Dear Friend,

Let me start off by thanking you for being a part of Friends of the Kaw in 2017 and supporting the work we do to protect the Kansas River!  Your support is truly how our work happens and we are grateful to you for your continued partnership for the river.

2017 kicked off with some of our regular activities as we worked to promote recreation and engage people about the river and our work to protect it. This included our annual Volunteer Paddle Workshop, tabling events such as Earth Day, our Kids About Water (KAW) Classes, and many cleanups along the banks of the Kansas River.

We were successful in obtaining a grant that funded the Kansas River Inventory this summer. Our work is not yet complete but we have already inventoried a portion of the river – documenting the places that need cleaned up, erosion points, and concrete rip-rap along the banks. We will use this data to help us make decisions about future grant programs and projects along the river.

Additional success this year included the inclusion of the Kansas River into the Sustainable Rivers Program. This is a partnership between the Corps of Engineers and The Nature Conservancy Kansas to manage for more ecological flows on the river. We are happy to be a partner in this long-term project and look forward to the potential benefits that this can provide to all users of the river.

In September, the Corps of Engineers released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will ultimately decide whether or not to renew dredging permits on the Kaw. We expect a Record of Decision to come out soon that will detail the decision by the Corps of Engineers.

The Kansas Riverkeeper is a member of the Kansas River Regional Advisory Committee. This committee was established by the Kansas Water Authority in conjunction with the Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water in Kansas. The role of the committee is to advise the Kansas Water Office and the Kansas Water Authority in identification of water-related problems, issues and concerns within the Kansas River region. The Committee has been busy in 2017 finalizing action plans for the region’s water quality and water supply goals. Dawn Buehler, our Kansas Riverkeeper, has done a tremendous job representing the Kansas River on this committee.

Lastly, I would like to ask you to send your tax-deductible gift today and help us to remove dredging operations from our river, advocate for water quality, educate youth and adults, demand enforcement of the Clean Water Act, and represent the Kansas River in discussions that impact our state. Consider giving a membership as a holiday gift, or become a Sustaining Member. Over 800,000 Kansans depend on the Kaw for drinking water, and the river is home to many native plants and animals. The river has been designated a National Water Trail and is arguably the superior outdoor experience for the region.

Thank you for your continued support of Friends of the Kaw and the Kansas Riverkeeper. Together we are protecting our river for present and future generations.

Warm regards,

Mark Dugan, President

Beautiful day to be on the Kaw! FOK is out with Professor Burgin and Grad Student Michelle KU Environmental Studies Program and Kansas Biological Survey and KU Field Station to take nitrogen samples as part of a research program and to test for the Lawrence release of nitrogen contaminated groundwater from the old Farmland site to the Kansas River. #kansasriver