CHAPTER TWO Natural and Cultural Resources Natural and cultural resources form the base of everything in Shawnee County. Not only does agriculture play a significant role in the area’s economy, but the landscape also creates opportunities and constraints to development. This comprehensive plan brings together water management, conservation, land use planning, and industries like agriculture and mining to identify the best ways to continue a high quality of life. It also demonstrates how people rely on the health and productivity of the landscape and how land stewardship is critical in maintaining its health and productivity. Wisely managing these resources allows the County to build for present and future generations and mitigate natural hazards which saves lives, property, and money. DRAFT 09-01-2017 PERCEPTIONS FIGURE 2.1: Questionnaire Responses: Natural Resources (1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent) Survey participants completed a “report card” SURVEY RESPONSE RATINGS AVERAGE RATING questionnaire in which they were asked to rank Lake Shawnee 4.01 various natural and cultural resources issues and opportunities on a one-to-five scale, with five Clinton Lake Wildlife Refuge 3.44 representing “excellent” and one representing “poor.” Regional Parks and Recreation Areas 3.37 Attributes with average scores of 3.0 or above are Preservation of Natural Features (Flint Hills, Glacial Hills, and Osage Cuestas) 3.17 perceived strengths and those with scores below Overall Quality of Shawnee County's Environment 3.07 2.5 represent areas of perceived weaknesses. Soil Conservation 2.88 These results were then better understood through Water Conservation 2.84 stakeholder meetings. The following highlights Stormwater Management 2.79 important strengths and weaknesses regarding natural The State Fishing Lake 2.79 resources. Preservation of Historic Features (e.g.: Oregon and California Trails) 2.74 Lake Shawnee was undisputedly the most positive Preservation of Prime Farmland 2.73 response regarding natural resources. Other strengths Potential for Agricultural Tourism 2.67 included the Clinton Wildlife Refuge, regional parks Preservation of Small Town Character of Unincorporated Towns 2.63 and recreation areas, Preservation of Natural Features Access to the Kansas River and Wakarusa River for Recreation (i.e.: trails and boat ramps) 2.55 (Flint Hills, Glacial Hills, and Osage Cuestas), and the overall quality of the environment. Nothing scored Source: RDG Community Questionnaire below a 2.5 rating, but many residents saw the preservation of prime farmland, small town character, and historic features, access and use of the rivers, and agricultural tourism as relatively weak. Focus groups and public meetings also reinforced resident’s positive attitudes towards the park system, though a need toward evaluating future growth and park areas was mentioned, especially by utilizing areas of beauty or areas that may be hard to develop, like along waterways, where feasible. Stakeholders also liked the idea of preserving natural and historic resources to try and promote tourism, economic development, and recreational opportunities. Finally, the economic potential of areas of Shawnee County was noted as an important component of protecting natural resources, including agricultural areas and mineral resources. 26 SHAWNEE COUNTY | 2037 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Figure 2.2: Natural Resources (1 being poor and 5 being excellent) Source: RDG Community Questionnaire 27 DRAFT 09-01-2017 EXISTING CONDITIONS Natural growth timber - including elm, cottonwood, Per USDA’s most recent agricultural census of black walnut, oak, sycamore, box elder, hickory, Shawnee County in 2012, there were 826 farms and ash - occurs primarily along the bottoms of the comprising some 194,274 acres of land, down 59 farms Shawnee County has a diversity of natural resources, Kansas River and its tributaries. They are sustained (-6.7 percent) and 11,969 acres (-5.8 percent) from five including its landscapes, topography, soil, waterways, by the rich loamy soil, ranging from 15 feet in the years earlier. The average farm size increased from and wildlife. These resources also affect the county’s bottoms to the one-foot surface covering the upland 233 acres to 235 acres and the market value of goods cultural landscape, partially started by settlers’ prairies. Limestone suited for building and yielding sold from 2007 to 2012 increased from $43,930,720 reactions to the natural landscape. Environmental lime comprises the underlying rock formation. Clay (adjusted to 2012 dollars) to $50,257,000, a resources guide the future pattern of land beds are also distributed throughout and coal can also $6,326,280 or 14.4 percent real increase. Most value is development by creating or curtailing opportunities, be found some 15 feet below the surface in irregular derived from crop sales, which comprises 83 percent and as such, are considered first in the plan. beds. Occasionally it has been mined in Topeka, of the county’s value in agricultural product. Soldier and Menoken. This primarily includes soybeans and corn. The Landscape remaining 17 percent of value comes from livestock The northern part of the County, including much of Soil and Agriculture sales, primarily cattle and calves. Agriculture also Topeka, is in the glaciated region of Kansas while the feeds into Shawnee County’s industrial sector Given its wealth of fertile and arable land, it is not southern half is in the Osage Cuestas, characterized including a large food manufacturing subsector. surprising that agriculture plays a significant role in by east facing ridges to gently rolling plains. Moving This is discussed more in the chapter on economic Shawnee County, shaping the county’s economy and west, one begins to enter the rolling prairie of the Flint development. making up one of its most valuable natural resources. Hills. Notable elevations like Burnett’s Mound provide Approximately is 55 percent of Shawnee County overlooks for much of the area. Agricultural Land Class by Acreage is designated by the United States Department of FIGURE 2.3: Agriculture (USDA) as prime farmland, and another Shawnee County, along with much of northeast ACRES PERCENT 23 percent is designated as farmland of statewide Kansas, is in the 10,500-square mile Kansas-Lower importance. The remaining 22 percent is not Republican Basin. Two drainage sub-basins exist Prime Farmland 206,288 54.8% considered prime farmland due to soil type, slopes, within the county Farmland of Statewide Importance 85,994 22.9% or water content. A wide swath of the prime farmland 1. Middle Kansas Watershed: drains north- and is found in the Kansas River bottoms, though it’s also Not Prime Farmland 83,937 22.3% central-Shawnee County to the Kansas River scattered throughout the county. Land that is not Total 376,218 100% 2. Lower Kansas Watershed: drains south prime for farming is often located along the higher Shawnee County to the Wakarusa River altitudes and on steep slopes; much of it is used for Source: Shawnee County Parcel Data grazing. The Kansas River roughly divides the county in half, flowing southeast with Rossville, Silver Lake and Soldier on the north and Dover, Mission, Topeka and Tecumseh on the south. Its larger tributaries include Cross Creek by Rossville; Soldier Creek, the largest stream on the north side; Indian Creek, 1.5 miles below the mouth of Soldier Creek; Shunganunga Creek; and Mission Creek. The Wakarusa River begins near Auburn and flows east, joining the Kansas River in Douglas County. Overall, the tributary system covers much of the county, which can lead to flooding. Drainage issues can also occur in the bottomlands where water can not always drain. 28 Figure 2.4: Elevation Source: US Geological Survey 29 DRAFT 09-01-2017 Figure 2.5: Farmland Class Source: US Department of Agriculture 30 SHAWNEE COUNTY | 2037 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Wildlife Habitat FIGURE 2.6: Status of Wildlife within Shawnee County State and federally-listed species are protected SNCO CRITICAL FEDERAL STATE NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME by the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species HABITAT Conservation Act of 1975. The act makes the Kansas Least Tern Sterna antillarum Yes Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) Endangered Whooping Crane Grus americana No responsible for identifying and conserving listed Endangered species, and overseeing activities affecting threatened American Burying Beetle Nicrophorus americanus No and endangered species. Endangered species are Threatened Topeka Shiner Notropis topeka Yes wildlife whose existence as a viable part of the state’s Threatened Threatened Piping Plover Charadrius melodus Yes wild fauna is determined to be in jeopardy. Threatened Candidate Threatened Sturgeon Chub Macrhybopsis gelida Yes species are wildlife which appear likely to become an Shoal Chub Macrhybopsis hyostoma Yes endangered species within the foreseeable future. Plains Minnow Hybognathus placitus Yes This includes protecting critical habitat which essential Threatened Silver Chub Macrhybopsis storeriana Yes for self-sustaining populations of threatened or endangered species. Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus No Eastern Spotted Skunk Spilogale putorius No KDWPT protects these species by reviewing the River Shiner Notropis blennius No environmental impact of certain activities, and Black Tern Chlidonias niger No ordering special conditions to offset negative effects Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus No to listed species and critical habitats if necessary. Ferruginous Hawk Buteo regalis