Strong winds and wave action are believed to have caused a fuel barge carrying approximately 1,800 gallons of diesel fuel to sink into 20 feet of water at Tuttle Creek Reservoir.
Federal officials with the Kansas City District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a press release that the incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday. No foul play is suspected.
The Corps said it has activated its emergency response plan and is currently working with the contractor who owns the barge, the National Response Center and the State of Kansas to assess and contain the situation.
Response crews, including a dive team, are being sent to the site to limit potential environmental impact.
Boaters are being asked to avoid the Tuttle Creek Cove area until further notice while the response continues.
Earlier this month, USACE officials announced the second phase of a water injection dredging project at Tuttle Creek Lake was scheduled to take place March 17 through March 27. It’s unclear how this incident might alter that schedule.
The process uses a controlled injection of water, under pressure, to loosen sediment from the riverbed, allowing it to flow downstream by the natural current.
The first phase of dredging occurred last summer.
This is a developing story. The Mercury is reaching out to the Corps for further details.
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