photo by: Ashley Golledge

Water from Clinton Lake is released into the Wakarusa River on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019.

Douglas County is hosting an open house for residents to provide more input on what the future of the Wakarusa River corridor in Douglas County should include.

The open house will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Douglas County Public Works building, 3755 E. 25th Street. The developing Wakarusa Corridor Vision Plan is a collaboration between Douglas County’s Sustainability team along with planning firms Biohabitats and Hoxie Collective LLC.

The project involves two phases of community engagement. The first phase took place between March and August, and it was about getting an early sense of who cares about the river, why it matters to them, what they hope for its future, and what they value most. The team is currently in the project’s second phase — bringing those ideas back to the community, sharing what the group learned and asking for feedback.

As the Journal-World reported, in April, people gathered at Haskell’s Tommaney Library to talk with developers of the plan about their vision for the future of the river corridor. As Lawrence is looking to expand southward with projects like the proposed New Boston Crossing, and discussions around urban growth and retail development continue, many argue that the idea of businesses developing in the corridor is disrespectful to Indigenous culture and to the plants and animals that live in that ecosystem.

According to the Douglas County website, the final phase of the project is expected to begin in December, where the team will begin developing the Corridor Vision Plan. The final draft and document is anticipated to be complete in March 2026.