Assessing the Impact of Maneuver Training
on NPS Pollution and Water Quality
Project Number:  CP:1339

Project Goals:
To identify sources of NPS pollution resulting from military activities and assess the impact of this pollution on surface water quality

Technical Objectives:

• Identify military activities at Fort Riley that may contribute to NPS pollution.
  • Collect training records and input into GIS database.
  • Develop remote sensing metric to assess the impact of training on vegetation.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of riparian buffers.
  • Conduct field riparian buffer study.
• Assess the effectiveness of low water stream crossings (LWSC).
  • Determine contribution of in-channel erosion from hardened stream crossings.
• Evaluate and modify a comprehensive riparian ecosystem model (REMM).
  • Develop, calibrate, and validate REMM in Flint Hills ecoregion.
• Evaluate the most effective means of crossing streams during maneuvers.
  • Recommend continued use of LWSC or implementation of alternative strategies balancing military need and environmental impact.
• Model the contribution of NPS pollution on a representative watershed.
  • Parameterize and run watershed water quality model based on remote sensing metric and incorporate riparian buffer mitigation of sediment transport.
• Develop improved field-portable sediment characterization sensor. 
  • Design real-time stream sediment sensor to collect data for assessing LWSC.