ABOUT THE RESERVIOR
Tuttle Creek Lake is the largest reservoir in the Kansas River Basin. Over 40% of the population of Kansas, including the urban areas of Topeka, Kansas City, Manhattan and Lawrence depend on the flood control and water supply benefits of Tuttle Creek Lake and many more utilize the recreational and environmental benefits. Tuttle Creek Lake has prevented over $12.4 billion in damages over the life of the reservoir.
The Tuttle Creek Lake project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938 for the purposes of flood control, low flow augmentation for the Big Blue and Kansas Rivers, navigation supplementation for the Missouri River, water quality, recreation and fish and wildlife. The Flood Control Act of 1938 also authorized studies for the purpose of maintaining these authorized purposes.
SEDIMENTATION PROBLEM
Sedimentation in reservoirs is a natural and expected process. Since dam closure in 1962, 438 million cubic yards of sediment have accumulated. Sediment deposition has shrunk the surface area of the reservoir, which has buried boat ramps, cut off habitat in coves, led to the abandonment of water intakes and caused numerous other harmful effects.
Without intentional action, the benefits of this resource will continue to diminish. Estimates indicate that by 2049, the multi-purpose pool will be 75% full of sediment, leaving only 25% of the original storage capacity and in 2074 only 7% of the original storage capacity remains.
The Tuttle Creek Reservoir Water Injection Dredging Demonstration Project is investigating whether the WID technology is a potential method for moving sediment out of the reservoir to restore storage capacity.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Water Injection Dredging demonstration is a collaborative study between USACE and the Kansas Water Office to evaluate the WID’s potential to successfully mobilize sediments in a USACE reservoir to restore storage capacity and evaluate the associated environmental effects.