OGALLALA, Neb. (AP) - The state game and parks commission will vote March 20 on banning both alcohol possession and consumption at Lake McConaughy and neighboring Lake Ogallala in western Nebraska.
The alcohol ban in the state-controlled areas is among several agreements the state worked out with local leaders to avert drastic cuts in access.
The commission had been considering access restrictions following complaints about overcrowding and rowdy behavior last Fourth of July. The proposed changes, which would have taken effect later this year, were meant to address the overcrowding on the lake's beaches.
But the commission delayed action in January after hundreds of people showed up for a hearing on the proposed rules. Most said they wanted more law enforcement and greater attention to checkpoints, not a crackdown to limit access.
The pending agreement calls for local and state law enforcement to beef up their holiday presence, Ogallala Mayor Deb Schilz said. And local leaders would arrange more garbage pickups to relieve one burden on overwhelmed game and parks staffers.
Game and parks and the local advisory council will meet again after Labor Day to review the summer and make consider whether more changes are needed before summer 2021, Schilz said.