LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – A bill to allow lakeside cabin areas to remain in two southwest Nebraska reservoirs is threatened by last-minute opposition from outgoing U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D- West Virginia, and a small group of others. legislators.
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., the bill’s lead sponsor on behalf of cabin owners along the Swanson and Red Willow reservoirs, pressed Manchin Wednesday to reconsider his opposition to her bill, which was part of a broader measure concerning the federal government. lands.
Fischer said his part of the bill had broad support in the Senate and passed the House unanimously.
She said her proposal was unfairly presented “as political leverage for unrelated issues.”
“It’s truly outrageous,” the Nebraska senator said. “My legislation cannot wait.”
Indeed, she said, if her bill is not passed, cabin owners on two sites along the reservoirs will be required to vacate the land in February.
A request for a response from Manchin’s office was not immediately returned Friday.
But the Examiner has learned that Manchin has since dropped his opposition, although Fischer’s effort to pass a standalone cabin development bill faces resistance from another group of lawmakers.
With the U.S. Senate in recess for the year on Friday, Dec. 20, it’s unclear whether Fischer’s bill can pass in time to avoid disrupting cabin development.
Manchin, a former governor of West Virginia, declined to run for reelection this year after serving in the Senate since 2010.
The cabin controversy, which the The examiner first reportedconcerns the management of the two reservoirs by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau’s plan to remove the cabins to allow for improved campground facilities.
There are 110 cabins on Swanson Reservoir near Trenton and 71 cabins at Red Willow, north of McCook, as well as concession businesses on both lakes. All are located on land now managed by the Bureau.
Cottage owners and county officials in the area opposed the removal order, which was originally scheduled to take effect in November 2025. They argued that some families had enjoyed cottages on the lake for decades and that two cottage areas were significant economic contributors. in rural Hitchcock and Red Willow counties.
Under bills introduced in the Senate by Fischer and U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and in the House by U.S. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., management of the two cabin developments would be transferred to the counties of ‘Hitchcock and Frontier. They would manage both areas and benefit from rents from cabin owners and fees paid by concessionaires.
Fischer said she received letters from more than 1,000 local residents supporting the transfer of the property and that the two cabin sites — among the largest communities in both counties — should be allowed to remain.
Hitchcock County Board Member Paul Nichols said local residents support the land transfer, which will allow communities “that have been in place and operating for decades” to remain.
Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact editor Cate Folsom with any questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com.
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