Cheney Reservoir is located on the North Fork Ninnescah River in south-central Kansas, 20 miles west of Wichita. Cheney Reservoir is the primary drinking water supply for the city and a popular recreational resource for the region. After cyanobacterial blooms in 1990 and 1991, which caused servere taste-and-odor events, the USGS Kansas Water Science Center partnered with the City of Wichita and began studies to better understand and improve the water-quality of Cheney Reservoir because of the potential economic and public health concerns for drinking water and recreational activities. “Knowledge gained from USGS studies in the Cheney Reservoir Watershed has assisted in the development, implementation, maintenance, and assessment of watershed-management goals and plans. This data has allowed us to ensure a safe and reliable water supply and put us ahead of the curve in terms of sediment management.” – Don Henry, Assistant Director of the City of Wichita’s Public Works and Utilities, 2017.
Early Studies
During 1996 to 2001 efforts were made to study the loading of contaminants, nutrients, and sediment to Cheney Reservoir from the watershed. A network of study sites, along with two continuous water-quality monitoring sites and collection of sediment cores, were used to analyze subwatershed sources of nutrient and sediment loading from the watershed into Cheney Reservoir.
Continuing Reservoir Studies
Starting in 2001, the focus of the studies shifted focus to analyzing suspended sediment and nutrient concentrations; presence of cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins and taste-and-odor compounds; and enviromental variables (specific condunctance, pH, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll). The data is collected through the use of continuous water-quality monitoring and discrete sampling.
Cheney Reservoir is located on the North Fork Ninnescah River in south-central Kansas, 20 miles west of Wichita. Cheney Reservoir is the primary drinking water supply for the city and a popular recreational resource for the region. After cyanobacterial blooms in 1990 and 1991, which caused servere taste-and-odor events, the USGS Kansas Water Science Center partnered with the City of Wichita and began studies to better understand and improve the water-quality of Cheney Reservoir because of the potential economic and public health concerns for drinking water and recreational activities. “Knowledge gained from USGS studies in the Cheney Reservoir Watershed has assisted in the development, implementation, maintenance, and assessment of watershed-management goals and plans. This data has allowed us to ensure a safe and reliable water supply and put us ahead of the curve in terms of sediment management.” – Don Henry, Assistant Director of the City of Wichita’s Public Works and Utilities, 2017.
Early Studies
During 1996 to 2001 efforts were made to study the loading of contaminants, nutrients, and sediment to Cheney Reservoir from the watershed. A network of study sites, along with two continuous water-quality monitoring sites and collection of sediment cores, were used to analyze subwatershed sources of nutrient and sediment loading from the watershed into Cheney Reservoir.
Continuing Reservoir Studies
Starting in 2001, the focus of the studies shifted focus to analyzing suspended sediment and nutrient concentrations; presence of cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins and taste-and-odor compounds; and enviromental variables (specific condunctance, pH, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll). The data is collected through the use of continuous water-quality monitoring and discrete sampling.