Memorandum

To: Dave Corliss, Interim City Manager

From: Chris Stewart, Acting Director of Utilities

cc: Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager

Shari Stamer, Water Quality Manager

Re: Clinton Watershed Protection Meeting

Representative from the City of Lawrence (Department of Utilities and Planning Department) attended a recent meeting sponsored by the Kaw Valley Heritage Alliance/ WRAPS coordinator to discuss watershed protection for the Upper Wakarusa Watershed Basin. As you know, Shari Stamer has been involved with the WRAPS ( Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy) group in developing watershed protection strategy over the last few years.

This particular meeting was held to solicit input from various agencies and to provide an opportunity to learn about the City of Wichita partnership with watershed residents in the Cheney Lake Watershed. Provided below is information and topics of discussion during the meeting. Please let us know of any questions or concerns.

Wakarusa Lawrence Meeting notes 7/27/06

Ken Grotewiel, Assistant Director of the Kansas Water Office, facilitated the meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to have those persons involved with Clinton Lake to express concerns they might have with water quality issues. Several different entities were invited to attend the meeting. Representatives at the meeting included Corps of Engineers, City of Lawrence (Utilities and Planning), Tri-county Rural Water District, and Lawrence Douglas County Planning Commission. Others in attendance included representatives from the various state agencies involved with water planning and the Kaw Valley Heritage Alliance.

Concerns brought to the table by this group were:

Water quality monitoring; not be redundant in collection of samples from the Lake

Sedimentation

Development plans [have more green space]

Lake is an asset, time is being spent on use, not the protection; getting a late start Nutrient loading, eutrification, algae blooms

Zebra mussels

Stakeholder involvement/education

Resources to conduct monitoring/match with COE or any other agency

Development pressures – expanding recreation

Schools and Commercial impact

Lack of commitment of political entities

Run off, pesticides, urban intrusion

Financial impacts – need resources

Modeling with protection goes along with planning

Work long term – BMP’s in place

Making sure any dollars going to good use

Review of City of Wichita and Cheney Lake Watershed Protection program:

The presenters were Lisa French, Cheney Lake Watershed Coordinator, and Jerry Blain with the City of Wichita water department. A general description provided in a previous email from Kaw Valley Heritage provides a summary of the Cheney Lake Watershed program.

In the 1960's, Wichita promoted the construction of Cheney Lake for the purpose of drinking water, recreation, and flood control.  Currently, Cheney Lake supplies 60-70% of Wichita's drinking water.  In 1992, a task force was formed to investigate water quality issues after Wichita experienced taste and odor problems.  Although the problem was not considered health threatening, the Water Department was facing considerable expense if further water treatment was to be used to address the problem.

The task force, which was chaired by a farmer, included other farmers, a Wichita Water Department employee, and representatives from numerous state and federal agencies. Over the course of a year and a half, this group held community listening sessions in the watershed, identified potential sources of pollution, developed a plan of action and began to seek funds that could launch a major effort to protect water quality.

A 7-member Citizen's Management Committee was ultimately formed as a subcommittee of the Reno County Conservation District who applied for grant funds through EPA's 319 non-point source pollution funds.  The City of Wichita pledged $200,000 annually for the next six years to support the project as well. 

Next Meeting

Next meeting is Thursday, September 14th at 9:00 am at the Clinton Lake Visitor's Center.