Standing Bear Lake

Infobox park
park=Standing Bear Lake


image size=
caption=
type=Regional
location=South of Bennington, NE
coordinates=
size=685 acres
opened=1977
operator=City of Omaha
annual visitors=
status=Open all year

Standing Bear Lake, also known as Dam Site 16, is located at 6404 North 132nd street in West Omaha, Nebraska. Named after the Ponca leader Chief Standing Bear, the park has a convert|135|acre|km2|sing=on lake with boating in the summertime, and ice skating in the winter. The park and recreation area covers about convert|396|acre|km2 of land surrounding the lake, with a convert|131|acre|km2|sing=on wildlife area is located on the west side of the park. [ [https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/Lake_Proj/missouririver/zorinsky.html "Zorinsky Lake"] , U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Retrieved 3/23/08.]

About

Standing Bear Lake park opened in 1977, and includes fishing and boating, trails, and picnic areas. [ [http://www.ci.omaha.ne.us/parks/Parks/2006parklisting.pdf "2006parklisting.pdf"] , City of Omaha. Retrieved 3/23/08.] The park includes an remote control airplane flying field. [ [http://www.ci.omaha.ne.us/parks/parks/standingbearpark.htm "City of Omaha Parks & Recreation"] , City of Omaha. Retrieved 3/23/08.]

Also known as Dam Site 16, the lake was originally built as a dam for flood control in the Lower Papio Valley. Recently the Nebraska State Game and Parks Commission added trout fishing to the lake. [ [http://www.midwest-fishing.com/Nebraska/Standing_Bear2.html "Midwest Fishing Lake Guide, Standing Bear Lake"] Gravity One Communications. Retrieved 3/23/08] It opened in 1977. It was originally built to control flooding along the Papio River Valley. The Nebraska Parks and Commision added trout to the lake to make it into a fishing lake. One of the earliest trails in the Omaha area is around Standing Bear Lake. The six-foot wide trail slopes in places and is 3.5 miles around but does not completely encircle the lake. (Content from Omahatrails.com) The path is narrow and not very biker friendly. (Omaha Trails)

A large variety of fish may be found in the lake including walleye, catfish, bass, bluegill, crappie, drum, saugeye, yellow perch, and trout. (Midwest Fishing Lake Guide)Ice skating is offered in the winter.

One unusual feature at Standing Bear is a wind organ. Created by artist Douglas Hollis, the sculpture is a combination of metal pipes placed vertically in the ground. Each pipe has a hole in its side sound for filtering the wind and making sound. (from squeak.preminant.org.blog)

The park is named after Chief Standing Bear, who with his people, was told to leave his homeland along the Niobrara River in northeast Nebraska for Indian Territory in Oklahoma. After finding no supplies in Oklahoma and many of his people dying, including his own son, Standing Bear led 30 members of the Ponca Tribe back to Nebraska. He had to fight for the right to be recognized as a human being and his basic humanity, saying, "I am a man. The same God made us both." (poncacity.com)

Standing Bear sits in the middle of various housing developments. This makes it easy to get to, yet it still offers a secluded area to relax and get away from the city. (Yahoo Travel Guide)

ee also

* Parks in Omaha, Nebraska

References