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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is moving the start date of the Tuttle Creek Reservoir Water Injection Dredging pilot project to fall 2025.
This first-of-its-kind pilot project requires custom-built equipment. The schedule change is due to manufacturing delays for specialty pump parts, a critical component of the innovative system.
“ To guarantee the integrity of this groundbreaking project, thorough testing, data collection and monitoring are key ,” said Col. Andrew Niewohner , Kansas City District commander. “This delay, while unfortunate, ensures that we fully understand the impacts of the Water Injection Dredging and its future potential.”
Following the initial fall 2025 demonstration, additional dredge periods are planned for spring and summer 2026.
The Water Injection Dredging pilot project, a collaboration with the Kansas Water Office, will test technology that may have potential to help maintain Tuttle Creek Reservoir’s current storage capacity. Sedimentation has significantly reduced the lake’s storage, displacing 438 million cubic yards of storage and impacting flood control, water supply and recreation.
As Kansas’s largest reservoir, Tuttle Creek provides critical flood control, water supply and other benefits to the state’s residents, preventing an estimated $12.4 billion in flood damages since its construction.