22 CES revitalizes McConnell creek and protects infrastructure with revetment project
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- The 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron teamed up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands in a stream bank revetment project on the southern tip of McConnell Air Force Base, July 11, 2025.
“A stream bank revetment is a structure that’s put in place on the stream bank to help prevent and slow down erosion and stabilize it,” said Natalie Wildrom, 22nd CES biologist. “In our case, we happen to use red cedars.”
Airmen and civilians from the three agencies permanently attached three red cedars to the stream bank of McConnell creek with earthen anchors, where the trees will trap and collect dirt, filling up with soil and becoming a part of the bank again.
“The revetment itself will not only control the erosion, which is important, but it will stabilize the creek channel,” said Nick King, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife biologist. “You’ll be able to get plant growth in there and the roots will hold the bank, and the revetments we put in it pull a lot of sediment and contaminants out of the soil.”
Even the use of the red cedars was a calculated decision that took the overall health of the local environment into consideration. These trees are invasive to Kansas and are cut down and removed, but they can be given new life by becoming a permanent part of a stream bank and preventing erosion.
“We’re getting rid of an invasive (species) and double tapping to be used as a part of our building material,” King said. “Once you put them in, they’re pretty much one and done and forget about it and move on to the next cut bank.”
This revetment project was not only to help the environment and the health of the creek, but the erosion was also threatening some of the infrastructure on base.
“The approach lights down south are in a part of the creek where we’re experiencing a lot of erosion,” Wildrom said. “We’re hoping by doing this project, we’re going to be able to ensure the longevity of that infrastructure.”
This particular creek is experiencing such a high volume of erosion because it captures all of the water flow off of McConnell. This includes any water draining off the flightline or any of the smaller creeks and ponds throughout base.
“It’s a larger body of water we’re talking about, a larger volume than just the creek itself that we see on the main part of base,” Wildrom said. “The bigger the water, the more carrying capacity it has, the more erosion capability it has, so we’re focusing down on the south end.”
The 22 CES, FWS, and CMML monitor the creeks throughout the base looking for signs of erosion so they can step in when needed and help preserve the natural environment on McConnell.
“We typically do them in the spring, and then we want to do them annually or when staff are available,” Wildrom said. “We’re going to see an increase in water quality in the creek, we’ll see better environments, and just better management of natural resources on base.”