Wildhorse
Riverworks

Wildhorse Riverworks, Inc. (WRI) personnel surveyed, designed, and provided construction oversight for stabilization of 23,775 feet of eroding streambank along the Kansas River in Riley, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, and Jefferson Counties, Kansas. The projects were initiated and sponsored by the Kansas State Conservation Commission (SCC), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and private landowners. The site pictured is one of 13 projects which collectively span over 5 miles of the river and established over 34.5 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 the Missouri River.

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The first project was installed in 2003 and the last project was constructed in 2014. WRI conducted surveys and provided designs and construction oversight on all sites. Based on information from 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 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 to the center of the channel. Bendway weirs work with the stream’s natural tendencies to move the stream toward a more naturally stable condition. They also increase aquatic habitat.

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Normally, re-graded streambank slopes were seeded with native grass mixtures 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. ->