Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

News

Public Meeting #2 for Kansas Pawnee Watershed Project

Meeting Scheduled on Monday, May 15, 2023
Publish Date
Watershed dam from Kansas Pawnee Subwatershed No. 5

The public will be able to review the exhibits that describe the project’s purpose and need, improvement alternatives, preferred alternative, schedule, and other information.  

SALINA, KANSAS, April 25, 2023‒Pawnee Watershed Joint Watershed District (JWD) No. 81, along with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is holding a second public meeting for the Pawnee Watershed Project.  The meeting will be Monday, May 15, 2023, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Pawnee JWD No. 81 Office, located at 20476 SE Highway 283, Jetmore, Kansas.  A formal presentation will be given at 5:15 PM.

During the meeting, the public will be able to review the exhibits that describe the project’s purpose and need, improvement alternatives, preferred alternative, schedule, and other information.  Representatives from JWD, USDA NRCS, and the consultant team will be present to listen to comments and answer questions.  Anyone with an interest in the project is encouraged to attend the meeting.  To learn more, the public may also visit the project information page at www.PawneeWatershed.com.  

Background

The Pawnee Watershed Project involves completing an USDA NRCS Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment (Plan/EA) for Subwatershed No. 5, which is located in portions of Finney, Hodgeman, Lane, and Ness Counties. 

Map of Pawnee Subwatershed No. 5 and Dam Site Locations

JWD has a general plan for installing flood control measures with local and State funding sources.  Using Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL-566) funding, JWD wants to develop an authorized plan for the subwatershed to complete the remaining designated structures (such as earthen dams ranging from 30 to 38 feet high that would create lakes between 13 and 40 acres under normal conditions).  PL-566 authorizes USDA NRCS to help the JWD plan and implement watershed projects that solve natural and human resource problems in watersheds up to 250,000 acres (less than 400 square miles) in size1

There are three identified sites in Subwatershed No. 5 that were evaluated.  The Plan/EA will describe existing conditions; develop alternatives; evaluate economic, social, and environmental impacts; and recommend a preferred alternative.  The Plan/EA will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

JWD, USDA NRCS, and the consultant team will blend site analyses with community feedback to develop the Plan/EA for the project.  They began by holding a public meeting during the Fall of 2021.  Then, they combined community feedback with existing conditions analyses to develop a Purpose and Need Statement for the project.  Next, they referenced the Purpose and Need to evaluate and recommend a preferred alternative.  The alternatives and preferred alternative will be available for public comment and consideration during the public meeting on Monday, May 15, 2023.  The preferred alternative will be described in the draft Plan/EA, which will be made available to the public for comment in 2023.  

1 “PL-566 (Watershed)”. US Department of Agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/watershed-and-flood-prev…

For More Information

Visit www.PawneeWatershed.com and follow the project on social media with the #PawneeWatershed hashtag.  For additional information about the rationale for the project, contact Randy Still, Manager of Pawnee Watershed Joint District No. 81, at pwdmanager@unitedwireless.com or 620-357-6420.  To learn more about the watershed planning process and its details, contact Don Baker, Ad Astra Project Manager, at dbaker@wrs-rc.com or 913-302-1030.  For information about watershed planning funding, contact Larry Schieferecke, State Conservation Engineer, USDA NRCS, Salina, Kansas, at larry.schieferecke@usda.gov or 785-823-4534.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is engaged in a whole-of-government effort to combat the climate crisis and conserve and protect our nation’s lands, biodiversity, and natural resources including our soil, air, and water.  Through conservation practices and Partnerships, USDA aims to enhance economic growth and create new streams of income for farmers, ranchers, producers, and private foresters.  Successfully meeting these challenges will require USDA and our agencies to pursue a coordinated approach alongside USDA stakeholders, including State, local and Tribal governments. 

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways.  In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure, and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America.  To learn more, visit www.usda.gov

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

###