. We look forward to collaborating with the commissioners, the Bureau of Reclamation, and all interested parties to ensure a smooth transition. This situation exemplifies how living in Southwest Nebraska, Northwest Kansas, and Northeast Colorado brings us close to incredibly supportive people, and for that, we want to thank them all.