Rattlesnake Creek Subbasin
Issues:
- Groundwater depletion due to pumping in the Great Bend Prairie - High Plains and alluvial aquifer.
- Streamflow depletion.
Goals:
- Stabilize groundwater levels over the long-term in an effort to improve streamflow for the future in Rattlesnake Creek Subbasin.
Current Activities:
- Increase interest in the Water Transition Assistance Program to retire water rights.
- Review of the Rattlesnake Creek Partnership -- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5, Water Protection Association of Central Kansas and Kansas Department of Agriculture-Division of Water Resources -- management plan for the second 4-year review in August of 2008.
- Monitoring streamflow and groundwater throughout the subbasin.
Groundwater Flow Model:
- A model was completed for the subbasin in 1996 and was never further utilized. The Partnership began discussions to update the model and run management scenarios in February 2008. Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5 has taken the lead to develop a model for their entire district that will include most of Rattlesnake Creek.
The Rattlesnake Creek subbasin is located within the Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5, with the exception of Ford County, which is located within Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 3. The subbasin encompasses portions of the following counties: Stafford, Edwards, Kiowa, Rice, Reno, Barton, Pawnee, Pratt, Ford and Clark covering approximately 1,303 sq. miles.
The Rattlesnake Creek Subbasin lies within the Great Bend Prairie physiographic region with gently sloping hills. South central Kansas has relatively less relief than north central Kansas. The subbasin has two aquifer systems including High Plains-Great Bend Prairie and alluvial aquifers.
The Great Bend Prairie aquifer is the most extensive in the subbasin. Both the Great Bend Prairie and alluvial aquifer are similar in their deposits and makeup. The alluvium along the Rattlesnake Creek valley is relatively thin, probably less than 20 feet thick everywhere.
The Rattlesnake Creek Subbasin is also home to the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is managed by the Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Quivira's area includes 22,135 acres in Stafford, Rice and Reno counties. It is located near the confluence of Rattlesnake Creek and the Arkansas River. The Refuge is dependent on surface water from Rattlesnake Creek.
In 1993, residents of the Rattlesnake Creek Subbasin and government agencies formed the Rattlesnake Creek/Quivira Partnership to cooperatively develop and implement solutions to water resource concerns within the subbasin. The partners -- U.S. Fish and Wildlife, GMD No. 5, Water Protection Association of Central Kansas and Kansas Department of Agriculture-Division of Water Resources, signed a cooperative agreement to accomplish water use reduction goals. The Rattlesnake-Quivira Partnership submitted the Rattlesnake Recommended Management Strategies to the chief engineer and was approved June 2000.
