EMPORIA, KANSAS - Richard P. Arber Associates recently completed design engineering work at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The preserve is located in central-eastern Kansas in the Flint Hills region. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve was created on November 12, 1996. The preserve protects a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass ecosystem. Of the 400,000 square miles of tallgrass prairie that once covered the North American Continent, less than 4 percent remains, primarily in the Flint Hills.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a different kind of national park. The preserve is 10,894 acres, but most of that land will remain under the private ownership of the National Park Trust, which purchased the property in 1994. The National Park Service will own up to 180 acres, yet legislation calls for the entire acreage to be managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the National Park Trust
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On September 20, 2002, approximately 32 acres were donated to the National Park Service from the National Park Trust. This area includes the 1881 historic limestone mansion, limestone barn and outbuildings, and one-room schoolhouse. Richard P. Arber Associates facilitated a Value Analysis Study, in July 2001, to evaluate alternatives to provide potable water and fire suppression for these historic structures.

Final design for the project was started in November of 2002 and includes 16,700 ft of 6? transmission line, a 60,000 gallon underground storage tank, distribution piping and a renovated pump shed building to house a potable water booster pump system and diesel fire water pump. Additionally, the completed design includes a fire protection system consisting of building sprinkler systems, diesel fire pump and fire detection and alarm. As the one-room schoolhouse is located approximately ½ mile from the main ranch area, a self-contained fire sprinkler system was used for this structure.

Richard P. Arber Associates is an award winning consulting engineering firm that has performed preliminary design, design, and construction-phase services for National Park Service water and wastewater projects for 14 years. Richard P. Arber Associates has completed twenty-seven projects with a construction value of over $40 million for the National Park Service.