WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The drought that has hit Kansas this year has also taken a toll on the Bartlett Arboretum outside Wichita.
But arboretum officials have taken the drought as an opportunity to dredge Euphrates Creek, which often floods the arboretum in Belle Plaine when it rains. The creek has only been dredged twice in its 102-year history.
The Wichita Eagle reports that dredging the creek will alleviate flooding and will also help the ecosystem and minimize blue-green algae.
Owner Robin Macy says the drought is the best time to clear out ponds and creeks. She says the dredging is also possible thanks to a 2008 grant for $25,000 that was intended dredging the creek, which was delayed because there was so much rain in 2009 and 2010.
