Stream and Riparian Restoration in the Cottonwood River Basin
The Kansas Water Office has received funding from the Kansas Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund (KWPCRF) to address sedimentation in the Cottonwood-Neosho River Basin. An 11,013 feet reach of the Cottonwood River has been identified as a high priority area for streambank stabilization to reduce sedimentation. Restoration of the riparian buffer adjacent to the stream is also a goal of this project.
During the summer of 2012 the Survey and Design work will be conducted for this project. The Watershed Institute (TWI) of Kansas will conduct the survey and design work. Draft designs will be presented to landowners by the Fall of 2012.
In the Fall of 2012, the Kansas Water Office will issue an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the construction of the Cottonwood Streambank Stabilization projects. The IFB and additional project information will be provided and updated on this website.
For additional information about this project, contact:
Kansas Water Office
Attention: Bobbi Wendt
901 S. Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612
(785) 296-3185
Bobbi.Wendt@kwo.ks.gov
(Map
- Project Locations)
| Hot
Spot Site ID |
Estimated
Bank Length (Feet) |
Estimated
Sediment Reduction (Tons/Year) |
| 9 | 949 | 807 |
| 8 | 1,119 | 2,434 |
| 10 | 1,022 | 2,051 |
| 53 | 436 | 667 |
| 52 | 161 | 124 |
| 11 | 817 | 1,693 |
| 54 | 685 | 729 |
| 12 | 1,232 | 2,652 |
| 14 | 859 | 1,340 |
| 16 | 521 | 486 |
| 15 | 614 | 2,862 |
| 17 | 1,545 | 3,802 |
| 18 | 968 | 1,836 |
| 56 | 85 | 67 |
| Total | 11,013 | 21,550 |
To view photos of the stream and bank conditions before, during and after construction, make your selection below.
| Site #8 | Site #9 | Site #10 | Site #11 | Site #12 | Site #14 | Site #15 |
| Pre-Construction | Pre-Construction | |||||
| Site #16 | Site #17 | Site #18 | Site #52 | Site #53 | Site #54 | Site #56 |
| Pre-Construction | Pre-Construction |
John Redmond Reservoir and Upper Cottonwood-Neosho Watershed
John Redmond Reservoir was under construction from 1959-1964 for the purposes of flood control, water supply, water quality and recreation. The reservoir is located on the Neosho River, and drains 3,000 square miles of mostly grass and cultivated land. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has identified impairments to ecosystem quality because of excessive sediment and nutrient loading into the reservoir.
Sediment transport and stability of streambanks were characterized by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and The Watershed Institute (TWI). The USGS estimates sediment transport to John Redmond Reservoir during an approximately average year of streamflow is 1.12 million tons of sediment. TWI classified the riparian area and assessed the stability of stream channels upstream from John Redmond Reservoir. This study estimated annual erosion rates from surveys at representative channel locations, as well as characterizing "hotspots" of channel erosion based on aerial photoraphy.
Using average streambank erosion rates estimated by TWI, an estimated 162,800 tons of sediment are transported from the 210 miles of the mainstem Cottonwood and Neosho Rivers annually. Streambank erosion from the 14 "hotspots" located along the 11,013 feet stretch of the Cottonwood River is estimated to contribute 21,550 tons per year. The Kansas Water Office is planning to implement streambank stabilization efforts in this reach to reduce sediment transport to John Redmond Reservoir.
Nonpoint Source (NPS) Project Management Plan
One of the requirements of obtaining the KWPCRF loan is the preparation and public review of a Nonpoint Source (NPS) Project Management Plan. A draft of the plan is provided here. If you have comments or questions regarding the plan or project, contact Bobbi Wendt, KWO, at (785) 296-3185 or Bobbi.Wendt@kwo.ks.gov.