Recent rains bring Banner out of drought zone

Rain that fell on the area on Saturday may have hindered a smooth ride for Biking Across Kansas participants looking to cycle safely from Holton to Atchison, but it helped bolster the water levels at Banner Creek Reservoir, which is now at less than two feet from being full, according to Holton Water and Sewer Superintendent Dennis Ashcraft.

“We’re back to normal operations,” Ashcraft told members of the Holton City Commission on Monday after it was reported that the pool level at Banner had risen to 22.5 inches — a foot and 10.5 inches — below normal as of Monday morning, about three months after the reservoir had sunk to its lowest historical level of 64 inches, or five feet and four inches, below normal. (As of June 20, the pool level at the reservoir had risen eight inches, to 14 inches below normal.)

Ashcraft, who also oversees operations at the Public Wholesale Water Supply District 18 water treatment plant that treats reservoir water for sale to the City of Holton and Jackson County Rural Water District 3, also told commissioners that PWWSD 18 would cancel its Stage II water warning, in which the city and RWD 3 were asked to enact voluntary water conservation measures, in place since late last summer.

PWWSD 18’s Stage II water warning went into effect when Banner’s pool level hit four feet, or 48 inches, below normal last year. Had the pool level reached six feet, or 72 inches, below normal, PWWSD 18 would have enacted a Stage III water warning, in which PWWSD 18 officials would approach the city and RWD 3 about more restrictive water use policies.

“When we hit Stage II, the city and RWD 3 both tried to reduce what they take out of Banner by 10 percent,” Ashcraft said. “When we hit 72 inches, it’s going to be 20 percent.”

Rising water levels at Banner will also make it easier for boats to get into and out of the water at the reservoir, it was reported. Last year, reservoir director Kurt Zibell noted that due to low water levels, boats could only enter the reservoir at the Cedar Point ramp on the reservoir’s north side, and even then vehicles unloading boats had to be backed into the water “a long way.”

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