KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has prepared a draft environmental assessment, Finding of No Significant Impact and Section 404(b)(1) Evaluation for the Water Injection Dredging Study and Demonstration Project. USACE is seeking public input on the environmental assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact.
USACE and its partner, the Kansas Water Office, have scheduled a public meeting Thursday, April 18, 2024, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Peace Auditorium, 1101 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan, KS. USACE staff be available to discuss informational posters before and after the presentation. Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity for an open question and answer session.
The public will be encouraged to submit written comments that evening or by May 8, 2024, electronically. Information will be available that night about all methods for submitting comments, including through the demonstration project website.
The public meeting location is ADA accessible.
The study will be available online, beginning April 8, 2024. Visit https://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Media/Public-Notices/Planning-Public-Notices/. Scroll down and click on the link to read the full report.
Comments will be accepted from April 8 through May 8, 2024.
Submit comments by attending the meeting, sending to the address below or electronically to Max.R.Headlee@usace.army.mil.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District
ATT: Plan Formulation Section, Laura Totten
601 East 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106
ABOUT THE RESERVIOR
Tuttle Creek Lake is the largest reservoir in the Kansas River Basin. Over 40% of the population of Kansas, including the urban areas of Topeka, Kansas City, Manhattan and Lawrence depend on the flood control and water supply benefits of Tuttle Creek Lake and many more utilize the recreational and environmental benefits. Tuttle Creek Lake has prevented over $12.4 billion in damages over the life of the reservoir.
The Tuttle Creek Lake project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938 for the purposes of flood control, low flow augmentation for the Big Blue and Kansas Rivers, navigation supplementation for the Missouri River, water quality, recreation and fish and wildlife. The Flood Control Act of 1938 also authorized studies for the purpose of maintaining these authorized purposes.
SEDIMENATION PROBLEM
Sedimentation in reservoirs is a natural and expected process. Since dam closure in 1962, 438 million cubic yards of sediment have accumulated. Sediment deposition has shrunk the surface area of the reservoir, which has buried boat ramps, cut off habitat in coves, led to the abandonment of water intakes and caused numerous other harmful effects.
Without intentional action, the benefits of this resource will continue to diminish. Estimates indicate that by 2049, the multi-purpose pool will be 75% full of sediment, leaving only 25% of the original storage capacity and in 2074 only 7% of the original storage capacity remains.
The Tuttle Creek Reservoir Water Injection Dredging Demonstration Project is investigating whether the WID technology is a potential method for moving sediment out of the reservoir to restore storage capacity.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Water Injection Dredging demonstration study’s purpose is to evaluate the WID’s potential to successfully mobilize sediments in a USACE reservoir to restore storage capacity and evaluate the associated environmental effects.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
A barge is outfitted with a special jet bar that can produce low-pressure, high-volume jets of water. The water is drawn from the reservoir.
The jet bar is lowered to the surface of the lake, then the jets of water are activated to stir up the sediment to form a fluid mixture of sediment and water.
The fluid mixture makes an underwater current that flows by gravity towards the dam’s outlet works and into the downstream channel.
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