TOPEKA (KSNT) – Federal officials say several lakes in northeast Kansas benefitted from recent rainfall which brought water levels up last week.
The Kansas City District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is monitoring a rise in water levels at some lakes in the Sunflower State this month thanks to some recent rainfall. Many parts of northeast Kansas were drenched the week of June 2, receiving several inches of rain in some places.
The Kansas City District’s Water Management Section told 27 news on Monday, June 9 the water level at Clinton Lake rose by 2.3 feet while the water at Perry Lake went up by 0.75 feet. Both Tuttle Creek Lake and Milford Lake also received some rain but this did not amount to more than half-a-foot of water added in.
“Among Milford, Tuttle Creek, Perry, Clinton, Kanopolis and Wilson, all but Wilson Lake are above normal pool level and essentially filled to their seasonal target lake elevation in support of on-lake fisheries and wildlife,” the USACE said.
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The USACE manages nine reservoirs across Kansas along with several others in nearby states by making sure each one has a manageable amount of water. Part of this process includes allowing water to be released into nearby rivers to meet water quality and supply standards further downstream.
“Perry Lake and Clinton Lake have accumulated a small amount of flood storage in excess of their Spring Rise targets,” the USACE said. “In cooperation with the Kansas Water Office, both lakes are making modest releases of 1,500 cubic feet per second or less, over the next 7-10 days to discharge this excess water. Similarly, Tuttle Creek and Milford lakes will make somewhat smaller releases from accumulated storage in order to satisfy downstream water quality and water supply requirements.”
While some lakes did get a lot of water thanks to recent rainfall, some remain low. The USACE reports that many reservoirs in Kansas are still suffering from the after-effects of a dry winter and continue to trend below where they should be.
“Meanwhile, Kanopolis and Wilson lakes have not benefited from recent rains,” the USACE said. “Kanopolis Lake did benefit from rains prior to the recent June 2 event and at present, remains in excess of one foot above normal lake level. Wilson Lake, however, persists in drought and is nearly five feet below normal lake level.”
You can learn more about the Kansas City District’s water management by clicking here. To learn more about drought conditions in Kansas, click here.
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