The Upper Wakarusa 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 Upper Wakarusa River.
Upper Wakarusa River Watershed
work details

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Upper Wakarusa River Watershed
About
Watershed Impairments we are currently addressing:
- Bacteria
- Nutrients
- Sedimentation
Watershed Coordinator: Rebecca Steadman (913) 204-0165
Stakeholder Leadership Team
Agriculture – Richard Runnebaum and Keith Badger, Chair
Habitat Management – Brad Rueschhoff
Public Water Supplies – Jay Lovett/Renee Whaley
Local Government – Mallory Meek
Community Infrastructure – Courtney Moyer
Conservation/Watershed District- Wayne Lukert
Recreational Resources – Justin Hamilton/Scott Purdon
Special Water Condition – Judy Boltman, Vice-Chair
Member At Large – Gary Price
Partners*
- Douglas County Conservation District
- Osage County Conservation District
- Shawnee County Conservation District
- Kansas Water Office
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment
- Kansas Biological Survey
- Kansas Forest Service
- Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
- USDA – NRCS
- EPA
- Corps of Engineers, Clinton Lake
- USGS
*This list is ever-changing as the Upper Wakarusa WRAPS develops
Priority Areas
The Upper Wakarusa Watershed has three priority areas:
- Clinton Wildlife Area
- Riparian Areas along the Upper Wakarusa River and its tributaries
- Upland Areas

Maps
- Upper Wakarusa Priority Areas
- Upper Wakarusa Map with Upland and Riparian areas delineated
- Clinton Wildlife Area – KDWPT
Counties
- Douglas
- Osage
- Shawnee
Our Work
Best Management Practices
Riparian Areas
– Alternative Water Systems
– Cover Crops for Grazing
– Exclusion Fencing
– Feed Site Relocation
– Small-scale Streambank Stabilization
– Vegetated Filter Strips & Buffers
Upland Areas
– Cover Crops
– No-till Conversion
– Nutrient Management
– Permanent Vegetation
– Vegetated Filter Strips & Buffers
Clinton Wildlife Area
– Cover Crops
– Nutrient Management
– Permanent Vegetation
– Small-scale Streambank Stabilization
– Vegetated Filter Strips & Buffers
Featured Projects
Runnebaum Project: Small Scale Streambank Stabilization – Cedar Tree Revetments at various stages
Get Involved
Workshops:
Public Meetings: Held quarterly. Please contact Rebecca Steadman for information.
Annual Membership Meeting: December 16, 2021
Details: Clinton Lake Museum (716 N 1190 Rd Lawrence, KS), 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Lunch is served
RSVP: Rebecca.Steadman@KAWS.org
Volunteer Opportunities: TBA
Stakeholder Leadership Team (SLT) Application: Coming soon!
Contact
Contact Rebecca (913) 204-0165

Rebecca Steadman is the coordinator for Upper Wakarusa WRAPS Stakeholder Leadership Team. Rebecca appreciates the difficult decisions Kansas farmers and ranchers make to maintain their livelihood and understands their commitment to preserving the land they operate.
Before coming to KAWS in 2019, Rebecca worked for over 30 years with USDA, primarily with the Risk Management Agency where she served as the Regional Office Director overseeing the Federal crop insurance program for the states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado. She also worked at the national level for both the Risk Management Agency and the Farm Service Agency.
Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University and is a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter. Rebecca enjoys spending her free time on the family farm in Franklin County where there never seems to be a shortage of things to do.