Kansas WRAPS (Watershed Restoration And Protection Strategies)

The Kansas WRAPS process offers a framework that engages citizens and other stakeholders in a teamwork environment aimed at protecting and restoring Kansas watersheds. A watershed is defined as any area of land whose water drains to a single point, often a reservoir or significant stream.  The WRAPS projects are named after reservoirs or streams such as Cedar Bluff, El Dorado, Marmaton, and Spring River. 
 

WRAPS is another means of providing technical and financial assistance to landowners who are interested in implementing voluntary conservation work on their land. A special WRAPS fund has been established through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment with federal funding through the EPA Clean Water Act Section 319 Program and state funding through the State Water Plan Fund. 

The WRAPS process consists of multiple stages:

• Identifying the watershed restoration and protection needs
• Establishing watershed goals
• Creating actions steps/plans to achieve the established goals
• Implementing the plans, to include:
  • Provide information and education
  • Secure human, financial, and technical resources
  • Administer resources and execute the actions set out by the action plan
  • Evaluate progress
  • Revise and update the watershed action plan as needed

There are 34 WRAPS project areas across that state.  Of those 34 WRAPS projects 14 have local project coordinators to manage the program in their watershed, these coordinators are often conservation district staff members. These coordinators work with a local stakeholder leadership team and KDHE staff to provide oversight of the WRAPS plan and implementation in their watershed.  

There are an additional 20 WRAPS project areas administered by KACD through the KACD WRAPS Partnership Projects. The partnership project provides WRAPS funds direct to conservation districts who implement cost share payments direct to landowners on a per pound of phosphorus saved basis for eligible high priority projects. 
 

Visit Kansas WRAPS to learn more about WRAPS or contact your local conservation district.