Archives — Page 15

Public Meeting on Dredging the Kansas River

November 16, 2016 by tglidewell /

JOIN FOK AT THE PUBLIC MEETING

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 4PM to 7PM

Lawrence Public Library, Lawrence, KS

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) FOR COMMERCIAL DREDGING ON THE KANSAS RIVER

Friends of the Kaw Members and Kansas River Supporters:

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Dredging on the Kansas River has been released. We are asking that you review the EIS and be prepared to submit public comment. If you are on our mailing list, you will receive a postcard that you can sign and send. Watch for that in the coming weeks and please respond! In the meantime, please come to the PUBLIC MEETING and ask questions about the Draft EIS, gather your comments that you want to make, talk to FOK Staff and Board Members to gain as much as information as possible and then submit your written comments by December 12. It is very important that we have a good showing from our community at the PUBLIC MEETING! Please join us!

The Public Meeting will be:

Thursday, November 17, 2016 from 4:00 PM to 7PM at the Lawrence Public Library in Lawrence, Kansas

We need your support! The Public Notice Posting from the US Army Corps of Engineers:

Public Notice and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Kansas River Commercial Dredging

Renewal of Department of the Army authorizations to dredge sand and gravel for commercial purposes from the Kansas River in the State of Kansas. Master’s Dredging Company, Inc. and LBB, LLC Company have proposed new operations/sites and will require a new Department of the Army permit. If issued, the permits would authorize dredging of aggregate materials for a period of 5 years from the date of permit execution before a new analysis and environmental review of the work is performed. This notice is being provided to identify the proposed work and environmental consequences so that the Corps may consider all pertinent comments prior to determining if issuance of these permits would be in the public interest.

Public Notice Comment Period Expires – December 12, 2016

Kansas River Commercial Dredging Public Notice

KS River Dredging Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Successful Cleanup Project

November 16, 2016 by tglidewell /

Thank you to VOLUNTEERS from FOK and Westar Energy’s Green Team for a successful CLEANUP of the KANSAS RIVER below BOWERSOCK on Saturday, November 5, 2016!

Thank you to Douglas County Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant for funding this great project!

This project involved the removal of old metal from a bridge that was cased in the sandbar below Bowersock. In partnership with Westar Energy’s Green Team, we removed the metal and have recycled it for use in a art sculpture piece with KU Professor Matt Burke!

Special thank you to The Bowersock Mills & Power Company for loaning their jon boat and also for working with us on the water flow while we completed this cleanup!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Amazon Smile for FOK

November 16, 2016 by tglidewell /

Use AMAZON “SMILE” to donate to Friends of the Kaw!

Use your Amazon account to support Friends of the Kaw! Do you buy books, music, or other items you can’t find locally on Amazon.com? If so, please consider using Amazon Smile, and select “Friends of the Kaw” as your charity.

You can follow this link to sign up today!

When you use your Amazon Smile account, you shop as you normally do and Amazon will donate .5% of your purchase to a charitable organization of your choice at no added cost to you….so please select Friends of the Kaw today and have those dollars directed towards our work to protect and preserve the Kansas River!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Adopt a Boat Ramp

November 16, 2016 by tglidewell /

Community Service Project Opportunity

ADOPT-A-BOAT RAMP

Locations: Edwardsville, Turner, Lawrence Riverfront, Lawrence 8th Street, and Eudora

Contact the Riverkeeper at riverkeeper@kansasriver.org or call 785.312.7200

Do you know a group that is interested in a community service project? We are looking for group volunteers to “Adopt-A-Boat Ramp” at 5 local Boat Ramps! We are looking for groups to adopt their local boat ramp at Lawrence Riverfront! The Lawrence 8th Street, Eudora, Edwardsville and Turner boat ramps has been adopted!

The Adopt-A-Boat Ramp program on the Kansas River is a voluntary program for civic-minded groups or businesses with an interest in keeping our navigable rivers litter-free. It is open to families, youth organizations, civic groups, non-profit organizations, churches, schools, social organizations, neighborhood groups, service organizations, retiree organizations, and city, county or state agencies. In exchange for your hard work, we will put up a sign that designates your group at the local adopter!

Contact the Riverkeeper, Dawn Buehler, at riverkeeper@kansasriver.org or call 785.312.7200 to learn more!

Filed Under: Newsletters

Two Ideas For Writing Warfare Article Release

July 20, 2016 by Friends of the Kaw /

Writing Lessons : Finding Ideas for a Children’s Magazine Article

You need to comprehend the 3 fundamental areas of the article. After so, summarize in your words what the individual principal notion of the essay is. I liked them and hope you’ll additionally enjoy these quotable quotations. An essay isn’t about misinformation, is around the fact. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

4th of July, Astronomy & Wine

July 1, 2016 by tglidewell /

4th of July Boat Ramp Updates

DeSoto Boat Ramp update from the City of De Soto: We are gearing up for the City’s annual 4^th of July at Riverfest event with the band, vendors, and fireworks show on the evening of July 4^th. The boat ramp at De Soto’s Riverfest Park will be closed from 6:00 p.m. on the evening of July 4^th, until 6:00 a.m. on the morning of July 5^th. Due to the fireworks setup and the perimeter that must be maintained, the boat ramp must stay closed as no one will be able to enter or exit during that time frame.

Cedar Creek Boat Ramp update from Johnson County Parks & Recreation: This boat ramp will be closed Saturday, July 2 through Monday, July 4.

Come join us again this year for

ASTRONOMY & WINE

Tickets on sale now….two showings this year!

Friday, October 7 & Saturday, October 8

The evening begins at 7:00 pm both nights. Tickets are $50 per person and proceeds benefit the Kansas River!

Come and enjoy an evening under the stars at Middle Creek Winery! Enjoy a tour of the night sky with one of the largest private telescopes in Kansas by Dan Johnson. Dan has been a volunteer instructor at Kansas City’s Powell Observatory for over 20 years. Purchase your tickets online via our paypal account! Contact the Riverkeeper at riverkeeper@kansasriver.org or call 785.312.7200.

Riverfront Cleanup Project – SUCCESS

Volunteers worked Saturday morning, June 25th, to clean up the river banks in Lawrence below Springhill Suites. Volunteers collected:

18 bags of trash and 23 bags of recyclables including plastic bottles, aluminum cans, glass bottles, cardboard, metal, wire, an old used cemented wheelbarrow, a backpack, clothing, a styrofoam minnow bucket, and many other things.

Thank you to all who took the time out of their Saturday to come down and help keep our river clean! And a special thank you to Cale Ruiz for the volunteering his talents to take photos!

Kaw1

Ready to Paddle the Kaw?

See if one of these events will work for you!

Sunday, July 10 – Kansas River Cleanup Paddle from DeSoto to Cedar Creek, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. This event is FREE and paid for by our Johnson County Stormwater Grant! You must RSVP to the Riverkeeper: riverkeeper@kansasriver.org. First come, first serve – 16 spots available! THIS IS ONE SPOT AWAY FROM A SELL OUT! You can still join us if you have your own kayak or canoe!

Saturday, July 16 – Little Apple Paddle from Manhattan to St. George, times TBD. Contact Marcia Rozell to reserve your spot…. 785-537-3030 marcia@manhattan.org.

Sunday, July 24 – Kansas River Cleanup Paddle from DeSoto to Cedar Creek, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. This event is FREE and paid for by our Johnson County Stormwater Grant! You must RSVP to the Riverkeeper: riverkeeper@kansasriver.org. First come, first serve – 16 spots available!

Saturday, July 30 – Lawrence Greenwish Group! Come join us for a paddle on the Kaw from Lecompton to Lawrence from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. We ask for a $30 donation for a paddle spot, kids in the middle of a canoe ride free! RSVP to the Riverkeeper at riverkeeper@kansasriver.org. We must have 16 paddlers reserved to have the trip! Sign up today!

Saturday, August 6 – Water Matter’s Day in Manhattan at the city pool!

Saturday, August 20 – Koehler Group! Come join us for a paddle on the Kaw from Lawrence to Eudora from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. We ask for a $30 donation for a paddle spot, kids in the middle of a canoe ride free! RSVP to the Riverkeeper at riverkeeper@kansasriver.org. Contact Riverkeeper: riverkeeper@kansasriver.org to see if there are spots available 2 weeks prior to date.

Saturday, August 27 – Let’s Paddle the Kaw! Come join us for a paddle on the Kaw from DeSoto to Cedar Creek from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. We ask for a $30 donation for a paddle spot, kids in the middle of a canoe ride free! RSVP to the Riverkeeper at riverkeeper@kansasriver.org. We must have 16 paddlers reserved to have the trip! Sign up today!

Saturday, September 10 – Jayhawk Audubon Society! Come join us for a paddle on the Kaw from Lecompton to Lawrence from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm. Contact Riverkeeper: riverkeeper@kansasriver.org to see if there are spots available 2 weeks prior to date.

Saturday, September 17 – Homes to Watershed Paddle! Details to come!

Saturday, September 24 – Great KAW Adventure Race! All day event of running, biking and paddling the KAW! Event is from Eudora to DeSoto and back….mark you calendar!

Saturday, October 1 – UMKC Geology Class Paddle Trip from DeSoto to Cedar Creek, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Contact Riverkeeper: riverkeeper@kansasriver.org to see if there are spots available 2 weeks prior to date.

Sunday, October 2 – SMUUCH Paddle Trip from DeSoto to Cedar Creek, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Contact Riverkeeper: riverkeeper@kansasriver.org to see if there are spots available 2 weeks prior to date.

Astronomy & Wine is BACK!! Two dates this year….come join us Friday, October 7 or Saturday, October 8 for wine under the stars! Tickets will go on sale July 1^st! Stay tuned for details!

Saturday, October 8 – Sierra Club! Come join us for a paddle on the Kaw from St. George to Wamego from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. We ask for a $30 donation for a paddle spot, kids in the middle of a canoe ride free! RSVP to the Riverkeeper at riverkeeper@kansasriver.org. We must have 16 paddlers reserved to have the trip! Sign up today!

Saturday, October 15 – Let’s Paddle the Kaw! Come join us for a paddle on the Kaw from Wamego to Belvue from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. We ask for a $30 donation for a paddle spot, kids in the middle of a canoe ride free! RSVP to the Riverkeeper at riverkeeper@kansasriver.org. We must have 16 paddlers reserved to have the trip! Sign up today!

Saturday, October 29 – Little Apple GLOW Paddle…details to come. Contact Marcia Rozell to reserve your spot…. 785-537-3030 marcia@manhattan.org.

Sunday, November 6 – “Beers of the Kaw”, a beer tasting event at Abe & Jake’s Landing, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm….save the date!

Come join us on all of our paddle trips if you have your own canoe or kayak….just RSVP with the Riverkeeper so you can learn about the logistics. We will always kindly take a donation to help cover costs and further our work on the Kansas River! For all of our paddle trips other than the FREE events, we ask for a $30 donation for a paddle spot. Children in the middle of a canoe ride for free. All money donated through our paddle programs benefits the Kansas River!

For more information, call 785 312 7200 or visit our web site at www.kansasriver.org. Must RSVP for paddle trips….email: riverkeeper@kansasriver.org for reservation. Sign up for our newsletter on our website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter under FRIENDS OF THE KAW.

We need volunteers like YOU for our Paddle Experiences with the

Boys & Girls Club!

Freedom Frontier Paddling Experiences with Boys & Girls Club:

These are paddling experiences that we do with the Boys & Girls Club. We have 3 stations where the kids rotate. One is to seine for macros, do freddie the fish activity, and then paddle in the canoes/kayaks. For all dates we need some paddlers. In this role you will be in a canoe or kayak with a young person and teach them how to boat around the lake. We will need 4-5 helpers at each event. Let me know if you can help with any of these great events! For all events, Dawn, Laura & Kate will be there. Thanks!

Tuesday, July 12 – Independence Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – shelter by the boat ramp at Lake Lenexa

Tuesday, July 19 – Independence Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – shelter by the boat ramp at Lake Lenexa

Wednesday, July 20 – Manhattan Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – Reserve Shelter 1 at Lake Shawnee

Tuesday, July 26 – KCK Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – Beach Shelter at Wy Co Lake

Wednesday, July 27 – Olathe Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – shelter by the boat ramp at Lake Lenexa

RSVP to the Riverkeeper at 785.312.7200 or email: riverkeeper@kansasriver.org!

Did you see that George Frazier’s new book is out? “The Last Wild Places of Kansas”….get your copy today! Lots of great information on Kansas outdoor adventures, including the Kansas River!

The Last Wild Places of Kansas is the first book since Dave Murphy’s Paddling Kansas to take a deep look into issues related to the rivers of Kansas. The book tells the almost scandalous story of the Meek vs. Hayes supreme court case which led to the strange situation where almost every Kansas river – except the Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas rivers and certain short stream segments above public reservoirs – are “renegade streams.” To legally float these streams, you need to get permission from every landowner on both sides for your entire float (in the book the author tries to do just that on the upper Marais de Cygnes). Luckily, our state’s riparian jewel, the Kaw, isn’t blacklisted. The book chronicles a float of the upper Kaw during the flood of 2009 to retrace the footsteps of eccentric French explorer Etienne de Veniard Sieur de Bourgmont deep into the homeland of the Kansa tribe in 1724. It also tracks the resurgence of the Kaw in the last 20 years, including interviews with former river keeper Laura Calwell, legendary Kansas paddler T.J. Hittle, and many others.

Filed Under: Newsletters

Topeka Gives and South Steps

June 7, 2016 by tglidewell /

Join us and celebrate charitable giving at

Topeka Gives!

The Topeka Community Foundation will provide $73,500.00 in “match” money for contributions made to support 158 different nonprofit organizations in the community, including our own Friends of the Kaw! This is a kid-friendly, hands-on event with activities for all.

Event date: Tuesday, June 7^rd, 2016

Time: 7am – 6pm

Place: Inside Fairlawn Plaza Mall – 21^st St & Fairlawn

For additional information, contact the Topeka Community Foundation at 785-272-4804

Stop by and see us!

South Steps on Friday!

Come by and see us at the Kansas State Capitol on Friday, June 10th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

We need volunteers like YOU for our Paddle Experiences with the

Boys & Girls Club!

Freedom Frontier Paddling Experiences with Boys & Girls Club:

Thursday, June 9 – Topeka Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – Reserve Shelter 1 at Lake Shawnee

Thursday, June 16 – Topeka Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – Reserve Shelter 1 at Lake Shawnee

Tuesday, June 28 – KCMO Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – shelter by the boat ramp at Lake Lenexa

Wednesday, June 29 – Lawrence Group (1:00 pm to 3:00 pm) – shelter by the boat ramp at Lake Lenexa

Tuesday, July 12 – Independence Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – shelter by the boat ramp at Lake Lenexa

Tuesday, July 19 – Independence Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – shelter by the boat ramp at Lake Lenexa

Wednesday, July 20 – Manhattan Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – Reserve Shelter 1 at Lake Shawnee

Tuesday, July 26 – KCK Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – Beach Shelter at Wy Co Lake

Wednesday, July 27 – Olathe Group (10:00 am to 1:30 pm) – shelter by the boat ramp at Lake Lenexa

RSVP to the Riverkeeper at 785.312.7200 or email: riverkeeper@kansasriver.org!

Filed Under: Newsletters

FOK Receives Grants and Last Wild Places of Kansas Book

June 7, 2016 by tglidewell /

We have been awarded several grants this spring….we are going to be busy!

Mid America Regional Council – $,1778 to initiate our Adopt-A-Boat Ramp Program in Wyandotte County.

Unified Government of Wyandotte County – $5,000 for stormwater education in Wyandotte County.

Douglas County Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant – $13,230 to Cleanup, Restore and Fish the Kaw in Douglas County

REI, Seattle, WA – $5,000 for Kansas River cleanups.

Thank you to all of these great organizations for the opportunities to take care of our Kansas River and educate!

Did you see that George Frazier’s new book is out? “The Last Wild Places of Kansas”….get your copy today! Lots of great information on Kansas outdoor adventures, including the Kansas River!

Filed Under: Newsletters

Get your Wild & Scenic film festival tickets!

May 3, 2016 by tglidewell /

Wild & Scenic Film Festival

The seventh annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival is right around the corner! This year’s event features food, music, raffles, and nine films. Buy your tickets today!