Wildhorse
Riverworks

Wildhorse Riverworks, Inc. (WRI) personnel surveyed, designed, and provided construction oversight for stabilization of 68,423 feet of eroding streambanks along the Big Blue River in Marshall County, Kansas. The projects were initiated and sponsored by the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA), Department of Conservation (DOC), and private landowners. The site pictured is one of 37 projects which collectively span over 12.9 miles of the river and established over 103 acres of riparian habitat.  The projects purpose is to reduce the high streambank erosion rates, loss of valuable farmland, and achieve a reduction in sediment volumes entering Tuttle Creek Reservoir.

The first project was installed in 2004 and projects are still ongoing.  WRI conducted topographic surveys and provided designs and construction oversight on all sites. Based on information from the detailed surveys and geomorphic assessment, WRI recommended installing combinations of Longitudinal Peaked Stone Toe Protection (LPSTP) and bendway weirs on the various sites in order to reduce streambank erosion. Bendway weirs reduce streambank erosion by re-directing flows away from the bank and thereby reducing water velocities and shear stress in the near bank region. WRI also used bendway weirs because of their ability to effectively reduce the stream’s width / depth ratio and move the thalweg (deepest part of channel) from the near bank region. Bendway weirs work with the stream’s natural tendencies to move the stream toward a more naturally stable condition.

Re-graded streambank slopes were seeded with a native grass mixture and mulched. The sloped banks were also planted with a mixture of native tree and shrub species. The project goals were reducing streambank erosion, while improving stream function and value by enhancing both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. A 66 ft. wide riparian buffer is established along each site.