Completed in 1966, Branched Oak is the largest of 10 Salt Creek Flood Control Project dams built by the Army Corps of Engineers to protect the City of Lincoln and surrounding communities. The Lower Platte South Natural Resources District is the local project sponsor. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission developed and operates the lake's recreational facilities and manages its wildlife resources under a long-term lease agreement with the Corps. The state's most heavily visited recreation area, Branched Oak hosts nearly one million visitors annually on its 1,800 acre lake surface and surrounding 3,960 acres of land.