29 Aug 2025

UPDATED: Kanopolis Lake to begin lake drawdown on Sept. 2

UPDATE: Due to recent rain in the Smoky Hill River basin, Kanopolis Lake outlet discharges into the Smoky Hill River have increased to approximately 1000 cubic feet per second to reach targeted lake drawdown elevation of 1,461 MSL by Oct. 1. This amount and schedule continue to be subject to change based upon local weather conditions. The Kansas City District has notified and coordinated releases with downstream stakeholders affected by this increase. The Kanopolis Lake Project will begin a lake drawdown beginning Sept. 2, 2025, and ending by Sept. 30, 2025* to support ongoing construction at the dam’s outlet works. Outlet discharges into the Smoky Hill River are not expected to exceed 500 cubic feet per second at the lake’s current inflow and elevation. The target lake elevation for this drawdown is 1m461 feet MSL. The lake will remain at this elevation until outlet construction is complete in spring 2026.

15 Dec 2022

Kanopolis Lake drawdown will begin end of December

A 3-foot drawdown of reservoir levels at Kanopolis Lake, near Kanopolis, Kansas, will begin starting the week of Dec. 19, 2022, as conditions allow, in preparation for the Kanopolis Riprap Overlay Project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is doing this project to provide placement of necessary riprap that will protect the dam from wind and wave erosion. To safely and accurately complete the required riprap placements, the pool elevation will be drawn down 3 feet through outflows less than 500 cubic feet per second to achieve a target pool elevation of 1,460.0 feet.

9 Sep 2020

Early drawdown scheduled at Smithville Lake

SMITHVILLE, Mo. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Smithville Lake announce a two-foot drawdown starting early November in order to safely conduct maintenance repairs on the stilling basin.