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.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Twenty years of water-quality studies in the Cheney Reservoir Watershed, Kansas, 1996-2016
Regression relations and long-term water-quality constituent concentrations, loads, yields, and trends in the North Fork Ninnescah River, south-central Kansas, 1999–2019
Twenty years of water-quality studies in the Cheney Reservoir Watershed, Kansas, 1996-2016
Occurrence of cyanobacteria, microcystin, and taste-and-odor compounds in Cheney Reservoir, Kansas, 2001-16
Predicting cyanobacterial abundance, microcystin, and geosmin in a eutrophic drinking-water reservoir using a 14-year dataset
Elucidation of taste- and odor-producing bacteria and toxigenic cyanobacteria in a Midwestern drinking water supply reservoir by shotgun metagenomics analysis
Quantifying suspended sediment loads delivered to Cheney Reservoir, Kansas: Temporal patterns and management implications
Model documentation for relations between continuous real-time and discrete water-quality constituents in Cheney Reservoir near Cheney, Kansas, 2001--2009
Continuous real-time water-quality monitoring and regression analysis to compute constituent concentrations and loads in the North Fork Ninnescah River upstream from Cheney Reservoir, south-central Kansas, 1999–2012
Model documentation for relations between continuous real-time and discrete water-quality constituents in the North Fork Ninnescah River upstream from Cheney Reservoir, south-central Kansas, 1999--2009
Twelve Years of Monitoring Phosphorus and Suspended-Solids Concentrations and Yields in the North Fork Ninnescah River above Cheney Reservoir, South-Central Kansas 1997-2008
Water quality and relation to taste-and-odor compounds in North Fork Ninnescah River and Cheney Reservoir, south-central Kansas, 1997-2003
Significant finding of water-quality studies and implications for Cheney Reservoir watershed, south-central Kansas, 1996-2001
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
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.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Twenty years of water-quality studies in the Cheney Reservoir Watershed, Kansas, 1996-2016
Since 1996, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Wichita, has done studies in the Cheney Reservoir watershed to understand environmental effects on water-quality conditions. Early studies (1996–2001) determined subwatershed sources of contaminants, nutrient and sediment loading to Cheney Reservoir, changes in reservoir sediment quality over time, and watershed sourcesAuthorsJennifer L. Graham, Guy M. Foster, Ariele R. KramerFilter Total Items: 20Regression relations and long-term water-quality constituent concentrations, loads, yields, and trends in the North Fork Ninnescah River, south-central Kansas, 1999–2019
Cheney Reservoir, in south-central Kansas, is the primary water supply for the city of Wichita, Kansas. The North Fork Ninnescah River is the largest tributary to Cheney Reservoir and contributes about 70 percent of the inflow. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Wichita, has been continuously monitoring water quality (including water temperature, specific conductance, pH,AuthorsAriele R. Kramer, Brian J. Klager, Mandy L. Stone, Patrick J. Eslick-HuffTwenty years of water-quality studies in the Cheney Reservoir Watershed, Kansas, 1996-2016
Since 1996, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Wichita, has done studies in the Cheney Reservoir watershed to understand environmental effects on water-quality conditions. Early studies (1996–2001) determined subwatershed sources of contaminants, nutrient and sediment loading to Cheney Reservoir, changes in reservoir sediment quality over time, and watershed sourcesAuthorsJennifer L. Graham, Guy M. Foster, Ariele R. KramerOccurrence of cyanobacteria, microcystin, and taste-and-odor compounds in Cheney Reservoir, Kansas, 2001-16
Cheney Reservoir, located in south-central Kansas, is one of the primary drinking-water supplies for the city of Wichita and an important recreational resource. Since 1990, cyanobacterial blooms have been present occasionally in Cheney Reservoir, resulting in increased treatment costs and decreased recreational use. Cyanobacteria, the cyanotoxin microcystin, and the taste-and-odor compounds geosmiAuthorsJennifer L. Graham, Guy M. Foster, Thomas J. Williams, Ariele R. Kramer, Theodore D. HarrisPredicting cyanobacterial abundance, microcystin, and geosmin in a eutrophic drinking-water reservoir using a 14-year dataset
Cyanobacterial blooms degrade water quality in drinking water supply reservoirs by producing toxic and taste-and-odor causing secondary metabolites, which ultimately cause public health concerns and lead to increased treatment costs for water utilities. There have been numerous attempts to create models that predict cyanobacteria and their secondary metabolites, most using linear models; however,AuthorsTed D. Harris, Jennifer L. GrahamElucidation of taste- and odor-producing bacteria and toxigenic cyanobacteria in a Midwestern drinking water supply reservoir by shotgun metagenomics analysis
While commonplace in clinical settings, DNA-based assays for identification or enumeration of drinking water pathogens and other biological contaminants remain widely unadopted by the monitoring community. In this study, shotgun metagenomics was used to identify taste-and-odor producers and toxin-producing cyanobacteria over a 2-year period in a drinking water reservoir. The sequencing data implicAuthorsTimothy Otten, Jennifer L. Graham, Theodore D. Harris, Theo DreherQuantifying suspended sediment loads delivered to Cheney Reservoir, Kansas: Temporal patterns and management implications
Cheney Reservoir, constructed during 1962 to 1965, is the primary water supply for the city of Wichita, the largest city in Kansas. Sediment is an important concern for the reservoir as it degrades water quality and progressively decreases water storage capacity. Long-term data collection provided a unique opportunity to estimate the annual suspended sediment loads for the entire history of the reAuthorsMandy L. Stone, Kyle E. Juracek, Jennifer L. Graham, Guy M. FosterModel documentation for relations between continuous real-time and discrete water-quality constituents in Cheney Reservoir near Cheney, Kansas, 2001--2009
Cheney Reservoir, located in south-central Kansas, is one of the primary water supplies for the city of Wichita, Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey has operated a continuous real-time water-quality monitoring station in Cheney Reservoir since 2001; continuously measured physicochemical properties include specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, fluorescence (waveleAuthorsMandy L. Stone, Jennifer L. Graham, Jackline W. GatothoContinuous real-time water-quality monitoring and regression analysis to compute constituent concentrations and loads in the North Fork Ninnescah River upstream from Cheney Reservoir, south-central Kansas, 1999–2012
Cheney Reservoir, located in south-central Kansas, is the primary water supply for the city of Wichita. The U.S. Geological Survey has operated a continuous real-time water-quality monitoring station since 1998 on the North Fork Ninnescah River, the main source of inflow to Cheney Reservoir. Continuously measured water-quality physical properties include streamflow, specific conductance, pH, waterAuthorsMandy L. Stone, Jennifer L. Graham, Jackline W. GatothoModel documentation for relations between continuous real-time and discrete water-quality constituents in the North Fork Ninnescah River upstream from Cheney Reservoir, south-central Kansas, 1999--2009
Cheney Reservoir in south-central Kansas is one of the primary sources of water for the city of Wichita. The North Fork Ninnescah River is the largest contributing tributary to Cheney Reservoir. The U.S. Geological Survey has operated a continuous real-time water-quality monitoring station since 1998 on the North Fork Ninnescah River. Continuously measured water-quality physical properties includeAuthorsMandy L. Stone, Jennifer L. Graham, Jackline W. GatothoTwelve Years of Monitoring Phosphorus and Suspended-Solids Concentrations and Yields in the North Fork Ninnescah River above Cheney Reservoir, South-Central Kansas 1997-2008
Cheney Reservoir, located on the North Fork Ninnescah River in south-central Kansas, is the primary water supply for the city of Wichita and an important recreational resource. Concerns about taste-and-odor occurrences in Cheney Reservoir have drawn attention to potential pollutants, including total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS). July 2009 was the 15th anniversary of the establiAuthorsMandy L. Stone, Jennifer L. Graham, Andrew C. ZieglerWater quality and relation to taste-and-odor compounds in North Fork Ninnescah River and Cheney Reservoir, south-central Kansas, 1997-2003
Cheney Reservoir, the primary water supply for the city of Wichita in south-central Kansas, and its main source of inflow, the North Fork Ninnescah River, were sampled between 1997 and 2003 for sediment, nutrients, and the taste-and-odor-causing compounds geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB). It is believed that objectionable tastes and odors in Cheney Reservoir result from cyanobacteria (blue-greAuthorsVictoria G. Christensen, Jennifer L. Graham, Chad R. Milligan, Larry M. Pope, Andrew C. ZieglerSignificant finding of water-quality studies and implications for Cheney Reservoir watershed, south-central Kansas, 1996-2001
No abstract available.AuthorsLarry M. Pope - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.