9 Feb 2026

Borrowing lessons from Mother Nature, outlet channel gets first major repair in over 70 years

If your roof had a leak, most homeowners would be quick to repair it. But if there was an underlying issue with the roof itself, most people would probably agree it would be wise to address the larger issue instead of continuing to make short-term fixes. Only making small repairs would likely add up to a significant cost over time without fixing the root problem. This is the analogy Ben Johnson, hydraulic engineer and technical lead with the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, used to describe the outlet channel repair project at Kanopolis Lake. During both regular water releases and flood events, water from Kanopolis Lake is released through the outlet channel where it flows downstream into the Smoky Hill River. However, due to the geology of the area and the force of the released water, erosion has occurred in the outlet channel since the Great Flood of 1951.

17 Dec 2025

Kanopolis Lake: Go for the water, stay for the land

This is a story about a lake. But before you read any further, you should know this won’t be a story about water. Sure, I could tell you Kanopolis Lake has a normal pool surface of 3,460 acres and has prevented an estimated $100 million in flood damages since its construction. I could also tell you nearly 400,000 people visit the lake annually, many of whom fish, swim, boat and partake in other water-based recreation. But if I only told you about the water, you’d be missing out on what makes Kanopolis Lake truly special: the land. Stick your finger in the center of a map of the U.S. and chances are you will come within a few centimeters, or map miles, of Kanopolis Lake. Located in central Kansas, it’s about as close to the middle of the lower 48 states as you can get. Despite its location in the center of the country, Kanopolis Lake feels quite remote.