Recent rainfall helps Kansas River rise following drought

Matthew Self
·2 min read

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Recent rainfall is having a positive impact on the Kansas River this week as authorities monitor increases in the water level.

Kansas endured a round of severe weather on Saturday, April 27 that caused damage in many areas including downed trees and knocked over semi-trucks. It also brought large amount of much-needed water to the state’s reservoirs and rivers.

KSNT 27 News spoke with Brian Twombly, a hydrologic engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), about the recent uptick in water levels. He said “systems are operating as designed” with the current water levels sitting in the expected range for this time of year.

This is a positive change for the river as late last year it was being impacted by a drought. Reservoirs the USACE manages in northeast Kansas, such as Perry Lake and Tuttle Creek, both measured below their normal water elevation in November 2023.

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A spokeswoman with the City of Topeka said staff with the city’s Water Treatment Plant noticed a recent increase in the water level on the Kansas River following last weekend’s storms. On April 25, the river measured at 3.8 feet in depth. During the storms, it reached a depth of 8 feet and has since fallen to 5.3 feet as of April 30.

Even with recent rainfall, some of the state’s reservoirs are still low. The USACE monitors 14 reservoirs on the Kansas and Marias Des Cygnes Rivers. Of these, only five are above normal.

Twombly told 27 News while “everything is working as designed and no concerns at all in the river,” there is still a need for water. With more rainfall in the forecast, it is likely additional increases in the river level and reservoirs is on the way.

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