Brentwood Stream Restoration Project: Lenexa, Kansas

The City of Lenexa, Kansas (City) is a growing suburban community located in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. As with many growing communities, the City is regularly faced with various stormwater management challenges, including flooding, erosion, water quality impacts, regulatory requirements, and the ability to finance infrastructure improvements and new programs. To address these challenging issues, the City formed the Rain-to-Recreation Program. The Rain to Recreation program is a proactive, integrated, watershed based approach to address stormwater quantity and quality. The goals of the program are to reduce flooding, protect water quality and natural habitat, and provide recreational and education opportunities. With the implementation of new development regulations, the City has created greenways and trails while protecting the environment and preserving wildlife. The long-term success of the program relies upon the support of individuals and businesses throughout the community. As such, the City builds community support through environmental education, and working together with local residents. Working together with the community, the program enhances the quality of the natural and built environments, ultimately conserving and even restoring our natural resources. One of the recent challenges addressed by the City involves the flooding and severe erosion problems along the Brentwood stream, which is located in a fully urbanized residential watershed. The following paragraphs describe the project background and challenges associated with this stream reach.