The Smoky Hill River is an integral part of the City of Salina's history. From power and navigation to local commerce, recreation, and travel, the river has had a major impact on the city. However, due to a growing population and increased infrastructure development, the river has been impacted.

In 1951, the City of Salina experienced a 500-year flood event. Following the establishment of the Federal Levee System, 6.8 miles of perennial river channel flowing through downtown was cutoff. The original Flood Risk Management plans included provisions to maintain nominal flow in the Old Channel for potable water and flood attenuation through the intake structure.

In 2010, the City of Salina approved the Smoky Hill River Master Plan after soliciting extensive public input. The ecosystem restoration project was officially converted from a CAP Section 1135 to a General Investigations Study in July 2024.

Diversion of the Smoky Hill River into the 1.1-mile cut-off channel resulted in loss of a natural flow regime and sediment transport function in the Old Channel. Before the cut-off channel, the Old Channel would have received runoff from 8,341 square miles of drainage, contributing 80,000 acre-feet of water annually. Currently, the Old Channel receives run-off from a 4.6 square mile urban drainage that contributes 6,300 acre-feet of runoff. Current flow is insufficient for maintaining quality aquatic and riparian habitat.

The upstream culvert is filled entirely with sediment and inhibits free discharge of flows (only 1-2 cfs of water seeps through.) Reduced flow has caused sedimentation, which further reduces channel capacity and flow rates. It's easy for sediment to deposit because reduced flows can't remobilize sediment and the channel has a very mild slope. Sedimentation has degraded stream habitat function and features, including loss of stream flow areas, loss of stream depth and loss of riffle/pool sequences. Sediment deposition upstream of the weir is about seven feet deep.

Aquatic, wetland and riparian habitat features have been degraded or eliminated by loss of flow and sedimentation. Floodplain encroachment and development has had an adverse impact on habitat and connectivity, resulting in loss of riparian forest and off-channel emergent wetland habitats. There is currently limited connectivity between the wetlands and Lakewood Lake and the Old Channel, which has resulted in loss of aquatic passage.