Bill to Transfer Ownership of Swanson & Red Willow Reservoirs Heads to President

Today, the Senate passed legislation to transfer the Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) Swanson Reservoir land to Hitchcock County and the BoR Red Willow Reservoir land to Frontier County. The bill, introduced by U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and U.S. Representative Adrian Smith (NE-03), now heads to the President's desk.

"In two months, the federal government will force Swanson and Red Willow Reservoir residents to leave, destroying the communities and small businesses these Nebraskans have built over the last 50 years. Thankfully, today Congress has agreed to right this wrong by transferring control of this land back to local officials. For the sake of the residents in both these communities, I encourage the president to sign this bill into law as soon as possible," said Senator Fischer.

"Today is an exciting day for Hitchcock and Frontier Counties. This bill protects Swanson and Red Willow residents and surrounding communities. I'm grateful for the months of diligent engagement from stakeholders that made this day possible. President Biden should sign this bill without delay," said Senator Ricketts.

"Years of extensive collaboration have culminated in the passage of this legislation which empowers local control and maintains public access at no cost to the federal government. Tourism and recreation at the Swanson and Red Willow Reservoirs are critical to economic development in Hitchcock and Frontier Counties. I have been grateful to work closely with Senator Fischer and the entire Nebraska delegation to advance this solution on behalf of the local community, property owners, and visitors," said Congressman Smith.

"On behalf of the commissioners for Hitchcock and Frontier counties and the whole community of Swanson and Hugh Butler Reservoirs, we sincerely thank the U.S. Congress for acting to secure a future for their homes and businesses, which have been part of the community for generations, and preserving the great recreational area for public use. Thanks to the hard work of United States Senator Deb Fischer and Congressman Adrian Smith and their Nebraska Congressional colleagues, Senator Pete Ricketts, Congressman Don Bacon, and Congressman Mike Flood this crucial economic hub for local businesses, supporting jobs in outdoor recreation, tourism, and hospitality will thrive for generations to come," said Hitchcock and Frontier Counties Boards of Commissioners.

Background:

Following disagreement about how the BoR was managing the concession areas at the Swanson and Red Willow Reservoirs, the Nebraska congressional delegation received numerous requests to introduce legislation to transfer the ownership of the areas from the BoR to a local entity.

In June 2023, members of the Nebraska Congressional delegation wrote a letter stating they would sponsor legislation to authorize a land transfer once they received official documentation from a local, public entity that was willing to accept the land, was cable of managing it for the public, and would take on the associate responsibilities and liabilities.

The bill was drafted in collaboration with Hitchcock County, Frontier County, and the Bureau of Reclamation. Hitchcock and Frontier Counties have now provided confirmation that they are supportive of the legislation as drafted.

Click here to view text of the legislation.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.