With some federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Skyline Draw in Hays has been re-constructed into an engineered bio-retention system that treats stormwater runoff.
KSU Watershed Specialist Stacie Minson says Skyline Draw plays a key role in helping reduce the pollutant load of stormwater runoff from commercial development and residential properties north of 33rd Street before it reaches the local water supply.
Native Kansas vegetation has also been allowed to grow in the draw bottom which helps filter and prevent pollutants from running downstream.
The stormwater runoff pollutants include E. coli, nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment. According to Minson, they can be harmful to human health and the aquatic environment if concentrations get too high.
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