General
The Cheney Division of the Wichita Project consists of the Cheney Dam and Reservoir on the North Fork of the Ninnescah River. This division of the project provides a supplemental water supply to the city of Wichita, flood control for protection of downstream areas, and recreation and fish and wildlife benefits. Because of the flood control features of the division, approximately 3,700 acres of land downstream from the dam can be irrigated, although no stored water is to be provided for irrigation purposes.
Construction
Construction of Cheney Dam began in 1962, and was completed in 1965.
Plan
Municipal water supply storage is used to supplement the present supply pumped from wells. On an equal-use basis - well water and reservoir water - the supply is estimated to be adequate until the year 2010. A pumping plant and pipeline was constructed and is operated by the city of Wichita to convey water from Cheney Dam to the water treatment plant in the city. No direct flow from the reservoir will be used as an irrigation supply, although the alleviation of flood threat will permit irrigation of about 3,700 acres of suitable land in scattered tracts below the dam. Diversion of water for irrigation will be individual or group developments. Cheney Dam is on the North Fork of the Ninnescah River about 6 miles north of Cheney and 24 miles west of Wichita, Kansas. The site is at the common intersection of the boundaries of Kingman, Reno, and Sedgwick Counties, with portions of the dam lying in all three. The upstream slope of the dam is protected by soil cement and the downstream slope is protected by a 12-foot horizontal layer of topsoil and grass. The crest of the dam provides a roadway 30 feet wide. The spillway is an uncontrolled morning-glory inlet leading into a 9.5-foot circular conduit and stilling basin. The river outlet works consist of an intake structure, an 11-foot-diameter conduit to the gate chamber containing two 6- by 7.5-foot high-pressure regulating gates and two 6- by 7.5-foot high-pressure emergency gates. Downstream of the river outlet works gate chamber is a 15-foot-diameter flat bottom conduit and stilling basin. The municipal outlet works consists of a vertical intake structure with four 6-foot-square motor operated slide gates for selective withdrawal of water from elevations 1379.0, 1389.0, 1399.0, and 1409.0, a foot bridge, and a 6- by 8-foot emergency gate leading into an 8-foot-diameter circular conduit to the axis of the dam, at which point flows are carried by an 8-foot-diameter steel pipe in a 12.5-foot-diameter conduit. The city of Wichita constructed and operates a 93-cubic-foot-per-second pumping plant at the dam which conveys municipal water through a 5-foot-diameter pipeline to the water treatment plant in the city. Development of Cheney Reservoir required the relocation of several miles of electrical transmission lines, telephone lines, and petroleum pipelines, as well as county road relocations and modifications which were accomplished through relocation contracts with the owners.
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