EVERYTHING Recycling Event

Saturday, October 26th, from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
6800 W 95th Street, Overland Park
KS

Do you have excess stuff? Get rid of it in a responsible manner at this recycling extravaganza!This Saturday in Overland Park Everything except household hazardous waste will be recyclable. This includes: paper shredding(small fee), electronics(small fee for TVs and monitors), clothing, household goods, gently used shoes, fabric, bicycles, usable construction materials, cell phones, medications, and more!
recycle
For more information please visit the Overland Park Government website. Also, please note that National Prescription Drug Take-back Day is also on the 26th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and there will be LOTS of locations to safely dispose of your unused prescription drugs.  To learn more about how improper medication disposal is destructive watch this awesome video. To find locations, and for more information about drug take back day click here.

October Follow-Up

Bras Across the Kaw

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

If you had to do a doubletake while crossing the Kansas River bridge near Lawrence last month, you are not alone! In October hundreds of decorated bras were spread out across the bridge to publicize Breast Cancer Awareness Month and promote Health Care Access. To learn more about the bras are hanging above the Kaw click here.

Catfish Fry

Special thanks to Abe & Jake’s and Terrebone Café

The catfish fry at Abe & Jake’s was a fun and beautiful evening on the banks of the Kaw! The food from Terrebone Café was delicious, the music by the Brody Buster Band was hopping, and the art on display was beautiful. Thanks to all who attended, and to all of our wonderful sponsors and attendants.

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Thank you sponsors! Abe & Jake’s, Bowersock Hydropower, Cromwell Solar, Westar Energy, and O’Malley Beverage.

The Perfect Crime

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The Crime

Earlier this month a story broke into national headlines that Junction City had been robbed of a significant amount of water, and was missing 30 percent more water than it was allotted.  Junction City draws its water supply from alluvial wells on the Republican River below Milford reservoir, and just before this river enters the Kaw.

Simultaneously, as hydrologic thievery occurred in Junction City, another “crime” was witnessed 173 miles down stream at Kaw Point. Stormwater pollution, likely caused from an overwhelmed combined sewer system, has been contributing to raw sewage and other pollutants ending up in the Kansas River. A Strawberry Hill Resident that frequents Kaw Point and fishes the Kaw regularly witnessed the pollution. In his account (see last email newsletter) the resident describes the pollution with devastating accuracy, and provides clues to the source of the pollution.

The Victims
Like many municipalities; Junction City depends on the Kansas River system for vital needs. Topeka, Eudora, De Soto, and many other cities and towns also depend on the river as their only source of water. Other key users of Kansas River water include Jeffery’s Energy Center, The Lawrence Energy Center, the Bowersock Mills & Power Company, and the Tecumseh Energy Center. These power plants produce most of the energy for northeast Kansas, and require a minimum flow to cover their needs. Farmers, ranchers, fisherman, river recreationists, wildlife, plants, and many others depend on a steady supply of clean water from the Kaw to survive. In total 40 percent of Kansas depends on the River. All of these groups, and the groups that depend on their success, have depended on dwindling minimum flows over the last year of drought. Water in Kansas is a precious resource, and its being “stolen” and damaged is a serious fact that cannot be ignored.
The Perpetrator

An aging water infrastructure is causing harm to many citizens that depend on the Kansas River. In Junction City much of the missing water turned out not to be stolen by crooks, but by a degrading system of water meters. Over the next two years the city will try to replace more than 9,000 meters for thewater-infrastructure 3 cities 23,000 person population. The process is estimated to cost between one and two million dollars, and will be largely financed through rate increases. Even with the new meters, the water loss rate could still be greater than 15 percent.

In Kansas City, near Kaw Point the Environmental Protection Agency has settled two cases with the cities of Kansas City, Missouri and the Unified Government of Kansas City, Kansas. Both Clean Water Act settlements addressed the thousands of illegal stormwater overflows that have occurred over the past decades caused by out dated sewer systems. Both cities are being forced to update their sewer and stormwater systems, but have nearly two and a half decades to complete this task.
The Punishment

Until we can get these infrastructure issues fixed. Citizens that depend on the Kaw will continue to be “punished” by rate increases, lack of water, and degraded water quality. The problems are numerous, but not overwhelming.

It is important for individuals to realize the importance of fresh water as a drinking supply. Although about 70 percent of the earth’s surface is covered in water, only 2.5 percent is freshwater. Out of that freshwater, more than 68 percent is frozen in glaciers and ice caps. That leaves less than one percent of all water on earth (ground water and surface water) available as fresh water that can be relatively easily converted to drinking water. Continually degrading infrastructure causes water to be wasted at an alarmlingly high rate. Seven billion gallons of fresh water are lost every day in the United States.

Sewage in the Kaw

Raw Sewage Is Ending Up In Our River.
Stormwater pollution, likely caused from an overwhelmed combined sewer system, has been contributing to raw sewage and other pollutants ending up in the Kansas River. The situation was recently brought to Friends of the Kaw’s attention by a Strawberry Hill Resident that frequents Kaw Point and fishes the Kaw regularly. In his account the resident describes the pollution with devastating accuracy.

“When I reached the bank, I saw the usual trash, styrofoam, plastic etc. floating on this ‘slick’. Then I saw a feminine pad, and lots of toilet paper.

This disgusting first hand account is all to familiar. The EPA, the Unified Government of Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri have been working on long term solutions to this problem. Despite this action, the current situation is still far from favorable, and has been a problem for many years.It is important more people know the water they are drinking comes from polluted waterways. It seems ridiculous that approximately 2.5 billion gallons’ of sewage from Kansas City (Karen Dillon, Kansas City Star) ends up in the river each year.
“The water they are drinking, and giving their children to drink, came from a waterway containing used toilet paper, used feminine products, used condoms, and all the other stuff that is flushed down a toilet including 2.5 billion gallons of raw sewage each year.”
All of us should be conscious of how our actions impact the environment, and  how our actions collectively impact our community. Please report pollution in your community, and do what you can to prevent it from impacting our river.
KawPointCT

Best Mangement Practices

What can you do to reduce stormwater runoff?

Johnson County residents have access to many resources to assist them in meeting the requirements of municipal stormwater offices. In this area you will find Best Management practices for Homeowners, Developers, and Agricultural Producers that provide guidance on reducing runoff and improving the quality of the water carried away from your home and yard.

Working together we can protect our homes from flooding and make sure that we always have healthy rivers and clean and abundant drinking water supplies.

Is my home in the Kansas River Watershed?

Below is an interactive Google Map which shows that a large part of Johnson County (outlined in red) falls in the Lower Kansas River Watershed (outlined by the purple line). In fact, the northern border of the county is created by the Kansas River, which separates Johnson County from Wyandotte and Leavenworth Counties (and prevents JoCo from being a perfect square). If you live in the Johnson County portion of the Kansas River watershed your activities have a huge impact on the Kaw. Please help us reduce damage from polluted stormwater by following the suggestions in this section of our site.

 


View Kansas River Watershed in a larger map

 

 

USDA CRP

Conservation Reserve Program

Pervious Pavement

Go to original website

Healthy Yards Stormwater Management

Rain Wizards

Karin Pagel Meiners

A Case Study in Managing Stormwater Runoff in a Residential Neighborhood

 

In response to repeated problems with basement flooding, Karin took matters into her own hands and got serious about managing stormwater on her property. Here’s her report:

I have two 65 gallon Rainwater Urns I ordered from Gardeners’ Supply Company and three 300 gallon Good Ideas Rain Wizard Rain Barrels I ordered directly from the manufacturer. Both companies have wonderful customer service.

Since it’s winter I unfortunately don’t have photos of the Urns in place.  (I drain them in the fall and

store them in the garage over winter.)  But here’s the space between my two garage doors in the front of the house where one of the urns usually stand.  I should probably reattach the longer downspout so water doesn’t splash on the siding when it rains in the winter months.

Since it’s the front of the house I wanted something more attractive than the rain barrels I was finding locally.  I’m very happy with the ones I got from Gardeners’ Supply Company, even though they are a bit pricey (the latest catalog lists them as $219 plus $20 extra shipping).  They have an overflow valve so when it really pours the excess water simply flows down the driveway and into the street.  I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on how nice it looks.  The recessed basin on top is for displaying a potted plant.  It’s so hot on the south side of the house that I’m not sure what would survive there.  Here’s the urn in the garage.

Here’s where the second urn sets.
Jayhawk Guttering did a very nice job of installing the

downspouts.  There’s a little switch where the downspout splits.  When the urn is full, I just divert the water underground, under the patio, out onto the yard.

I pulled out the white cap so you can see where the water diverts to.

I have a similar set-up for the Rain Wizards.  The main downspout splits into two.  One downspout goes to the rain barrel and the other carries the water underground out onto the front lawn minimizing erosion.

Here’s the Rain Wizard on the west side of the house.  It’s big!  But I think it’s kind o

f cute for holding 300 gallons.

It has a flat back design so that it can be pretty close to the house.  I have this barrel rather far so that I can get at the water spigots on the house corner.

Here’s the overflow valve, which is pretty much useless in a Kansas downpour.

I love the fact that there are two spigots.  I can use the top one for filling watering cans.  Both, of course, can have a hose attached, but the lower one allows me to get the barrel pretty empty for the winter.  These, by the way, were not cheap either:  $400-$500 each.  But I like having this much water.

Same set-up on the east side with the split downspouts.

The downspout splits again between the two barrels.  I initially tried to connect the two barrels, so that when one is full the water flows over to the other one, but found that a small hose couldn’t accommodate Kansas downpours.  Jerod Nieder from Jayhawk Guttering was very good about implementing my design.

I have these closer to the house.  The underground downspout empties out onto the front lawn.  You can see a bit of it before it goes underground on this photo.

I also have a so-called French drain on the east side of the house to handle water runoff from the neighbors uphill.  You can’t really see what’s happening from a photo, though, it just looks like a path of rocks.  So, no photos of that.