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Shared Vision Statement

Identify actions within the Kansas River Basin necessary to extend the useful life of our reservoirs, to increase their resiliency and maintain capacity.  Develop sustainable measures to reduce flood risk, improve sediment management, and mitigate drought, while seeking opportunities related to critical infrastructure investment, water supply availability, ecosystem restoration, water quality, and enhancing recreation.

Upcoming Watershed Study Meetings

Officials are hosting public meetings for the Kansas River Reservoir Flood and Sediment Study, set to take place in November 2023, and will occur at locations throughout the basin.

The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with the Kansas Water Office and Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, has prepared the Draft Watershed Study Report for the Kansas River Reservoirs Flood and Sediment Study.

The Draft Watershed Study Report and supporting information will be available on November 6, 2023, to initiate the 30-day public review and comment period. More details about the study are available at this link: Kansas River Basin (army.mil)

The times, dates and locations of the scheduled public meetings are as follows:

  • November 7, 2023 – 1:00-2:00 p.m. – Virtual Meeting: https://usace1.webex.com/usace1/j.php?MTID=me2989a0b67d40cd1eb5509d56d752dca; Meeting number (access code): 2761 048 1207; Meeting password: crFE4Gmj*85; Phone number: 844-800-2712
  • November 8, 2023 - 5:30-7:30 p.m. - Geary County 4-H Senior Center, 1025 S. Spring Valley Road, Junction City, KS 66441
  • November 28, 2023 - 5:30-7:30 p.m. - Pottorf Hall, Riley County Fairgrounds, 1710 Avery Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66503
  • November 29, 2023 - 5:30-7:30 p.m. - Flory Building East – Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St., Lawrence, KS 66046
  • November 30, 2023 - 5:30-7:30 p.m. - K-State Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus, College Center Building, 2310 Centennial Road, Salina, KS 67401
Comments will be accepted from November 6, 2023, through January 12, 2024. Submit comments by attending a meeting, electronically to KRRFSSWatershedStudy@usace.army.mil or by mail to the address below:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District
ATT: Plan Formulation Section
601 East 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106

For additional questions contact the Watershed Study team at KRRFSSWatershedStudy@usace.army.mil or 816-389-3486.

 

Contact Information

Timeline

The Watershed Study will be completed within a 3-5 year time frame. Approximate dates for completion of the Watershed Study milestones are included below.

• Shared Vision Milestone – November 2020

• Recommendations Milestone – May 2023

• Final Watershed Study Report – Fall 2023 

Additional Resources

Kansas River Watershed Map

Hydrologic and Geomorphic Changes on the Kansas River

Kansas River Reservoirs Flood & Sediment Study Executive Summary

KS River Reservoirs Flood & Sediment Study - Public Scoping Meetings

Advisory Committee Meetings

Advisory Committee Meeting - August 2019

Advisory Committee Meeting - January 2020

History

The Kansas River Basin includes 18 federal reservoirs, 12 of which reside in the State of Kansas, which regulate 85% of the drainage area in the basin, providing critical water supply, flood damage risk reduction, and vital river flow support to downstream regions. To more effectively manage those resources, the Kansas Water Office (KWO) has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for several years to increase the overall understanding of the Kansas River Watershed with an emphasis on improving water quality and maintaining water quantity in federal reservoirs, the Kansas River, and upstream tributaries.

Discussions with the USACE Kansas City District regarding watershed-scale study of the basin began in 2015 and led to several valuable collaborate initiatives between federal, state, and local stakeholders. These have included multiple Planning Assistance to States (PAS) agreements between the USACE and KWO examining a variety of water quality, water quantity, and sediment management topics, as well as other important efforts such as streambank erosion assessments, the creation of the Milford Lake Watershed Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), various Milford Lake HAB initiatives, and a Sustainable Rivers Program (SRP) project that was awarded to the Kansas Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

Building on these previous initiatives and the goals outlined in the Kansas Water Plan and Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas, the USACE included an authorization of federal funds for the “Kansas River Reservoirs Flood and Sediment Study” (Watershed Study) as part of its FY 2019 Work Plan, with the KWO and Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) acting as the non-federal co-sponsors. The Watershed Study will investigate water resource issues and opportunities in the Kansas River Basin to recommend comprehensive, long-term solutions based on a shared vision for the basin. Included in that effort, the Watershed Study will review existing and possible future conditions, lake and river basin management, and investigate potential changes to existing or new infrastructure to optimize benefits, reduce flood and drought risks, and increase resiliency and sustainability. The goals are to ensure a robust system that meets the needs of the region and the nation for the next 100 years and to maintain strong partnerships between state, local and federal agencies.

Planning Process

The Watershed Study will follow a six-step planning process:

  1. Identify Problems and Opportunities
  2. Inventory and Forecasting
  3. Identify and Screen Measures
  4. Formulate Initial Array of Strategies
  5. Refine Initial Array of Strategies and Evaluate Focused Array of Strategies
  6. Strategy Comparison and Selection

Primary Focus Areas

  • Flood Risk Management
  • Sediment Management
  • Reservoir Operations

Funding

Total funding for the study is $3 million with a required 25% non-federal sponsor (KWO, KDWP) cost share of $750,000.

KWO Office
900 SW Jackson Street
Suite 404
Topeka, Kansas 66612
Phone: 785-296-3185
Fax: 785-296-0878
Toll Free: 1-888-526-9283
Email the Office
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