Chasing the Channel – Blog No. 21

Chasing the Channel – Blog No. 21

I went out on the river over the weekend just before the sleet and snow arrived.  I did catch some of the wind at the end of the trip, but otherwise the weather was pretty nice for March in Kansas.  Kicked off at St. George after getting some pizza from Willie’s Hideout (if you know, you know).  Made it about 6 miles downstream and camped for the night at a side island bar that we call Steve’s Back Porch.  Long story, but I think every sandbar has a story!  We stayed pretty sheltered out of the wind except for the hour when the wind shifted and rattled the tent flaps.  Otherwise, it was a beautiful night with great temperatures.  The next morning, we took off for Belvue, about 14 miles downstream.  The sun came out, it got warm and we shed some layers and had lunch on Comet View Sandbar (another story).  The only part of the trip that felt like a heavy lift was the last ¼ mile into Belvue when the big winds hit.  Let’s say my paddle arms got an early start to the season!

Well, by now you should have heard the news if you watch our social media that the mega water bill, House Bill 2686, was gutted by a substitute bill in the House Water Committee last week on March 1.  If you want to read up on the latest, you can follow our friends at Kansas Rural Center and their Policy Watch.  The bill was not a perfect bill, but was an attempt by the House Water Committee to solve many of the problems that they heard over the course of two years of hearings.  Obviously, there were many different opinions about the bill.  Whatever your thoughts are, the bottom line is that we need to find solutions that find common ground.  You know, the place in the middle where we can all agree.  I am known as an optimist, and I know that, but hear me out.  The only way we can find solutions to the water issues in Kansas is to work together.  I don’t know much about politics, but I do know a thing or two about building partnerships and community consensus.  I think the path forward must be rooted in building trust, learning more about the different demands for water and move forward on that.  There will be those that say there is no place to agree – and to that I say, that mindset is part of the problem and not part of the solution.  Step one is to be willing to have an open mind and think about things from another’s perspective.  So, let’s start there.  We need a grassroots effort that includes everyone. 

On to more fun topics, like our events coming up.  Did you see that we are bringing back Bones of the Kaw?  Remember, we had this scheduled just days after the COVID shutdown.  Thanks to KU Natural History Museum, we are partnering to bring it back!  This event is free to our members (it quickly sold out, but we hope to release more tickets soon).  Coming up later this year, is Fish of the Kaw in June, Prairies of the Kaw in September, and Otters & Beavers of the Kaw in December.  You can look at all of our events on our calendar here:  https://kansasriver.org/eventcalendar/

Still thinking about joining us as a Kaw River Guide?  Don’t hesitate and join us for our annual Kaw River Guide Workshop. Maybe you are nervous, don’t think you are ready, or are concerned about meeting new people.  I’m here to tell ya – all are welcome. We do our best to create an atmosphere that is inclusive and welcoming.  You don’t have to have it all figured out – you can learn along the way just like the rest of us did.  Just take the first step and come out on the river with us!  If you have questions, call or email me and I’m happy to visit with you about the program. 

Big, fun events coming up this year with themed paddle trips including our first one in May called “Bugs, Biodiversity & the Kaw” where you can join us on a paddle with Dr. Greg Zolnerowich, Entomologist with K-State, or a Water Quality Testing Paddle Trip with our very own Education Coordinator, Denise Kidder!  Later in the summer, we will paddle with the Jayhawk Audubon Society to learn all about Birds on the Kaw.  So many fun things to do, thanks to our partners.  All of our events will open about 6 weeks out and we will notify via our newsletter, so stay tuned.

First up are two big cleanups that we do every year.  The annual Manhattan Battery Case Cleanup and the Kansas River Cleanup in Lawrence (details coming soon).  Who doesn’t love a good cleanup? 

In the meantime, we are gearing up for spring by getting our gear repaired and ready to go.  Please consider donating to our Wish List – we need just 6 more new kayaks to complete our wish list for new gear for our Educational Paddle Program.  Thanks to you, we are almost there!  We also are in need of about $2,000 for our Kids About Water Program for new gear and training.  Please consider a donation to our programs to educate! 

I think that’s it for now – so much going on with our river that it is hard to put it all into words.  I did promise our late friend, Rolland Love, that I would continue to write my thoughts about the work we do for the river in a blog post.  Rolland passed away in January and was such a bright light to all that knew him.  Hilarious, kind, wicked sense of humor – and he always, always, always encouraged me to write.  So here I am, thanks to Rolland and I will keep doing my best to write about our journey.

I hope to see you soon on the river.  Join us – somehow, some way. 

May you always have sand in your shoes.

For the river,
Dawn Buehler

Kansas Riverkeeper