Low water prompts extension of Banner boat ramps

The boat ramps at Banner Creek Reservoir are being extended 20 feet due to low water levels, it has been reported.

During the Jackson County Commission meeting on Monday, Kurt Zibell, Banner Creek Reservoir director, presented a bid of $16,500 from Aller’s LLC of Hiawatha to complete the work and a $8,000 bid from Mid-States Materials for the rock materials for the extensions.

Zibell said the county is receiving $5,000 from the Kansas and Water Conservation fund to assist with the project and that Aller’s has the specific equipment needed for the project and is a preferred contractor by the state. It was reported by the commissioners that no local business had the specific equipment needed for the job.

The scope of the project includes extending the north double boat ramp and the south boat ramp with various layers of rock.

The areas will be dug out and 10 to 12-inch rip rap rock will be added followed by a one-inch screened rock to fill any voids. A final layer of six-inch crusher run rock will then be added.

Aller’s personnel will then grade and compact the areas with an excavator bucket to form a pad.

“They can get started as soon as this is approved,” Zibell told the commissioners. “I want to get this done as fast as possible. Our goal is to get at least 20 more feet extended onto the ramps.”

The commissioners approved the bids, noting that the total cost to the county will be $19,500.

For more on this and other stories, please log in to your holtonrecorder.net account and select “April 10, 2024” under “E-Editions.”