Ruskiegunlover
01-08-2013, 08:51 PM
Wichita is possibly going to be in deep shit here before long if we don't getrain. We get about 40% of our water from wells, and 60% from a resevior built west and north of the city. Cheney resevior is shallow, even in good times parts are only about 4-6 feet deep. Its about 75% dry right now, and getting worse.
My solution? Take local prison labor, along with the guards, and bus them out there. Give them a shovel, and put some guys on wheel barrow duty, and start hand dredgeing out the resevior. DON'T use heavy machinery.....We have prison labor. Maybe it 3 days mandatory, and OFFER 4 or 5 if the inmate WANTS it. Hard labor yes, but when the rains come back it could possibly hold more.
I figure 2-44 inmates all working for 3-5 months could easily dig out the dry areas, maybe another 4-6 feet over time. Add the dirt to rough areas of the state park, or add it to the manmade dam on the south end of the lake. I feel this could be done with a minimum of money, and a minimum of machinery. I know it WON'T be, but really- whats wrong with this idea? Say offer NON-violent inmates the option of doing it 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, and tell them if they are respectful and work hard, and maintain good behavior, it can shorten their sentence by 1/4th. Say for 4 days, with the above, it shortens the sentence by 1/6th.
My thinking is that THIS is the time to be dredging out this resevior, to add more water storage. Its at a historic low.
I fear there is too much common sense in this suggestion for it to ever be carried out.
My solution? Take local prison labor, along with the guards, and bus them out there. Give them a shovel, and put some guys on wheel barrow duty, and start hand dredgeing out the resevior. DON'T use heavy machinery.....We have prison labor. Maybe it 3 days mandatory, and OFFER 4 or 5 if the inmate WANTS it. Hard labor yes, but when the rains come back it could possibly hold more.
I figure 2-44 inmates all working for 3-5 months could easily dig out the dry areas, maybe another 4-6 feet over time. Add the dirt to rough areas of the state park, or add it to the manmade dam on the south end of the lake. I feel this could be done with a minimum of money, and a minimum of machinery. I know it WON'T be, but really- whats wrong with this idea? Say offer NON-violent inmates the option of doing it 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, and tell them if they are respectful and work hard, and maintain good behavior, it can shorten their sentence by 1/4th. Say for 4 days, with the above, it shortens the sentence by 1/6th.
My thinking is that THIS is the time to be dredging out this resevior, to add more water storage. Its at a historic low.
I fear there is too much common sense in this suggestion for it to ever be carried out.