Prairie Queen Recreation Area

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 2:54 pm

Lake it filling up nice after these rains. Big Mouth Bass and Channel Catfish already resident, Bluegill should follow soon. This may open sooner than thought, and when they do the fishing should be pretty nice.

Al Buterol · Post by **Al Buterol** » Sat Aug 02, 2014 9:03 pm

Ran the big loop of the lake today, was about 3 miles. Looks like 5 in total?

Parking lots still blocked off or gated off - about 12 bikers out today and another runner with me.
I like the trail, they did a good job on this one.

Lake looks about 3-4 feet below the outlet structure exit height.....

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 2:10 pm

Sarpy County’s Prairie Queen Recreation Area to offer fishing, flood protection

Fish: Channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, red-ear sunfish, black crappie

Opens: Spring 2015

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 5:05 pm

I'm assuming no boats, since the left the trees in the middle of it.

Greg

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 5:18 pm

I believe the story said that there are paths for boats to go through.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Wed Nov 05, 2014 5:20 pm

I believe Cornhusker ends with a parking area and a boat ramp.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Mon Jan 19, 2015 4:22 am

Al Buterol · Post by **Al Buterol** » Thu Jan 29, 2015 5:30 pm

Smart geese keeping the water open

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Thu Jan 29, 2015 9:42 pm

Looking at the lake and the old trees in the middle, I can't imagine it will be too popular with boaters.

Greg

Al Buterol · Post by **Al Buterol** » Thu Jan 29, 2015 10:57 pm

Greg S wrote:Looking at the lake and the old trees in the middle, I can't imagine it will be too popular with boaters.

Greg

I wouldn't think any of the NRD lakes would be popular with boaters, fishermen however....

Stargazer · Post by **Stargazer** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:40 am

I traded my boat for a pair of kayaks a few years ago... the metro is a kayaking paradise.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:55 am

Stargazer wrote:I traded my boat for a pair of kayaks a few years ago... the metro is a kayaking paradise.

I see kayaks in Zorinsky and Wehrspann quite often in season!

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 4:09 pm

Al Buterol wrote:
Greg S wrote:Looking at the lake and the old trees in the middle, I can't imagine it will be too popular with boaters.

Greg
I wouldn't think any of the NRD lakes would be popular with boaters, fishermen however....

True, this was definitely would be the bottom choice. The new one on Fort does have some potential if done right. That being said, trade three of these NRD sites for one larger one.

Greg

Al Buterol · Post by **Al Buterol** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:29 am

officially opens March 31

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:53 am

Al Buterol wrote:officially opens March 31

Sweet! Thanks for the info!

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Mon Mar 16, 2015 2:30 am

Al Buterol · Post by **Al Buterol** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 1:23 am

Where are the 45 acres located on a map that the NRD referenced in the latest OWH article that would be up for sale?

Said it wasn't needed in the NRD lake project but was bought in anticipation of being used...

mcarch · Post by **mcarch** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:15 am

On a side note: When I hear Prairie Queen, I imagine a drag queen walking out on stage. I think they could have thought of a better name!

Al Buterol · Post by **Al Buterol** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 2:15 pm

mcarch wrote:On a side note: When I hear Prairie Queen, I imagine a drag queen walking out on stage. I think they could have thought of a better name!

At least the school mascot will be Mustangs....

mcarch · Post by **mcarch** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 8:28 pm

Al Buterol wrote:
mcarch wrote:On a side note: When I hear Prairie Queen, I imagine a drag queen walking out on stage. I think they could have thought of a better name!
At least the school mascot will be Mustangs....

Thank God! Although, "The Queens" has a nice ring to it!

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Sat May 09, 2015 11:19 pm

GRANDPASMUCKER · Post by **GRANDPASMUCKER** » Sun May 10, 2015 12:31 am

Wonder if there are any mountain lions living there?

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Sun May 10, 2015 4:29 am

Oh |expletive| your going to give the cops a ranging clue.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Sun May 10, 2015 11:10 pm

So what will happen to these submerged trees? They seam like they'd become boating hazards.

GRANDPASMUCKER · Post by **GRANDPASMUCKER** » Sun May 10, 2015 11:30 pm

MTO wrote:So what will happen to these submerged trees? They seam like they'd become boating hazards.

The powers that be will say the trees create fishing habitat. I have seen them tie Christmas trees to concrete foundation blocks and throw them in shallow water at other dam sites. It all seems stupid considering you have guys taking their 7000 to 10,000 fishing boats out on these lakes and could tear up a 700 prop or punch a hole in the hull.

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Sun May 10, 2015 11:48 pm

Over time they'll rot and fall in.

Post by **Brad** » Mon May 11, 2015 2:14 pm

MTO wrote:So what will happen to these submerged trees? They seam like they'd become boating hazards.

You should't be going fast enough in that lake to cause any damage...

skinzfan23 · Post by **skinzfan23** » Mon May 11, 2015 2:23 pm

Being a no-wake zone, I agree.

Garrett · Post by **Garrett** » Mon May 11, 2015 2:44 pm

There are still trees like those at Zorinski

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 4:49 pm

Two new lakes in the works west of Papillion

Cody Winchester - World-Herald staff writer wrote:The reservoirs will be stocked with fish, but boaters will be restricted to motorless craft — kayaks, canoes and other paddle-powered craft. Access points for handicapped anglers and boaters will be part of the design, said Amanda Grint, a water resources engineer at the NRD.
“We’re looking at doing some new things with these (projects),” she said.
The two recreation areas will be in Papillion’s zoning jurisdiction, and as with Prairie Queen, they’ll eventually be parks under city management

Greg S · Post by **Greg S** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 5:30 pm

I know there are reasons otherwise but every time I see something like this I think, instead of the 3 smaller lakes (PQ plus the 2 smaller ones), I wish they would build a single larger one.

We have so many of these smaller ones. Could use one real big one in the area.

Greg

RNcyanide · Post by **RNcyanide** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 5:32 pm

Greg S wrote:I know there are reasons otherwise but every time I see something like this I think, instead of the 3 smaller lakes (PQ plus the 2 smaller ones), I wish they would build a single larger one.

We have so many of these smaller ones. Could use one real big one in the area.

Greg

Dig a trench to connect them all and we have one, large lake.

bigredmed · Post by **bigredmed** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 5:36 pm

RNcyanide wrote:
Greg S wrote:I know there are reasons otherwise but every time I see something like this I think, instead of the 3 smaller lakes (PQ plus the 2 smaller ones), I wish they would build a single larger one.

We have so many of these smaller ones. Could use one real big one in the area.

Greg
Dig a trench to connect them all and we have one, large lake.

Or, dam the South Papio itself. We would have to move the CB&Q RR line, but other than that, you would not have much of an issue that far east.

I agree with Greg, we need a bigger and deeper lake that people could count on for large craft and would be deep enough to support big fish.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 5:38 pm

Yes, one big enough people flock to for boating and so forth.

mcarch · Post by **mcarch** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:02 pm

They need to put housing up close to the lake as they did on Zorinsky (sorry for the spelling).

WBR_Tom · Post by **WBR_Tom** » Mon Jan 04, 2021 5:21 pm

These two new dam sites have names now -- WP-6 will be called Portal Recreation Area, and WP-7 will be called Big Elk Recreation Area. Both are substantially complete and scheduled to be filled with water in the spring. The City of Papillion annual report has an article on them; the Big Elk name had been previously announced in the World-Herald but this is the first I've seen WP-6 referred to as Portal Recreation Area.

Anyway, Portal is 34 acres of water surrounded by 69 acres of parkland, and contrary to initial reports will now allow no-wake water activities. Big Elk is about half the size at 13 acres of water and 32 acres of park, with only motionless watercraft allowed.

Post by **Brad** » Tue Jan 05, 2021 3:57 am

I took Aerial Photos of both this past fall. I should get them posted up. I actually have aerial photos of WP7 since before there were any houses built around it and the lake was a farm field.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Tue Jan 05, 2021 6:01 pm

Brad wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 3:57 am I took Aerial Photos of both this past fall. I should get them posted up. I actually have aerial photos of WP7 since before there were any houses built around it and the lake was a farm field.

Would love to see them, not visible on Google Maps yet.

Post by **BRoss** » Tue Jan 05, 2021 11:02 pm

Louie wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 6:01 pm
Brad wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 3:57 am I took Aerial Photos of both this past fall. I should get them posted up. I actually have aerial photos of WP7 since before there were any houses built around it and the lake was a farm field.
Would love to see them, not visible on Google Maps yet.

If you go to historical imagery in Google Earth, that area east of 114th has imagery from May 2020. You can see WP-7 being built.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Jan 08, 2021 5:26 pm

Here are Aerials from this fall of WP6 and WP7. WP7 is the lake with the big concrete spillway and houses around it. WP6 is in more of the industrial area.