DWR Currents

July 6, 2010


New Permits Issued for Hutchinson’s Water Reclamation Project
As part of a state-approved remediation project, the City of Hutchinson pumps and treats groundwater contaminated with industrial chemicals including carbon tetrachloride, a grain fumigant, Racks of reverse osmosis membrane tubes inside the City of Hutchinson’s reverse osmosis plant (photo courtesy of City of Hutchinson).to prevent the contamination from spreading.  Since completing its reverse osmosis treatment plant in 2009, the city has used purified water from the remediation project to supplement its other sources for public water supplies.

Right: Racks of reverse osmosis membrane tubes inside the City of Hutchinson’s reverse osmosis plant (photo courtesy of City of Hutchinson).

Last week, Chief Engineer David Barfield issued four water appropriation permits authorizing groundwater withdrawals from the remediation wells for municipal use.  The new permits replace term permits that previously authorized these diversions for contamination remediation.

“These new permits are better for the city because they provide the opportunity to develop a permanent water right instead of having term permits that expire after 10 years,” Barfield explained.

The permits also recognize that the reclaimed water serves the city’s public water supply needs, so the project does more than just clean the groundwater.  In this context, the remediation doubles as water treatment, which all public water supply systems have to do, some more than others depending on the quality of the source.

The new permits are limited, in combination with the city’s other water rights, to a total authorized quantity considered adequate to serve the city and immediate vicinity for the next 20 years.  DWR worked closely with the city and Equus Beds Groundwater Management District No. 2 to find a solution that made the best, most efficient use of the water and ultimately reduced withdrawals from groundwater in this area.  With the treated remediation water, the city is able to reduce pumping from their other wells while still meeting the water supply needs of the community.

DWR’s water law basics website provides more information about water appropriation permits and beneficial uses of water.


Domestic Impairment Complaint Promptly Investigated
A recent incident provides a good example of one of the services provided by the Division of Water Resources — impairment investigations.  It also illustrates that when it comes to wells, things are not always what they seem.

“Impairment” is a term meaning a newer (junior) water right is preventing water from moving to an older (senior) water right so that the senior water right cannot be satisfied.  One of DWR’s responsibilities under the Kansas Water Appropriation Act is to investigate and resolve impairment claims.

Recently, an individual contacted DWR with an urgent problem.  His domestic well stopped working, and he thought it was due to drawdown from other nearby wells.  This individual may have been predisposed to think that because of a separate ongoing impairment investigation at his irrigation well.

The call came in to DWR late in the day, and first thing next morning a DWR environmental scientist was on-site to investigate.  By taking measurements, the investigator found that the domestic well partially penetrates an upper zone of the aquifer that has little connection with the lower zone used by irrigation wells in the area.  A nearby well screened in the upper zone and outfitted with a pressure transducer to monitor water level changes was not affected by irrigation pumping.  The DWR investigator also observed that the domestic pumping equipment was very old and appeared to be malfunctioning.

After being informed of these findings, the domestic well owner decided to upgrade his domestic well.

More information about this topic is available on DWR’s impairment complaints website.


Mission Lake Dredging Project Nearing Completion
The Division of Water Resources regulates the use of water for hydraulic dredging as well as a dam constructed to store sediment as part of the Mission Lake dredging project.  Recently, DWR staff visited the operation to observe the progress and check compliance.  This article provides an overview of the project.

Mission Lake was constructed in 1924 to provide a source of water supply for the City of Horton, which is authorized under Vested Water Right, File No. BR-004.  The reservoir is located on Mission Creek, a tributary to the Delaware River.  The lake ceased to be used as a primary water supply in 1999 due to water quantity and water quality issues, although it still serves as a backup water supply for the city.  A large volume of sediment has accumulated within the lake, especially in the upper portion (north end), which has significantly reduced the reservoir’s water storage capacity.  The original surface area of the lake was 169 acres, and the original capacity was 1,866 acre-feet.  In 2007, the surface area was estimated to be 124 acres, and the storage capacity was 1,036 acre-feet.

The City of Horton, with help from the State Conservation Commission, is currently restoring the northern portion of the reservoir using a floating dredge operated by Dredge America, Inc.  The The floating dredge on Mission Lake hydraulic dredging is authorized under Division of Water Resources, Term Permit, File No. 20099029.    

Right: The floating dredge on Mission Lake (all photos by Katie Tietsort, DWR).  Click any photo to enlarge.

The dredge cutter head was specially designed and shipped from Amsterdam, Holland, and is approximately five feet in diameter.

The cutter head can effectively remove about four and a half feet of material each pass.

The dredging process generally includes the following activities:

  1. The dredge is tethered on a cable secured to the banks.  The cutter head, shown at right, is positioned to move in an arc across the bottom of the lake.  If the sediment is greater than four and a half feet deep, multiple passes are made until the dredge cutter head hits the base of the lake.

    The cutter head is positioned to move in an arc across the bottom of the lake.
    The material is moved via a pipe through the dredge into a flexible line that runs through the lake and continues north of the lake approximately one mile, where the confined disposal facility (CDF) is located.
    All of the activity on the dredge is monitored from the command center.
    On the other end of the dredge, the spud system anchors and then hydraulically pushes the dredge forward for the next pass.
    The confined disposal facility was constructed as part of the dredging project in order to dispose of the significant volume of sediment.
    A flocculation agent is sprayed into the lake to further encourage sediment to settle before water flows out the drop inlet and moves through a natural stream back to Mission Lake.
    2.  
  2. The material is moved via a pipe through the dredge into a flexible line that runs through the lake and continues north of the lake approximately one mile, where the confined disposal facility (CDF) is located.
    3.  
  3. The dredge removes the sediment from the bottom of the lake and then pumps a sediment and water mixture (30 percent solids) at rates up to 10,000 gallons per minute uphill to the CDF.
    4.  
  4. All of the activity on the dredge is monitored from the command center.  Digital displays indicate location and depth of the cutter head, pressures of all lines, and equipment and engine data.  The captain monitors all activity from this location. This picture shows the data displays on the dredge “Spirit,” which is the Mission Lake dredge.
    5.  
  5. On the other end of the dredge, the spud system anchors and then hydraulically pushes the dredge forward for the next pass.
    6.  
  6. The confined disposal facility was constructed as part of the dredging project in order to dispose of the significant volume of sediment.  It is located approximately one mile upgradient of the lake.  The sediment settles out of the mixture pumped into the disposal facility, and the clearer (filtered) water gravity flows back into Mission Lake.  The projected completion date for removing the 1 million cubic yards of sediment is the end of August 2010.  The CDF has a dam height of 52 feet and a length of 4,055 feet and was approved for construction under Division of Water Resources Structures Program Permit No. DBR-0338.
    7.  
  7. Finally, a flocculation agent is sprayed into the lake to further encourage sediment to settle before water flows out the drop inlet and moves through a natural stream back to Mission Lake.
    8.  

This is not the first dredging project in Kansas, but it is viewed as a model for the future.  More large-scale dredging projects of this nature are likely in the coming years to restore reservoir capacities lost to decades of sediment accumulation.


Upcoming Events

  • July 8: GMD 5 Budget Hearing and Board Meeting (Stafford)
  • July 13: GMD 2 Board Meeting (Halstead)
  • July 14: Basics of National Flood Insurance Program (Arkansas City)
  • July 14: GMD 3 Board Meeting (Garden City)
  • July 20: GMD 1 Board Meeting (Scott City)
  • July 21: Small Dam Owners Seminar (Olathe)
  • July 27-28: National Watershed Coalition Operations & Maintenance Workshop (Mayetta)
  • July 28: Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Annual Meeting (Arkansas City)

For more information about these and other upcoming events, please check our online events listings.

Kansas Department of Agriculture