August 14, 2018
An Omaha park's $7.7 million renovation project is designed to improve water quality in local rivers and streams and provide recreational activities for residents."The thing people notice right away is the size of the lagoon," Omaha Parks Director Brook Bench told the Omaha World-Herald . "It's about three times larger now, and it's 10 feet deep and will be stocked with fish by Nebraska Game and Parks."The state's Game and Parks Commission plans to provide about 200 channel catfish at the end of the month or early September, said Jerry Kane, an official with the agency. The lagoon can expect 2,000 bluegills and 1,000 largemouth bass in September, he said.The park offers access to the public for fishing in the lagoon, as well as a walking trail, picnic areas, disc golf and a cross-country running course."I'm new to Omaha, but this is wonderful for families, and I've noticed a lot of people going for walks here," said Megan Leong on a recent visit to the park with her children.The Clean Solutions for Omaha program revamped the sewer system as part of the expansion plan. Raw sewage would mix with stormwater and flow into the Missouri River and Papillion Creek about once a week before the project started, according to the Public Works Department.Changes to the park's vegetation will increase rainfall's infiltration into the ground. The expansion is intended to decrease the park's stormwater runoff and clean stormwater from nearby neighborhoods.
