Lacking mountains and oceans, Omaha’s dam site lakes are popular local attractions that offer everything from trails and ball fields to fishing, boating and kayaking or an opportunity to get in touch with nature. While the lakes have the added benefit of offering wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, they were primarily built for flood control following a pair of devastating floods in the mid-1960s.
Heavy thunderstorms dropping excessive rain in a short timeframe drive the constant threat of inland flooding within the 402-square-mile Papillion Creek basin. Stretching 41 miles long and as wide as 17 miles, the basin extends through Douglas, Sarpy and Washington Counties. The basin’s three main branches are the Big Papio, Little Papio and West Papio Creeks.
Fed by its many tributaries including Saddle Creek, Hell Creek and Cole Creek, they converge into the 15.5-mile long “flashy” Papillion Creek which rises and falls quickly during heavy rain. Water from the creek ultimately drains into the Missouri River south of Bellevue and just north of the Platte River. When the creeks flood, they impact not just Omaha but Bennington, Elkhorn, Ralston, La Vista, Papillion, Gretna, Bellevue and smaller communities.
Historically, the flooding impact was mostly limited to farm communities where the population and number of buildings were limited. As the metro grew, the farmland gave way to development, which brought roofs, roads, driveways and parking lots with it. The rain that once soaked slowly into the ground began to run off pavement and into the creeks much faster, which caused more frequent and severe flash flooding and put more people and property at risk.
Major flooding events have occurred nearly every decade since at least the late 19th century. When they occur, they wash out tracks and bridges, damage culverts and foundations, in addition to flooding farms, houses and businesses. People have drowned while others fought back by forming human chains and sandbagging…