Habitats and Havens

Iatan Unit 2 uses a closed loop for recycling water so that no water is discharged to the river. While at our other facilities, this recycled water makes an especially fertile habitat for several species of fish and birds. 

• Iatan Reserve Wetland and Lewis & Clark Wetland: Near the Iatan Generating Station in Weston, Mo., we restored 20 acres of wetlands, 20 acres of uplands and 10 acres of forest and swamp. The habitat is home to trumpeter swans, peregrine falcons and other rare birds and wildlife species. In the winter, this area of the river is home to one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in Missouri. 
• La Cygne Lake: At La Cygne Generating Station, nearly 5,000 acres—including 2,400 of lake—is home to deer, rabbits, wild turkey, ducks and geese. The water-discharge lake offers an abundance of largemouth bass, blue catfish and crappie. Bird watching is a year-round experience with white pelicans in the spring, and bald eagles and double-crested cormorants in the spring and fall. Visitors can also spot great blue herons and belted kingfishers on the lake’s banks.
• Montrose Lake: Created in the 1950s to provide the necessary cooling for Montrose Station, the 1,600-acre Montrose Lake near Clinton, Mo. sits among 3,600 acres of land. With its flow of water from the generating plant, the lake is a popular fishing destination and a haven for waterfowl. The University of Kansas Ornithology Department visits the lake every winter to conduct overwintering bird counts. 
• Evergy Prairie Wetland: This 55-acre wetland in Gardner, Kan. serves as an outdoor classroom, providing the opportunity to observe wetland dynamics. Popular with bird watchers, the wetlands is also used by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism for wheelchair/handicapped waterfowl hunts. Our efforts in restoring the wetland and native grasses and wildflowers earned the Wildlife Habitat Award from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
• Coffey County Lake: The cooling lake for Wolf Creek Generating Station, Coffey County Lake in Burlington, Kan. is dedicated exclusively to fishing. It’s developed into a premier fishing lake for species including largemouth and smallmouth bass, blue catfish and white bass. The lake has been featured on national fishing television shows.
• Jeffrey Energy Center: Engineered and constructed a full-scale wetland to treat wastewater at Jeffrey Energy Center.  Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater is initially treated in the traditional wastewater treatment plant for the removal of sulfate followed by release into the wetland treatment process, which is engineered and targeted for the removal of metals. Water released from the wetland is then returned to the plant for reuse.