Four reservoirs currently under construction or in planning stages have been officially named by the Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District.
Two of the projects include detention basins in the Gretna area that will be completed later this year. Detention basin WP-4, named Forest City Recreation Area, will be the first to be completed late this summer. It is located west of 204th & Schram Road and will have a 15-acre lake with 81 acres of parkland.
Detention basin WP-2, southeast of 180th & Giles Road, was named the Mad Bear Recreation Area in honor of the first Native American awarded with the Congressional Medal of Honor. The recreation area will consist of a 17-acre lake and 84 acres of parkland. It is slated to be completed this fall.
Regional detention basin, formerly referred to as WP-1, was named the Marlin Petermann Recreation Area, after a well-known nature conservationist. Located north of the Indian Pointe subdivision southwest of 180th & Fort Street, the detention basin will consist of a 20-acre lake and 106 acres of parkland. The project is under construction and will be completed spring 2027.
Dam Site 19, southwest of 204th & Giles Road, has been named the Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte Recreation Area. Picotte is famed as the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree. The recreation area will not start construction for another five years, but plans call for a 74-acre lake and 281 acres of parkland.
Together the new detention basins and dam site will bring additional capacity the region’s flood control system. Additionally, they will provide recreational opportunities for fishing, kayaking and other outdoor activities.
Photo courtesy of Papio Missouri River NRD
