Sedimentation | A significant step An innovative approach to tackling sedimentation is underway at Tuttle Creek Dam in the US.
Above: Water Injection Dredging is tested at Tuttle Creek Reservoir on 19 September 2025, in Manhattan, Kansas, US. The pilot project is a partnership between the Kansas City District, US Army Corps of Engineers and the Kansas Water Office and will test an innovative method for managing sediment in a reservoir through three dredging periods. Images by Christine Reinhardt
Above right top and bottom: An employee of the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers points to the sediment flowing under water.
Below: A mixture of sediment and water created from Water Injection Dredging flows out of the dam outlet and into the downstream channel during the first test period.
THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1951 destroyed thousands of homes, farms and businesses in the US’ Kansas River Basin, causing over US$725m of damage, but leading to construction of one of the state’s most vital water resources – Tuttle Creek Dam and Reservoir. With construction beginning in October 1952, the
project became fully operational almost exactly ten years later in July 1962, and is the largest reservoir on the Kansas River Basin. Over 40% of the local population depend upon it for flood control and water supply, with many more utilising its recreational and environmental benefits. However, the reservoir is now facing up to a significant challenge. Topsoil, silt and clay from the Big Blue River – a tributary of the Kansas River – are suspended and deposited into Tuttle Creek Reservoir as they travel through the water system, meaning that sedimentation is the biggest threat to maintaining enough water supply in reservoirs across Eastern Kansas.
Developing a solution Since dam closure in 1962, 438 million cubic yards
of sediment have accumulated at Tuttle Creek Lake. Sediment deposition has shrunk the surface area of the reservoir, which has buried boat ramps, cut off habitat in coves, led to the abandonment of water
intakes and caused numerous other harmful effects. Currently half full of sediment, without intentional action the benefits of this resource will continue to diminish. Estimates indicate that by 2074 the multi- purpose pool will be 75% full of sediment, leaving only 25% of the original storage capacity, which by 2124, will diminish to only 7%. At the heart of this long-term water supply security
problem, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Kansas Water Office have been working together to develop a solution. “Water Injection Dredging [WID] was just one
technology that we thought might be feasible,” said Laura Totten, project manager for the Tuttle Creek Reservoir Water Injection Dredging Demonstration Project at the Kansas City District. “This project represents a significant step forward in
exploring sustainable dredging techniques to restore water storage capacity and evaluate the associated environmental effects,” she added.
Cost-effective WID is a process by which a barge with a special jet
bar produces low-pressure, high-volume jets of water drawn from the lake. The jet bar is lowered into the water and when it’s activated, sediment is stirred up to form a mixture of sediment and water. This mixture joins the underwater current flowing toward the dam’s outlet and works its way into the downstream channel. Unlike traditional dredging where sediment is pumped out of the water and onto an adjacent piece of land to be disposed of later, Water Injection Dredging requires less equipment and energy, making it a more cost-effective option. “We have a number of reservoirs throughout the
state and if we’re really trying to solve our water supply and sedimentation issues at those reservoirs, the costs escalate pretty quickly,” said Josh Olson from the
36 | April 2026 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45
