TOPEKA — Kansas is trying a new way to reduce the amount of sediment in the state’s reservoirs.
The Salina Journal reports the state will pay landowners up to $50 a ton for the amount of sediment they keep out of a watershed leading to a state reservoir.
Kanopolis Reservoir, which has lost 39 percent of its water supply storage, is one of the four reservoirs included in the Kansas Reservoir Protection Initiative.
The state has budgeted $900,000 for Kanopolis, Fall River, John Redmond and Tuttle Creek reservoirs.
Many sediment best-practices are eligible for the initiative, including cover crops, reducing tillage and soil health.
Applications will be taken throughout the year. Initial approvals are expected by the end of September.
