Nexus Projects in Kansas City's Suburban Watersheds

Two studies in Kansas City will benefit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' emphasis on multipurpose plans and focus on systems. The Upper Turkey Creek and the Brush Creek Basin are both watersheds facing complex circumstances with many stakeholders. The studies are nexus projects, or planning efforts, using the watershed perspective to address the array of interrelated water resource issues through solutions that involve Federal, state, and local programs and projects. These nexus projects are defined by several characteristics, especially the strong integration uniting local, state, and Federal initiatives and recommendations for future stormwater management goals in the watersheds, including water quantity and water quality. An important characterization of nexus projects is the establishment of helpful processes in the watersheds, ranging from communication techniques to a decision process for evaluating best management practices and stream corridor restoration measures. The studies are providing forward looking, collaborative planning efforts to assemble multipurpose alternatives to address flood risk management, environmental degradation, and even recreation. The paper shows how nexus projects in an urban setting can lead to watershed management plans that establish useful processes, integrate the cities in achieving the goals of a shared watershed vision, and get the right projects implemented by first building strong partnerships.