Developing a Watershed Restoration

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Developing a Watershed Restoration
Protection Strategy (WRAPS) for Neosho
Headwaters / John Redmond Reservoir Watershed
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What is a watershed?
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Neosho Headwaters Watershed
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What is a WRAPS?

• 1. Bringing together people who live and work in
  a particular watershed to
• Identify local issues concerns
• ? Determine condition of natural resources
• ? Identify activities/sources impacting natural
  resources
• ? Establish long-term goals to protect and
  restore natural resources
• Identify best management practices (BMPs)
  other actions to achieve goals
• ? Develop strategy to implement BMPs other
  actions
• 2. Report that summarizes the WRAPS process,
  goals, and action plan

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Overall Goals of WRAPS
1. Take action to address issues concerns 2.
Achieve long-term goals 3. Restore health of
natural resources that are degraded 4. Protect
resources currently in good condition 5. Better
coordinate efforts and target available technical
financial assistance
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Scope of WRAPS
? Water quality ? Water supply ? Sourcewater
protection ? Recreation ? Economic
development ? Wildlife aquatic habitat ?
Other locally identified issues
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WRAPS Process
Activities / Phases 1. Development Bringing
people together to address watershed issues 2.
Assessment Learning about watershed
conditions 3. Planning Developing a strategy
to address issues/concerns improve
watershed conditions 4. Implementation
Putting the watershed plan into action
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Development Activities
Bringing people together to address watershed
issues ? Identify people who live and work in
watershed who have an interest (stake) in
addressing watershed issues ? Establish
Stakeholder Leadership Team to guide development
of WRAPS ? Provide information education to
build public awareness about watershed issues
generate local interest/participation in the
WRAPS project ? Identify issues/problems of
concern to people who live and work in
watershed ? Develop goals to restore protect
natural resources in watershed
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Assessment Activities

• Learning about watershed conditions
• ? Explore local issues concerns and identify
  questions about watershed conditions
• Compile existing information
• ? Conduct additional monitoring, studies, or
  other activities (if needed) to determine
  watershed conditions and identify
  activities/sources impacting them
• ? Utilize GIS mapping and watershed modeling to
  identify areas in watershed where BMPs will have
  greatest impact on reducing pollution

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Sediment loading in Pomona Lake Watershed
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Planning Activities

• Developing a strategy to improve watershed
  conditions
• ? Refine/update long-term watershed goals based
  on assessment activities
• ? Identify BMPs other actions to achieve goals
• Utilize watershed modeling economic analysis
  to identify most effective cost-efficient
  combination of BMPs other actions to achieve
  goals
• ? Develop action plan to implement BMPs other
  actions
• ? Identify funding technical assistance needed
  to implement action plan

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Implementation Activities

• Putting the watershed plan into action
• Obtain funding technical assistance
• ? Implement BMPs other actions identified in
  WRAPS
• ? Assess progress in achieving long-term
  watershed goals

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Why develop a WRAPS?

• Benefits
• ? Locally-driven voluntary approach
• ? Opportunity to address LOCAL issues concerns
• ? Availability of funding technical assistance
  for BMP implementation
• ? Encourage cooperation among local, state,
  federal agencies
• Achieve long-term goals
• ? Demonstrate connection between actions (BMPs)
  water quality improvement

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Role of Agencies Supporting WRAPS
K-State ? Support of local leadership team
facilitation coordination ? Information
education activities ? Watershed assessment
modeling economic analysis ? Strategy / action
plan development ? Transition into
implementation Local agencies ? Local point of
contact / coordination ? Information for
watershed modeling economic analysis ?
Technical assistance ? Demonstration projects,
information education ? Service providers
for implementation projects
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Local Involvement in WRAPS
Who has a stake in watershed issues? ? Local
landowners agricultural producers, rural
homeowners ? City residents ? Business
industry ? City councils county commissions ?
Public water suppliers (municipal rural water
districts) ? Watershed districts What can YOU do
to be a part of WRAPS? ? Serve on Local
Leadership Team to guide project ? Identify local
issues concerns ? Identify other people who
might be interested ? Ideas for information
education activities opportunities ? Help
educate others ? Provide local knowledge
information ? Identify appropriate BMPs
other actions evaluate alternative strategies
? Ideas/opportunities for demonstration
implementation projects
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Next Steps for WRAPS Project

• Information education activities
• ? Presentations at annual meetings of
  Conservation Districts
• ? Watershed tours in spring
• ? Discussions with local elected officials
  staff, public water suppliers
• Establishment of local leadership team
• ? Local issues concerns and long-term goals
• ? Timeline for developing watershed plan
• ? Questions about watershed conditions issues
• ? Local knowledge information for watershed
  modeling
• ? Areas in watershed with highest pollution
  potential
• ? Results of streambank/riparian study
• ? Alternatives to address logjam

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WRAPS Contact Information
Neosho Headwaters WRAPS Debbe
Schopper Kristi Vogts Lyon County
Conservation District Coffey County Conservation
District 620-343-2813 620-364-2182 Brian
Rees Cade Rensink Lyon County
Extension Coffey County Extension 620-341-3220
620-364-5313 Robert Wilson Bruce
Wells K-State Research Extension Flint Hills
RCD 785-532-7823 620-340-0113 Twin Lakes
WRAPS Katie Miller 620-767-5111 Eagle Creek
WRAPS Mary Lou Ponder 620-364-2182 Neosho Basin
Advisory Committee Deb Baker 785-296-0612