Nebraska reservoirs could transfer from federal to state control

MCCOOK, Neb. (KSNW) — Management of two Nebraska reservoirs could be transferred from federal to state control.

Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), and U.S. Representative Adrian Smith (NE-03) have introduced legislation that would transfer Swanson Reservoir to Hitchcock County and Red Willow Reservoir to Frontier County, away from the Bureau of Reclamation .

In 2023, the bureau announced plans to make renovations to land around the reservoirs. The renovations would have forced the owners of around 110 trailers to move from Swanson Reservoir.

Around 68 of those trailers are owned by Kansas residents who frequently vacation there. The bureaus’ plans included a splash pad, RV spaces, cabin sites, and car campsites in the area where the concession and trailers are currently located.

“At the request of Swanson and Red Willow residents, I’m introducing this legislation to put Nebraskans, not the federal government, in control of their communities. Working alongside Hitchcock and Frontier Counties, the concessionaires impacted community members, and the Bureau of Reclamation, we’ve reached this solution that charts a better path forward for the local community and the federal government. I encourage both the House and Senate to move quickly on our legislation,” says Senator Fischer in a statement from her office.

The bill was co-sponsored by Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, Congressman Tracey Mann, and Nebraska’s representatives Mike Flood and Don Bacon. Fischer’s office says the bill was drafted cooperatively between the counties, lawmakers and the Bureau of Reclamation. It’s not known yet when the bill may come up for debate in Congress.

To read the full text of the bill, click here .

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