The Baker Wetlands (also known as the Haskell-Baker Wetlands) is a nature preserve and artificially sustained

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

, spanning approximately south of

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is associated with the

Wakarusa River The Wakarusa River is a tributary of the Kansas River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 30, 2011 in eastern Kansas in the United States. It drains ...

and sustained by levees and flood controls built in the 1990s.

Baker University Baker University is a private university in Baldwin City, Kansas. Founded in 1858, it was the first four-year university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools. The College of Art ...

owns 573 acres, the major portion of the site;

Haskell Indian Nations University Haskell Indian Nations University is a public tribal land-grant university in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1884 as a residential boarding school for American Indian children, the school has developed into a university operated by t ...

holds 27 acres, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

hold 20 acres each. Baker University received its portion by a transfer from the

United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

(HEW) in 1968. This area was formerly used for farming by settlers and later was purchased by Haskell to teach farming to its students and be self sustaining. When the school's functions changed, the Department of Interior transferred the property to the HEW, which declared it surplus. It was transferred via the General Services Administration and regular process to Baker University. In 1969, the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

declared the wetlands a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

. The wetlands support 413 documented species of vascular plant, 265 species of bird, and 61 additional vertebrate species.

South Lawrence Trafficway alignment controversy

A proposal for completion of the South Lawrence Trafficway (SLT)—an extension of state highway K-10—through part of the Baker University campus affected part of the wetlands. This realignment proposal generated fierce opposition. A plan to mitigate for lost wetlands, loss of pedestrian access, and highway noise was approved by the

US Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

Kansas Department of Transportation The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of Kansas. Funding issues Since 2012, over $2 billion has been diverted from its coffers to the Kansas ...

, and

Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...

. Approximately 380 acres of man-made wetlands were developed adjacent to the site to fulfill this mitigation plan. The southern stretch of the Lawrence Loop, a 22-mile, multi-use, paved trail that encircles the City of Lawrence, was also constructed alongside the SLT as part of the mitigation plan.

References

External links

* {{authority control Landforms of Douglas County, Kansas Landmarks in Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Protected areas of Douglas County, Kansas National Natural Landmarks in Kansas Wetlands of Kansas Tourist attractions in Lawrence, Kansas

South Lawrence Trafficway alignment controversy

See also

References

Further reading

External links