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Community Award Winner
Cheney Watershed
South Hutchinson, Kansas
The Cheney Watershed Program involves the North Fork Ninnescah Watershed which covers
543,000 acres within five counties in south-central Kansas. More than 99% of the watershed
is used for agricultural purposes. Farming practices within the watershed vary greatly
from small dairies and diversified crop and livestock farms, to range land and large
acreage under center pivot irrigation.
The watershed drains to the east into the Cheney Reservoir which was built in 1964. The
Cheney Reservoir is essential to the inhabitants of south-central Kansas as a public water
source, wildlife area and recreational site. The City of Wichita, population approximately
300,000, draws 40 to 60 percent of its daily water supply from the reservoir.
During the past five summers Cheney Reservoir has experienced algae blooms significant
enough to produce taste and odor problems in the final water product which supplies
Wichita. A task force representing stakeholders was formed in 1992 to study and prepare a
plan to identify and alleviate potential sources of pollution in the watershed and Cheney
Reservoir. The Task Force members were a committee of landowners, members of the Reno
County Conservation District, Sedgwick County Conservation District, Reno County Farm
Service Agency, Reno County Health Department, Wichita Water & Sewer Department, Reno
County Extension Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, Kansas Department of
Health & Environment, Natural Resource Conservation Service, State Conservation
Committee, Equus Beds Big Bend & Groundwater Management District, Bureau of
Reclamation, United States Fish & Wildlife, United States Geological Survey, and the
Environmental Protection Agency.
The task force enlisted the expertise of member agencies for technical assistance to
study the pollution problems and make recommendations for remedial action to improve the
quality of water in the watershed and preserve the reservoir. A master plan for watershed
pollution management was prepared. The task force established two goals. First, increase
the useful life of Cheney Reservoir to 200 years (from its original 100-year design).
Second, reduce the level of phosphorus in the Ninnescah River from .14 parts per million
to .10 ppm. Implementation of the plan began in July 1994 under the leadership of the
Citizens' Management Committee, a voluntary group of landowners and producers.
Community outreach is a priority of the program as it supports implementation of the
Best Management Practices (BMP)s to curtail identified pollution sources. Those BMPs
include but are not limited to, terracing, stubble mulch, conservation reserve program,
grassed waterways, relocation of feedlots, proper fertilizer application, animal waste
treatment and abandoned well plugging.
Other community outreach is through providing information and education. The program is
currently producing a video to update producers on watershed improvement projects and
educate downstream consumers about the watershed program. The Committee is in the process
of contracting with an agronomist to help promote nutrient management, crop rotation, and
conservation tillage in the watershed. Funding will also be provided to area high schools
for equipment and consultation/ training for instructors and students to collect water
samples on a long-term basis. The Committee is working with other agencies on delivery and
implementation of a program that promotes self-assessment for environmental issues on
farmsteads / home sites.
The Cheney Watershed Program is an interdisciplinary approach. An example of this is
the program's water quality monitoring project which is currently developing a Geographic
Information System (GIS) in cooperation with the Kansas Property and Resource Information
Systems Management group (PRISM). Partners in the program will have access to continuously
updated information on land cover, ownership, soils and the use of digital
orthophotography. This GIS system will be an important part of the long range watershed
management, helping predict the effects of various pollution issues and possible solutions
using water quality monitoring software developed by NRCS.
Another example of the program's interdisciplinary approach is a contract with Kansas
State University personnel to conduct a nonpoint source computer modeling program which is
designed to facilitate ecosystem-based planning efforts in a watershed setting where the
effects of land use practices on water quality are important concerns.
The Cheney Watershed Program utilizes innovative non-regulatory action to accomplish
its goals and objectives. For example, treatment technologies such as the Conservation
Reserve Program (CRP) filter strip corridors along stream banks. This project encourages
CRP contract holders to leave a 200 ft. grass filter strip along blue line streams, as
designated by the USGS, when their CRP contracts expire and they decide to convert the
grass to cropland. The program will offer a one-time incentive payment with the option of
haying the filter strip, rather than using the strip for grazing.
Another innovative treatment technology is household and animal waste systems projects
that are financed in large part by the funding made available by the Reno County
Conservation District. Technical assistance to process nutrient management, conservation
tillage, and crop rotation applications is also provided by the Committee to
landowners/operators.
Demonstration projects are another way that the Committee continues to be innovative. A
grazing demonstration project built four grazing cages in native pasture to help show that
proper stocking rates can be a win/win for profitability and water quality. Another
demonstration project involves nutrient application and pesticide use. This MAX project
(Farming For Maximum Efficiency) is a partnership between the Committee and the
Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) to provide data on crop production and
harvest information to increase a farmer's profitability while improving water quality.
Progress toward the watershed program's goals is constantly measured by the Committee
and reported in its quarterly report. The Committee measures project management,
one-on-one contacts, technical assistance, and financial assistance to ensure the
watershed program is on track with its program delivery strategy. Funding for the
watershed program comes from federal, state, and local governments, as well as, private
sources. The watershed program is provided at little or no cost to landowners/operators.
The Cheney Watershed Program is a unique partnership between numerous stakeholders.
Progress is occurring through community outreach, innovative non-regulatory action, and an
interdisciplinary approach toward the ultimate measurable goal of clean water.
CONTACTS
Jerry Blain, Superintendent, Wichita Water & Sewer
Cheney Watershed Citizens Management Committee
314 N. Poplar, South Hutchinson, KS 67505
ph: 316-268-4963, fx: 316-268-4950
Lyle Frees, Project Coordinator, Cheney Watershed Citizens Management
Committee
314 N. Poplar, South Hutchinson, KS 67505
ph: 316-665-0231, fx: 316-669-5496
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