Holmes Lake just got a $5 million makeover, and now, efforts are underway to ensure the money won’t go to waste.

The city of Lincoln and the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District are working on two  projects to improve the quality of water flowing into the 110-acre reservoir in southeast Lincoln.

“After the restoration, there was such a profound difference in water quality. It was amazing,” said Ed Ubben, a project coordinator with the Lincoln-based NRD. “We’d like to keep it that way. We’d like to keep the lake pristine for the people of Lincoln to enjoy.”

On Monday, about 100 people attended an open house hosted at Lux Middle School by the Public Works and Utilities Department on the projects, which are:

* A geomorphic assessment or study to evaluate the condition of the streams that drain into the lake and to identify such problems such as stream bank erosion, channel cutting and water quality.

*   A stream stability/wetland rehabilitation project near 70th Street and Forest Lake Boulevard that includes stabilizing stream banks, building small dams to control erosion and rehabilitating a wetland.

Most of the people who attended the open house were area residents and thought the projects were a good idea, said Holly Lionberger, project manager with Public Works and Utilities.

“Everyone is interested in improving stream quality within the watershed,” she said. 

Holmes Lake is one of  a series of reservoirs built during the 1960s to capture flood water before it flows into Lincoln. It has a drainage area of about 5.4 square miles. However, after more than 40 years of agricultural use and urban development in the watershed, the lake filled in with sediments and pollutants.

The restoration project, completed in 2005, deepened the lake, improved water quality and enhanced fishing and recreational opportunities. Pedestrian bridges and fishing piers were built, along with a hiking/biking trail around the lake.

People who attended the open house were offered information on how they can help improve water  quality, Lionberger said.

*  Use low-phosphorous or no-phosphorous fertilizers on lawns to help reduce algae blooms in the lake.

* Maintain vegetation or filter strips along stream banks and in common areas to slow down water and sediments.

*  Pick up pet waste from yards and when they take animals for walks.

The geomorphic study, scheduled to be finished by May, should tell city and NRD officials where the worse problems are in the watershed. An April open house is planned to discuss the preliminary findings of that study; no date has been set.

“At that public meeting we will have prioritized the problem areas and come up with good solutions,” Lionberger said.

Ubben said sedimentation has  been a long-standing problem at Holmes Lake. Finding ways to control the problem will also help reduce pollution, he said, because contaminants attach to sediments.

During restoration efforts, many people believed the dog run near the lake was a big contributor of pollutants. Antelope Creek flows through the dog run before it enters Holmes Lake, Ubben said. But water samples taken elsewhere showed greater amounts of pollution coming from the Colonial Hills subdivision.

Streams in the watershed have been surveyed, Ubben said, and surveyors have found areas where channels are getting deeper and wider. Some stream segments are stable, but others are filled in with sediments, cutting off flows to Antelope Creek.

The next step is to come up with a list of repairs that could be included in some type of construction project, Ubben said, but getting the work done could take awhile.

“Part of the problem with this watershed is most of the streams are held privately (green spaces and common areas) and are not public property,” Ubben said.

Ensuring future water quality will take the cooperation of not only the city and the NRD but landowners in the watershed, he said.

The  state Department of Environmental Quality and the Nebraska Environmental Trust may be approached for financial help, Ubben said.

Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.