In 2010 the state legislature established another 10-year highway funding bill for the state. KDOT began a process of formalizing which projects would be funded in each of KDOT’s regional districts. The SLT project received the highest ranking of any project in the Northeast District and was included in the 10-year funding plan called T-Works. Bids were let in September 2013 and construction of the SLT began immediately.
Opponents of the SLT claimed that the Wetlands were “pristine” and should not be disrupted. They were 80% cultivated when Baker University acquired them in 1968. In addition to that, there two 26-inch diameter high-pressure natural gas lines that entered the Wetlands from the south under the river. They deliver gas from Oklahoma to Kansas City, Lawrence, and Topeka through a network of gas lines that were placed in Section 18 in the 1930s. There was also a high-tension power line that has run through the north half of the section since the 1950s. Both of these utilities had to be realigned before construction of the SLT. The pipelines were relocated to parallel the existing roads and were put in place through directional drilling, which minimized surface disturbance. The power line was relocated just outside the new KDOT right-of-way on the south side of the SLT. Most of the old poles were removed except for three sets that remain for raptor perches. The water line for Baldwin City and Rural Water District #4 that had been in place since the 1970s was abandoned and relocated east of O’Connell Road. One utility that was added during construction was two forced-main sewer lines that connect the pump station at 31st and Louisiana streets to the new sewage treatment plant south of the river.
To facilitate construction of the restoration areas and to provide the contractor with fill for the SLT roadbed, plans were drawn showing location, size, shape, and depth of retention basins. All of these were within the original Wakarusa floodplain and the substrate consisted of hydric soils. These drawings were provided to the contractor. A total of approximately 1.5 million cubic yards of fill were moved to create the pools and uplands that are the basis for the wetlands and prairie restoration.
In the early 1990s we installed shallow observation wells to monitor ground water depth in the original wetlands. In all there were nine sets of wells at 8-, 16-, and 24-foot depths. Those wells were monitored monthly for 10 years. We also established six more wells in tracts A and B to the west of Louisiana Street in 2009. Those wells were monitored for three years. What was discovered is that the water table fluctuates more in the wells closer to the river and less so farther to the north. The water table is often three to four feet below the surface except in very dry periods when it may be 8 to 15 feet. The pools of water in the Baker Wetlands are what is referred to as “perched,” meaning the water is in a surface basin without necessarily being in contact with the water table. Because of the very heavy, tight clay soils in this floodplain. very little percolation of water occurs in the bottom of these pools. The clay is simply too water tight and therefore very little recharge occurs and water loss is primarily due to evaporation.
In anticipation of the eventual construction of the SLT, a picnic pavilion was constructed in 2008 along Mink Creek and N. 1250 Road, and in 2009 a second pavilion was constructed on top of the footings for the old milk barn located at the future site of the Discovery Center. There used to be a silo next to it where the deck is today. Both pavilions contain information panels providing information about the value of wetlands, what to look for on the trails, what are the most common plants and animals, and a map of the area. There are also paper copies of the map available as well as a bird checklist and a checklist of all other vertebrates. Be sure to check out the five color-coded trails that leave from various parking lots with indicated distances from 0.39 miles to 2.46 miles. Construction of a 1,100-foot-long boardwalk down to the lake and back was completed in May 2010.
As part of the mitigation process, bird surveys have been made every two weeks since 2009. All have been posted to KS-BirdListServe and the last several years have been posted to eBird. Twenty-two species have been added since the restoration project began in 2008. Birds have the greatest ability to respond to changes in the environment and the factor they are responding to is habitat. The most critical component of wetland restoration is plants, which form the habitat for other organisms. To be defined as a wetlands, a habitat must consist of 50 percent or more plants that are considered facultative or wetter. This would include plants that are classified as obligate wetland, facultative wetland, and facultative plants. Plant surveys were conducted by estimating the percentage of coverage of plants by species within a plot one-meter square to the left and right of 113 established grid stakes throughout the project. The first survey was conducted in November of 2008 and the most recent in June of 2017. The latest survey in 2017 tallied 101 species of which 84 were classified as facultative or wetter. The breakdown in percentages was obligate wetland 73.5%, facultative wetlands 10.3%, and facultative 12.7% for a total coverage of 96.5% considered to be facultative or wetter. Wetlands, like all habitats, will change over time, but this diversity and high percentage of wetland plant coverage is indicative of a well established, yet early successional, wetlands.
Many components to the mitigation project were agreed to with KDOT in 2012. All of these components are intended to be cumulative to ensure increased wetland acres, improved wildlife habitat, and increased visitor access as well as increased appreciation for wetland habitats by the general public. The following is a list of key components of this agreement, but other benefits have developed as a result of the project:
The location of the SLT or whether it should ever be built, was highly contested for many years. It was a highly divisive and contentious issue. Without the opponents and proponents of the many different ideas about the area called the Baker Wetlands, it would not be what it is today. Thanks to the ability of KDOT and Baker University to develop a variety of compromises, the much-needed SLT was completed; the Baker Wetlands were greatly expanded to benefit the wildlife; and the multiple trails, Discovery Center, and educational and recreational opportunities will benefit the thousands of visitors for generations to come.