Waterways in Western Kansas

by Susan J. Francis, Civil Engineering Technician
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Garden City, Kansas

Many producers think that grassed waterways should be used only in eastern Kansas conservation systems. They think that due to the limited amount of rainfall received in far western Kansas counties, a grassed waterway will not benefit them. Some producers believe that waterways will actually increase an erosion problem. These myths are not correct.

In western Kansas there are many long, narrow areas that drain many acres. The slopes in a drainage area can vary from virtually level to a significant slope and then back to fairly flat ground. It may never have a defined bed and bank. If a field happens to lie in the lower portions of this drainage area, there can be a huge amount of water entering and leaving the property. While storing water is important to dryland farming, in some cases it is just not economical to build diversions and terraces to deal with the large amounts of water. A thunderstorm that covers all of the drainage area provides a lot of runoff by the time it gets to the end of the area.

In the western tier of counties there are drainage areas that can be several miles long. The water at the top of that area may not reach the bottom of the run for more than a day. As the water nears the end of the drainage area, it is probably being concentrated into a smaller surface area, and this is when erosion occurs. If that area can be stabilized and has a permanent vegetative cover established, the velocity of the water can be slowed down. This can prevent erosion of topsoil and the formation of gullies.

A permanent cover of grass will serve two purposes. First, mid-height, stiff-stemmed grasses will slow the velocity of the water down. This will prevent the formation of gullies. Second, a good stand of grass will also catch any sediment that the water may be carrying and any nutrients attached to those sediment particles. These excess nutrients would then be prevented from entering any body of water. A bonus is that the grassed waterway provides excellent wildlife habitat.

For more information and help with planning your new grassed waterway, please contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office or conservation district office located at your local county USDA Service Center.

For more information about NRCS programs, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.

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Waterways in Western Kansas (48 KB)

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Last Modified: 12/21/2007