TOPEKA (KSNT) - The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will be reducing the flow of water through the Kansas River this week as drought conditions hammer the state's largest reservoirs.
The USACE announced in a press release on Monday, Oct. 28 that it will be reducing the flows of the Kansas River at De Soto and Topeka starting on Friday, Nov. 1. De Soto will be taken from 1,000 cubic feet per second to 800 cubic feet per second while Topeka will be brought down from 750 cubic feet per second to 600 cubic feet per second.
Engineers with the USACE are taking this action as part of a drought contingency plan for the largest reservoirs in northeast Kansas which connect to the Kansas River. These include Lake Milford, Tuttle Creek and Perry Lake.
The USACE said release from these reservoirs are coordinated to meet the minimum water quality target flows for the river amid drought conditions impacting Tuttle Creek which has dropped below an elevation of 1,070 feet as of Oct. 26. The new protocols for flows on the Kansas River will remain in place while Tuttle Creek remains below this threshold.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows much of Kansas is being impacted by moderate to severe drought conditions. This has resulted in falling water levels at the reservoirs the USACE relies on to supply the river, and cities along its path, with water. Dropping water levels is also revealing more hazards in the river and reservoirs such as debris and sandbars.
"With current drought conditions, most of the reservoirs in the Kansas River basin are presently below the top of their multi-purpose pools. Milford Reservoir is approximately one foot below the top of the multi-purpose pool. Tuttle Creek Reservoir dropped below the top of the multi-purpose pool in early September and is now approximately five feet below that level. Perry Reservoir dropped below the top of the multi-purpose pool on Oct. 19 and is now one a foot below that level.
After last year’s dry fall and winter, rains in the May through June timeframe helped to fill all the Kansas River lakes, however, dry conditions persisting through the fall have led to reduced lake levels."
USACE press release excerpt
People who have questions on this situation and the drought conditions impacting Kansas can reach out to the USACE by calling 816-389-3545 or by sending an email to cenwk-pa@usace.army.mil. You can check current pool elevations of all Kansas City District reservoirs by clicking here.
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