Gerber Reserve

Murdock, KS 67111

Photo taken at Gerber Reserve of a body of water leading into a bank of trees.


On 27 October, 2004, an eight inch diameter pipeline, the Enid Lateral, owned by Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. and operated by Enterprise Products Operating L.P., that is utilized to transport anhydrous ammonia, ruptured approximately two miles west of Waterloo, Kansas (approximate coordinates of 37.678634, -97.981739). Upon rupturing, a vapor cloud approximately 0.8 km (0.5 miles) wide traveled down an unnamed riparian corridor. On the evening of the rupture, a 3.81 cm (1.5 inches) rainfall event caused ammonia to enter Smoots Creek by traveling through an unnamed tributary approximately two miles downstream from the western edge of the property. It was reported that at least some impact occurred to the aquatic communities for approximately 14 miles of Smoots Creek and an undetermined impact of at least a portion of the South Fork of the Ninnescah River. As part of a mitigation settlement with Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. the above described property located in Section 23 was acquired by the Wichita State University Foundation in 2008 as part of a conservation easement with Mrs. Joan A Gerber in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).

The Conservation Easement makes reference to 鈥significant natural, scientific, educational, habitat, wildlife, wetland, and aquatic ecological vales鈥鈥 and of significant importance is critical habitat for the Arkansas Darter, Etheostoma cragini, which is protected by the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act.

 
Students gathering around pitfall traps at the reserve.

Ongoing Research

  • Dr. Mary Liz Jameson's lab documented the first case of chytrid fungus in Kansas at the Gerber Reserve.
  • Long-term surveying of the amphibians and reptiles present at this field site.
  • Gerber Reserve is well-suited to studies of remnant sand prairie whereas the upland-stream interface provides an excellent opportunity to study stream hydrology. For example, the tree removal designed to restore historical conditions found in such prairie streams could potentially be compared with upstream and downstream areas where tree removal was not undertaken.
 

If you are interested in utilizing the Gerber Reserve, please contact the manager, Dexter Mardis, at (620) 584-6627.