The Toronto Reservoir / Fall River Watershed WRAPS (Watershed Restoration & Protection Strategy) program provides cost share assistance to producers for establishing best management practices (BMPs) to improve water quality in designated priority areas of the Toronto Reservoir / Fall River watershed.
Toronto / Fall River Watershed
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Toronto / Fall River Watershed
About
Priority Areas
Our Work
Get Involved
Contact
About
The Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) offers planning and financial assistance to address water quality and soil erosion concerns on farms and ranches. Both Fall River and Toronto WRAPS have similar goals-reduce sedimentation and the nutrient load in streams and the two federal reservoirs.
Watershed Impairments we are currently addressing:
- Fall River: Nutrients and Sediment
- Homer Creek: Nutrients and Sediment
- Verdigris River: Nutrients and Sediment
Watershed Coordinator: Bob Culbertson
Stakeholder Leadership Team
- Preston Beeman, Greenwood County Producer
- Andrew Davis, Greenwood County Producer
- Glen Collinge, Greenwood County Producer
- Brance Boone, Greenwood County Producer
- Bob Brink, Greenwood County Producer
- Matthew Marshall, Greenwood County Producer
- Dale Kirkham, Greenwood County Producer
- Paul Dehn, Greenwood County Attorney, Mayor of Madison
- Luke Westerman, Supervisory District Conservationist, NRCS
- Keila Sherman, Greenwood County Conservation District Manager
- Jeff Davidson, Kansas State University Water Quality and Livestock Specialist
- Vickie Cikanek, Wildlife Biologist, KDWPT
Partners*
- Greenwood County Conservation District
- Kansas Department of Health & Environment
- Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS)
- Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism
- Lyon County Conservation District
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Greenwood County Extension Service
- Kansas State Forest Service
- Tallgrass Legacy Alliance (TLA)
- Kansas Water Office
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Sowder Seed/Ranchland Feed, Greg Davis
*This list is ever-changing as the Toronto / Fall River WRAPS develops
Priority Areas
The Toronto / Fall River Watershed has three priority areas:
- Fall River
- Homer Creek
- Verdigris River
Maps
Counties
- Butler
- Chase
- Greenwood
- Lyon
- Woodson
Our Work
Best Management Practices
Fall River Priority Area
– Alternative Water Systems
– Cover Crops
– Exclusion Fencing
– Feed Site Relocation
– Permanent Vegetation
– Repairing Brine Scars
– Vegetated Filter Strips & Buffers
Homer Creek Priority Area
– Alternative Water Systems
– Cover Crops
– Exclusion Fencing
– Feed Site Relocation
– Permanent Vegetation
– Repairing Brine Scars
– Vegetated Filter Strips & Buffers
Verdigris River Priority Area
– Alternative Water Systems
– Cover Crops
– Exclusion Fencing
– Feed Site Relocation
– Permanent Vegetation
– Repairing Brine Scars
– Vegetated Filter Strips & Buffers
Zuni Bowl in the Toronto / Fall River Watershed: Letting Water Do the Work: An innovative project was completed by in about 4 hours by volunteers who re-shaped a forming headcut and laid rock by hand. Zuni bowls are a way to stabilize a small, forming headcut to keep it from moving upstream, and can help with soil moisture retention and the establishment of vegetation for even more soil stabilization.
This technique was designed by Bill Zeedyk and the Zuni Pueblo people. Want to see a Zuni Bowl project in action? Check out this video!
Featured Projects
Get Involved
Workshops: Please RSVP for the June 16, 2022 Wetland Field Day to be held at the Marais Des Cygnes Wildlife Area (1632 Vail Road, Pleasanton, KS). Limited to 50 attendees. Call 913-795-2940 Ext 3 to register. https://www.facebook.com/events/805225430452469
Public Meetings: Held quarterly. The next Stakeholder Leadership Team (SLT) Meeting for the Toronto/Fall River WRAPS is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12th, starting at 6:30 pm at the Hamilton Community Center. Pizza will be available, so please RSVP to Bob to ensure there is enough food. Please contact Bob Culbertson for information.
Volunteer Opportunities: TBA
Contact
Bob Culbertson is the coordinator for Toronto and Fall River WRAPS Stakeholder Leadership Team. He also serves as the Eastern Kansas Wetland Coordinator. Bob holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from Kansas State University.
Before coming to KAWS in 2015, he worked for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism as a Private Land Wildlife Biologist. He served as the Area Biologist in partnership with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in Emporia working with District Conservationists and landowners in southeast Kansas. His primary focus was implementing Farm Bill Programs emphasizing wetland, grassland and wildlife conservation.
Bob and his wife, Carol, live in New Strawn, KS. They have two grown children and one granddaughter.
FAQ
- How much of the project will WRAPS pay? Typically it is 70% on most projects based on the average cost of each practice in the county. WRAPS does not pay on the portion that is above the average cost.
- How long do I have to complete the project? The contract between the landowner and KAWS is in effect for one year from the day of signature. However, contracts can be extended due to weather extremes that prevent work being completed or other extenuating circumstances.