http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10366058The Parks Department is moving forward with plans for a $4.2 million park at Ed Zorinsky Lake Recreation Area. The project has been included in the city's capital improvement plan for years, but preliminary work on the project is slated to begin in hopes that the pool will be open by the summer of 2010.
The City Council approved a $284,000 contract Tuesday for local engineering firm Olsson Associates to design the aquatic park. The facility will have a variety of features including zero-depth entry (pools with very slight slopes), two water slides and water sprays for children to play in as well as concessions.
"It will probably be a little fancier than any of the pools we have now," said Parks Director Steve Scarpello.
Lake Zorinsky
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Uffda
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Lake Zorinsky
For those looking for a swimming pool out west
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icejammer
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Re: Lake Zorinsky

Soooooo......where exactly are they proposing to put this waterpark? I don't see too many open spaces out there large enough to accomodate a pool with a capacity of over 400, plus all the parking that goes with it....
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
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Brad
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
There is plenty of room on the north and east sides.

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Stargazer
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Lake Zorinsky
Even on the backside of the dam.
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Brad
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Lake Zorinsky
No, I was thinking more in the south east corner. May be the can just move the spillway pipe above ground and make it a water slide ;)Stargazer wrote:Even on the backside of the dam.

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icejammer
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Lake Zorinsky
I can't imagine the City would want to build such an expensive facility where it could get flooded.Even on the backside of the dam.
Well, maybe there is up in the northeast corner, but there would have to be a lot of grading I would think.There is plenty of room on the north and east sides.
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
--William Jennings Bryan
--William Jennings Bryan
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Stargazer
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Lake Zorinsky
BREAKING NEWS: $200,000 Study reveals no suitable location for Lake Zorinsky Water Park
Shoot for the Moon... if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
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omahastylee459
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Lake Zorinsky
do they really need the soccer fields there? There seems to be plenty of places around town to play soccer, I figure the city could put that part of Zorinsky to better use.
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huskerJay
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Zorinsky water park in the works?
Is this true?
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nebugeater
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Lake Zorinsky
For the record NEBUGEATER does not equal BUGEATER !!!!!!!
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Stargazer
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Lake Zorinsky
Wow, a $200,000 study for a swimming pool, huh.
Shoot for the Moon... if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
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Bomaha
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Lake Zorinsky
Why don't we just put one downtown?
ya never know
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huskerJay
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Lake Zorinsky
By the way this thing is up and flying.
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huskerJay
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Lake Zorinsky
By the way this thing is up and flying.
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HskrFanMike
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Lake Zorinsky
There's already a hole dug (with water in it, no less!) at 14th & Dodge. Just add slides... :lafcry: :lafcry: :lafcry: :lafcry:Bomaha wrote:Why don't we just put one downtown?ya never know
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justnick
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Lake Zorinsky
HskrFanMike wrote:There's already a hole dug (with water in it, no less!) at 14th & Dodge. Just add slides... :lafcry: :lafcry: :lafcry: :lafcry:Bomaha wrote:Why don't we just put one downtown?ya never know

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thenewguy
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RegisResident
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Lake Zorinsky
If I had to guess I would say it was in the last couple of summers since that area used to flood. The city just repaired the drainage system for that entire area so it shouldn't flood like that anymore.
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S33
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Lake Zorinsky
Wait, are you suggesting the city fixed a 'problem'? Sorry, I'm not buying it. :)RegisResident wrote:If I had to guess I would say it was in the last couple of summers since that area used to flood. The city just repaired the drainage system for that entire area so it shouldn't flood like that anymore.
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RegisResident
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Lake Zorinsky
yeah... this past summer the city did a lot of infrastructure work on the mall. Here are some of the things they did (that I know about):
- replaced the pump for the dumping bucket sculpture
- fixed the "flow" of the lagoon by getting all of the drains, returns and pumps to work correctly
- fixed the pump for the waterfall at the east end of the mall, behind the Greenhouse Apts (along with removing thousands of plastic bags from the return pipe)
- fixed the waterfalls and reflection pool at the west end of the mall, in front of the library, including the installation of sand filters (that were working this year) and chlorine injection (will be working next year) so that by next year the reflection pool should be clear
- revamped the drainage in the area where the slides go
- repaired the sprinkler system around the mall (they still have some work to do on it but they have been making progress)
- re-sodded the area around the slides where the grass had been dead for a long time and where they had to dig the drainage for the area at the end of the slides
- replaced the pump for the dumping bucket sculpture
- fixed the "flow" of the lagoon by getting all of the drains, returns and pumps to work correctly
- fixed the pump for the waterfall at the east end of the mall, behind the Greenhouse Apts (along with removing thousands of plastic bags from the return pipe)
- fixed the waterfalls and reflection pool at the west end of the mall, in front of the library, including the installation of sand filters (that were working this year) and chlorine injection (will be working next year) so that by next year the reflection pool should be clear
- revamped the drainage in the area where the slides go
- repaired the sprinkler system around the mall (they still have some work to do on it but they have been making progress)
- re-sodded the area around the slides where the grass had been dead for a long time and where they had to dig the drainage for the area at the end of the slides
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joeglow
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
Drove by recently and they appear to be well on their way. Could easily see the 2 big water slides from the road.
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windsor
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
With all the road construction at 156th and Center, I have avoided that drive for a while. I should swing by next time instead of avoiding it.
where the corn meets the concrete
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Brad
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
Had to run out to the Gallery tonight, here are some shots I snapped:
1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.


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iamjacobm
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
I wonder how much it will effect the numbers out at Mahoney or Fremont once it opens.
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Coyote
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
West O gets a splash of good news
Zack Colman WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:The public pool drought will come to an end in southwest Omaha when the new Zorinsky Lake Family Aquatic Center opens on Saturday. The 6,000-square-foot-facility, at 3808 S. 156th St. on the east edge of the park, will have large waterslides, water play features, two swimming lanes and a hot dog vendor. It has a capacity of 358 people and will host a small swim team.
Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle will perform a ribbon-cutting for the aquatic center at 3 p.m. Saturday. The grand opening also will feature a disc jockey, as well as games and prizes for children.
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joeglow
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
358 people seems a bit low. I expect them to reach capacity every day.Coyote wrote:West O gets a splash of good news
Zack Colman WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER wrote:The public pool drought will come to an end in southwest Omaha when the new Zorinsky Lake Family Aquatic Center opens on Saturday. The 6,000-square-foot-facility, at 3808 S. 156th St. on the east edge of the park, will have large waterslides, water play features, two swimming lanes and a hot dog vendor. It has a capacity of 358 people and will host a small swim team.
Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle will perform a ribbon-cutting for the aquatic center at 3 p.m. Saturday. The grand opening also will feature a disc jockey, as well as games and prizes for children.
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Brad
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
Army Corps to clear about 40 acres of trees around Zorinsky Lake Park, despite objections
https://www.omaha.com/news/plus/army-co ... c7a4d.html
https://www.omaha.com/news/plus/army-co ... c7a4d.html
I'm going to withhold judgement on this until I see it. Measuring 30' on google Earth, it really doesn't seem like a big deal.Nancy Gaarder / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Trees around the perimeter of Zorinsky Lake Park will be cut down over the next few years as a result of a directive from Washington.
The 30-foot corridor is expected to total about 40 acres of trees.

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bigredmed1
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
The Corps was doing this to allow better EMS access to the lake and to decrease encroachment on federal land.Brad wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:18 am Army Corps to clear about 40 acres of trees around Zorinsky Lake Park, despite objections
https://www.omaha.com/news/plus/army-co ... c7a4d.html
I'm going to withhold judgement on this until I see it. Measuring 30' on google Earth, it really doesn't seem like a big deal.Nancy Gaarder / World-Herald staff writer wrote:Trees around the perimeter of Zorinsky Lake Park will be cut down over the next few years as a result of a directive from Washington.
The 30-foot corridor is expected to total about 40 acres of trees.
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Brad
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
I get why they are doing it. When I said I don't think its a big deal, I meant I don't think 30' is going to ruin anyone's property/privacy/view. I lean towards the one owner that said it will help his view.

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Brad
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
Here is what 30' looks like. I think its going to be no big deal.
(Red = current property line, Green = 30' offset of the property line)
(Red = current property line, Green = 30' offset of the property line)

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bigredmed1
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
I agree. Seems there were property owners who wanted the feds to just forget about the trees so they could get more land, quiet, and views.
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ScrattyB
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
Riiiiiggghhttttt. So you're telling me that emergency personnel needing to get to the lake are going to be walking/driving around the perimeter of the park when there are several roads that go in and around it? I'm sure the people struggling to stay afloat in the water will be thrilled to see the first responders coming through the trees.create better access for emergency personnel needing to get to the lake
They probably could have left that bullet point out.
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ScrattyB
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
This one is interesting.Also I think by creating this corridor it could create some safety concerns, increase foot traffic, possibly even vehicle traffic. I think in the winter there’s a lot of kids up and down with cars and snowmobiles and there’s already safety concerns in this area
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Coyote
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
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nativeomahan
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
When you consider all of the dumb things government wastes money on, this seems like just one more example of a solution in search of a problem. Have any of us heard about this “problem” at Zorinsky Lake, Wehrspahn Lake, Cunningham Lake and Standing Bear Lake before this past week? Anyone? Anyone? Some of these lakes have been in existence for going on 50 years! And never has this been mentioned as a problem before. So count me in as a skeptic of this use of taxpayer dollars to root out bird baths.
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iamjacobm
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
Not a real estate lawyer, but encroachments can create some legal issues if the land owners don't eventually enforce their property rights. That is likely the actual motivation behind this move.
Public land probably changes some of the specifics, but I am sure it still matters.
Public land probably changes some of the specifics, but I am sure it still matters.
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nativeomahan
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
You are speaking about the law of adverse possession, which basically says that if you exercise dominion and control over private land belonging to someone else for 20 or more consecutive years, without receiving permission from the actual landowner, then the land can become yours. I do not believe, however, that this policy can effect public lands.
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Fromaha
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
Does anyone know what the status of this situation is? I haven't been out to Zorinsky in a while to see.
As an aside, I think this could be a good opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. With the clearing of this land, it would be a great time to establish an unpaved hiking/biking trail around the lake, similar to what they have at Cunningham or even Tranquility. There is a dearth of unpaved trails in this area, and this could certainly help with that, while reducing some of the congestion on the paved and unpaved trails in and around the city. The maintenance would be minimal and I for one would really like having the option.
As an aside, I think this could be a good opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. With the clearing of this land, it would be a great time to establish an unpaved hiking/biking trail around the lake, similar to what they have at Cunningham or even Tranquility. There is a dearth of unpaved trails in this area, and this could certainly help with that, while reducing some of the congestion on the paved and unpaved trails in and around the city. The maintenance would be minimal and I for one would really like having the option.
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GrandpaaSmucker
- Parks & Recreation
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
Zorinsky is open and in pretty good shape. There is a nice wide sidewalk that goes around the lake that has been there for years. The lake was closed for 2 weeks in April due to the virus concerns as all parks in Omaha were.Fromaha wrote: Wed May 20, 2020 3:51 pm Does anyone know what the status of this situation is? I haven't been out to Zorinsky in a while to see.
As an aside, I think this could be a good opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. With the clearing of this land, it would be a great time to establish an unpaved hiking/biking trail around the lake, similar to what they have at Cunningham or even Tranquility. There is a dearth of unpaved trails in this area, and this could certainly help with that, while reducing some of the congestion on the paved and unpaved trails in and around the city. The maintenance would be minimal and I for one would really like having the option.
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OutoftheCanyon
- Home Owners Association
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Re: Lake Zorinsky
There actually are trails that go around the lake via the woods. They are a tad bit overgrown but fun to run and ride on.Fromaha wrote: Wed May 20, 2020 3:51 pm Does anyone know what the status of this situation is? I haven't been out to Zorinsky in a while to see.
As an aside, I think this could be a good opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. With the clearing of this land, it would be a great time to establish an unpaved hiking/biking trail around the lake, similar to what they have at Cunningham or even Tranquility. There is a dearth of unpaved trails in this area, and this could certainly help with that, while reducing some of the congestion on the paved and unpaved trails in and around the city. The maintenance would be minimal and I for one would really like having the option.