Join us for our Catfish  Fry
and  Annual Dinner!  

Thursday, September 24, 2015. Proceeds benefit
Friends of the Kaw!

Have you stood on the edge of your Kansas River and experienced its beauty?  Do you know that the Kansas River is 173 miles long and runs from
Junction City to Kaw Point in Kansas City, Kansas and provides recreation, fishing, wildlife viewing, and camping on its sandbars?  Do you also know that the Kansas River is a source of drinking water for over 800,000 Kansans?

These are just a few of the many reasons why it is important to keep our river clean and healthy.  Luckily for Kansans, Friends of the Kaw and the Kansas Riverkeeper act as full time advocates for the Kansas River, working hard to protect and preserve it for future generations.  In order to continue this advocacy, we need your help.  With issues such as dredging, stormwater runoff, industrial pollution, and everything else that happens in our watershed, there is a constant threat to a healthy river system and your support is critical.

You can support Friends of the Kaw and the Kansas Riverkeeper by attending our Catfish Fry and Annual Dinner on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at Abe & Jake’s on the river in Lawrence.  Doors open at 5:45 pm. This year we are combining the Catfish Fry and the Annual Dinner and we will also be thanking Laura Calwell for her years of service as the Kansas Riverkeeper.

For only $20 you will enjoy a catfish dinner, a live band, and an auction!  To purchase tickets:

Buy online here (please note “catfish fry” in the comments area) or at abejakes.com

Visit Terrebonne Café

Mail a check to Friends of the Kaw, PO Box 1612, Lawrence, KS 66044

Call the Riverkeeper at  785.312.7200

Join us for a night of fun and conversation about the Kaw!  Support our work and have a great evening!  Thank you for your support!

What’s happening at Friends of the Kaw?

There is a lot happening at FOK, that’s for sure! I hope this note finds you all doing well, having enjoyed summer as we prepare for fall. Speaking of the seasons, after a very wet spring and summer, we are finally back out on the river! We have floats scheduled almost every Saturday and Sunday through the end of October. Check out below our list of floats and RSVP to reserve your spot! Fall is typically a beautiful time to be on the river…and we look forward to a great season and hope you will join us. We also have opportunities to volunteer – at events, floats, in the office – whatever you can do to help, send me an email or call the office! I’m looking forward to meeting more of you as time goes on…as always, contact me if you have questions or want to join us in any way. ~RK

Here are a few things that we want to keep you informed about:

* SAVE THE DATE! The yearly Catfish Fry is being combined with the Annual Dinner and this year’s big event will be Thursday, September 24 at Abe & Jake’s Landing in Lawrence, Kansas. Food provided by Terrebonne! Stay tuned…we will send out a special announcement when tickets are on sale and we hope to see you there!

* The Great Kaw Adventure Race on Saturday, September 26, 2015! This is a new race that has been developed by the City of Eudora and the City of DeSoto to highlight their communities and the beautiful Kansas River! Friends of the Kaw is a sponsor of the event and a beneficiary as well. This year we need to provide 10 volunteers – 5 at the boat ramp to help unload and load boats and equipment; 5 volunteers to be on the water in a kayak to offer assistance as needed. If you can volunteer, please contact your Riverkeeper!

* The Corps of Engineers is still accepting written comment on the Environmental Impact Statement through September 15!

Here is the float list – RSVP to the Riverkeeper!

Saturday, September 12 – Haskell and UMKC Science Class Floats – Eudora to DeSoto. Contact Dawn to inquire about available boat rentals for this float after September 4 or for more information.

Sunday, September 13 – Cleanup Float – Cedar Creek to Edwardsville, 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. We will provide 5 canoes and 5 double kayaks at no cost on a first come first serve basis but participants MUST RSVP with Dawn or at 785 312 7200. This is an activity of our Mid American Regional Council Grant.

Saturday, September 19 – Float with the Kansas Master Naturalist from DeSoto to Cedar Creek, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. Contact Dawn to inquire about available boat rentals for this float after September 4 or for more information.

Sunday, September 20 – Kansas Women’s Environmental Network Float from Lecompton to Lawrence from 11:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Contact Dawn to inquire about available boat rentals for this float after September 4 or for more information.

Saturday, September 26 – The Kaw Adventure Race from Eudora to DeSoto. Volunteers Needed! Stay tuned for details and contact Dawn if you can help!

Sunday, September 27 – Cleanup Float – Turner to Kaw Point, 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. We will provide 5 canoes and 5 double kayaks at no cost on a first come first serve basis but participants MUST RSVP with Dawn or at 785 312 7200. This is an activity of our Unified Government of Wyandotte County Grant. This float is full!

Tuesday, September 29 – Kansas Dept. of Wildlife Parks & Tourism Float from Manhattan to St. George from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. Contact Dawn to inquire about available boat rentals for this float after September 20 or for more information.

Saturday, October 3 – Konza Rotary Float in Manhattan area from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Contact Dawn to inquire about available boat rentals for this float after September 20 or for more information.

Sunday, October 4 – Cleanup Float – Edwardsville to Turner, 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. We will provide 5 canoes and 5 double kayaks at no cost on a first come first serve basis but participants MUST RSVP with Dawn or at 785 312 7200. This is an activity of our Unified Goverment Stormwater Education Grant.

Saturday, October 10 – Topeka Sierra Club Float – Wamego to Belvue, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Contact Dawn to inquire about available boat rentals for this float after October 1 or for more information.

Sunday, October 11 – Shawnee Mission Unitarian Fellowship Float from DeSoto to Cedar Creek from 1:oo pm to 5:00 pm. Contact Dawn to inquire about available boat rentals for this float after October 1 or for more information.

Saturday, October 17 – Lawrence High and Free State High Science Class Float from DeSoto to Cedar Creek from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Contact Dawn to inquire about available boat rentals for this float after October 7 or for more information.

Sunday, October 18- Mission Community Float from DeSoto to Cedar Creek, 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm . Contact Dawn to inquire about available boat rentals for this float after October 1 or for more information.

Saturday, October 24 – Jersey Creek Tributary Cleanup, Kansas City, Kansas, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Stay tuned for details and contact the Riverkeeper if you can help!

Friends of the Kaw Members and Supporters ~ You can submit written comment through September 15

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of commercial dredging of sand and gravel from the Kansas River in the State of Kansas. 

 The existing permits for dredging, last issued in 2007, allowed for a potential annual total of 3,150,000 tons of materials to be extracted from the Kansas River. The current DA permits originally scheduled to expire on December 31, 2012 were indefinitely extended until after completion of an EIS. Five applicants are currently requesting to extract 1,900,000 tons of material per year from the river at eight locations.

Submit written comments by September 15.  Then there will be another very important opportunity for public comments when the public notice comes out with the draft Environmental Impact Statement.  We expect that to happen in late 2015 or early 2016. 

Submit Written Comments:  Questions and comments regarding the proposed action and EIS should be addressed to Mr. Brian Donahue, Regulatory Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 601 East 12th Street, Room 402, Kansas City, MO 64106; (816) 389-3703; brian.t.donahue@usace.army.mil. For special needs (visual or hearing impaired, Spanish translation, etc.) requests during the scoping meetings, please call Brian Donahue by July 20, 2015.

The Federal Register Notice can be viewed here.

Read more about how dredging affects the river on the Stop Dredging page of our site.

https://kansasriver.org/136638/