By Elaine Giessel, Sierra Club Kansas Chapter
Fighting for improved management of water resources is a priority for the Kansas Chapter. Our goals are to make clean and affordable water accessible to all Kansans, to protect wildlife habitat, and to provide safe recreational opportunities.
- We provided input on the latest Kansas Water Plan, the initial draft of which failed to address adequately the impacts of climate change or the need for providing ecological flows for Kansas wildlife.
- The Chapter has been involved in litigation for years to get the State to address water quality degradation resulting from the disposal of wastes from livestock facilities.
- We will continue to lobby in Topeka for measures to ensure that the many agencies responsible for managing water are held accountable and committed to conserving the resource for future generations.
Nationally, the Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels Colorado River Task Force is working with multiple federal and state agencies, tribes, and stakeholders to produce a new Colorado River Management Plan. Water Sentinels | Sierra Club
The Colorado River negotiations include seven states and reflect the region’s struggle with increasing water demands, the climate crisis and groundwater management based on senior vs. junior water rights. Because the players have been willing to compromise, some progress has been made. The Fate of the West’s Water Crisis Rests With a 27-Year-Old - POLITICO
As in Kansas, the conflicts are many: thriving urban areas vs big agricultural interests, preservation of wildlife habitat, and recognition of tribal rights. Let’s hope that the work being done in the Colorado River basin can help us resolve the issues here in Kansas.