Vinson Road Box Culvert Improvements

In 2009 SMH Consultants completed the design of the Vinson Road Box Culvert in Riley County. This project located on School Creek provides the primary point of access to nearly 300 acres of developable land in Riley County. The 9’x20’ structure designed for the crossing was designed to carry a 100-year storm event without overtopping in addition to having a natural bottom designed for a bank to bank event annually. Permitting was extremely challenging and involved the Corps of Engineers, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Topeka Shiner, an endangered species in Kansas, is prevalent in School Creek and this meant extra caution by regulatory agencies in addition to special requirements in regards to the construction methods and allowances. As part of the project SMH also provides annual monitoring, for a period of 5 years, of the structure for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to insure the structure continues to operate as designed without degradation of Topeka Shiner habitat.