The Grouse-Silver Creek Watershed (GSW) is located in southeastern Kansas within Cowley, Butler and Elk counties. The headwaters of Grouse Creek originate in Butler County and travel southwest approximately 60 miles and drains 249,750 acres including numerous tributaries before emptying into the Arkansas River southeast of Arkansas City. Grouse Creek is considered a watershed in need of protection due to its pristine characteristics. Since 1982, Grouse Creek has been listed in the Nationwide Rivers Inventory (nri) compiled by the National Park Service based on the unique scenic, recreational, geological and fish and wildlife attributes. The nri is a source of information for statewide river assessments and federal agencies involved with stream related projects. Grouse Creek was designated by the former Kansas Fish and Game Commission as a “highest valued fishery resource.” In Kansas it is listed as “exceptional state water” and “special aquatic life use water” in the Kansas surface water quality standards. It has also been regarded by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the Kansas Biological Survey as an eco-regional reference stream.
With state regulations making it harder to construct watershed dams the Grouse-Silver Creek Watershed District #92 (GSW) changed their focus from flood control to quality control. This shift led to participation in the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) which is a planning and management framework that engages stakeholders within a particular watershed in a process to identify watershed restoration and protection needs, establish management goals for the watershed community, create a cost effective action plan to achieve goals and implement the action plan. A completed WRAPS plan will include a description of the surface water and groundwater quality of the watershed, water quality goals and the restoration and protection actions needed to achieve the water quality goals.
As we move along through the WRAPS process there are now opportunities for landowners to complete conservation practices that improve water quality in the watershed. Funding for conservation demonstration projects is now being considered. As the WRAPS plan is completed and the cost-share program is further developed, more opportunities will become available to producers and landowners. For more information contact the district office.
Grouse - Silver Creek Watershed Cost-Share:
All programs of the Cowley County Conservation District are available without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age or handicap.
Cowley County Conservation District
