The “Balancing Water Quality and Smart Growth Goals Toolkit” CD-ROM is a compilation of valuable resources and ideas, including a new webcast called Protecting Water Quality While Meeting Smart Growth Goals. The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) has brought these resources together to help local government managers and planning and environmental professionals determine how they can connect their efforts to reach important community goals. On LGEAN Site

The CD-ROM toolkit includes more than 50 resources, including webcasts, presentations, fact sheets, publications, case studies, and Web links to online resource collections and news articles and sources. To download toolkit’s content list, click the “For more information” link below.

To order your free copy of the CD-ROM, send a request by email to lgean@icma.org. Be sure to include your name, mailing address, and phone number. Please reference the “Balancing Water Quality and Smart Growth Toolkit” in your subject line.

For more information Contact: lgean@icma.org

What’s New keeps local government officials abreast of current environmental funding opportunities, federal policy updates, important legislative activities, new reports and publications, and other available tools and resources.

Spring in Kansas is notoriously unpredictable - the variability is part of what we love about it here but geez, winter just doesn’t want to let go. It’s starting to impact our field season. The Wetland Learners event scheduled for last Friday had to be postponed.

We’re still all systems go for Lawrence’s Rain Shower’s to Water Towers event tomorrow but I’m definitely going with the layered look.

Wild Birds Unlimited in Shawnee, Kansas, has stocked up on copies of Exploring the Kaw Valley. These are now officially out of print so catch ‘em while you can! As many of you will recall this book, authored by Lynn Byczynski and dedicated to KVHA’s founder Joyce Wolf, has a series of annotated driving loops of natural and cultural interests in the Kansas River Valley.

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The last event in the Westport to Wakarusa Poetry series is set to take place next Thursday, 4/24, at the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum at the Haskell Indian Nations University 7 to 9 pm. Smokey McKinney and Ken Lassman will be sharing some of their writing and insights. The poetry series is a KVHA Partner Project with the Lawrence Poetry Community.

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From Johnson County, Kansas Homepage January 2008
Funding for construction of a Riverfront Park overlooking the Kansas River in De Soto was approved Thursday, January 24, by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners.

The Board authorized $56,685 from the county’s Stream Maintenance Fund for public improvements in connection with the new park. Vote to approve the funding request was unanimous by the Board.

The Stream Maintenance Fund receives royalty payments from sand removed from the Kansas River as it flows through Johnson County. The funds can be used for the cleaning and maintenance of the river upon approval of the Kansas Division of Water Resources and for development of public park lands along tributaries of and along the Kansas River.

The fund was last used in 1996 and 1997 by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District to construct a boat ramp near Cedar Creek.

Thursday’s funding authorization by the Board will be used by the city of De Soto to help finance phase one of its 50-acre Riverfront Park located along the banks of the river with a connection at Ottawa Street. The site of the park is on property of the former commercial sand dredging business operated by the Kaw Sand Company in the 1990s.

De Soto’s concept plan of the park includes a stage for festivals, concerts, and other attractions; hiking and biking trails; an informational kiosk or monument with De Soto history; picnic shelters; playground equipment, including a disc-golf course and sand volleyball area; parking areas, including a site for recreational vehicles; public bathrooms; and shower facilities for campers and RV users.

The first phase of the project now is under way, including site clearing and rough grading for the regional festival and concert viewing area to accommodate up to 2,500 visitors. That work is expected to be completed by mid-February.

Construction of a performing stage overlooking the Kansas River, grass seeding, and final grading work will start in March with completion by early summer. The first concert in the new Riverfront Park is scheduled October 11, featuring a Blues and Barbecue Festival.

Other work in the first phase, with an estimated cost of $700,000, will involve construction of the loop drive snaking through the park, public parking areas, a storm water system, and potable water system along with installation of electrical service and an irrigation pump to provide water from the river to irrigate grass, trees, and plantings at the park.

The project, which is the first Johnson County park along the banks of the Kansas River, is being developed in five phases by the city over five years with a final estimated cost of $3.5 million.

Funds for new Riverfront Park in De Soto authorized

Project Updates:~> Kaw Valley Voices - The interviews were recorded and transcribed between 1996 and 2003. A traveling display was developed and used during KVHA’s ‘96 Rollin’ Down the River Festival. We’re ready to digitally produce the materials.

~> River Roots series - Catfish Cookies was published as an extension of Kaw Valley Voices with the intention of publishing additional books that blend creative writing short stories with river centered environmental history.

~> Poetry Series - In January we launched a series of poetry readings and discussions to look at environmental futures from a past, present, and future perspective. The readings are being video and audio recorded.~> Wetland Learners video - We’re also working on producing a short video to document Wetland Learners next spring.

~> Special Summer Event - Junish? The idea is to have a showing of the video and to showcase some of the other projects that have happened this year. This is intended to be a fundraising celebration - maybe some kind of an auction, music, some food…

~> River of Words - Next fall we should be ready to introduce a homespun version of the River of Words program as a Wetland Learners extension.

~> Wings Over the Wakarusa - With any luck we’ll be able to incorporate some of the above in a second River Roots book called “Wings Over the Wakarusa”. Ideally we’ll be ready to go to print in September so it’s ready for Christmas ‘08.

Note: “Noodling” was historically a common practice in the Kansas River. There a many tall tales and stories of unfortunate outcomes of this approach to catching prized cats. The Natural History Museum at KU has a wonderful exhibit about fishing on the Kaw. According to local Lawrence lore, Jake… was dragged to his death by a “grand-daddy” cat in 18xx. Jake and his fishing partner, Abe, have been cast in bronze in sculpture at river front restaurant (what else… but) Abe & Jakes, in downtown Lawrence. Abe & Jake’s overlooks “Rock Island”, the setting for KVHA’s River Roots book Catfish Cookies. -ALR

From The Topeka Capitol Journal July 8, 2007

>>Imagine wading through waist or even chest-deep water, feeling with your feet and hands as you go. You encounter a hole and your heart rate quickens. You take a deep breath and submerge to the entrance of the hole, sticking your hand slowly inside. All of a sudden and without warning, a huge catfish chomps on your hand and the battle is on. Sound like fun? Depending on your perspective it could be, but most people have another word for it.”Different areas of the country call it different things,” said Fostana Jenkins of the typical terminology of fishing with your hands. “Some call it noodling, tickling, hogging, grabbling, but the number one thing is probably CRAZY!”

To read this article, please visit:
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/070807/out_183059434.shtml

 The first-ever handfishing season in Kansas opened June 15 and will run through the end of August. Two locations are open to handfishing:

1) the Arkansas River from the John Mack Bridge on Broadway Street in Wichita downstream to the Kansas-Oklahoma border and,

2) the Kansas River from its origin downstream to its confluence with the Missouri River.

Flathead catfish are the only species legal to take and a special permit is required ($27.15), in addition to a regular fishing license. For more information, see www.kdwp.state.ks.us.

Marc Murrell

From Lawrence Journal World June 29th, 2007
>The Census report released Wednesday showed 59 fewer people in Lawrence this year than last year. That’s a decline of less than one tenth of one percent, but it gets the attention of local residents who are accustomed to the city’s rapid growth in recent years.

more… http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/jun/29/growth_factors/

As I recall Don Huggins with KBS talked about this at a project planning meeting over a year ago. -Alison
** One in two ‘will live in cities’ **
More than half the world’s people will live in cities by 2008, mainly in developing countries, the UN says.

more <http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/in_depth/6244496.stm >

EPA, Army Corps Issue Joint Guidance to Sustain Wetlands Protection under Supreme Court Decision

(Washington, D.C. - June 5, 2007) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued joint guidance for their field offices to ensure America’s wetlands and other water bodies are protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). This action reinforces the Bush Administration’s commitment to protect and enhance the quality of our nation’s wetlands and water bodies.

“The Bush Administration is committed to protecting wetlands and streams under the Clean Water Act and Supreme Court decisions,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for Water. “Today’s action sends a clear signal we’ll use our regulatory tools to meet the president’s ambitious wetlands goals.”

“We are committed to protecting America’s aquatic resources under the Clean Water Act and in accordance with the recent Supreme Court decision,” said John Paul Woodley Jr., assistant secretary of the Army (Civil Works). “This interagency guidance will enable the agencies to make clear, consistent, and predictable jurisdictional determinations. The results, once posted on agency Web sites, will document how the scope of the Clean Water Act jurisdiction is being determined.”

EPA and Corps staff will also use the guidance when taking enforcement actions under the CWA. The guidance clarifies those circumstances where a person may need to obtain a CWA Section 404 permit before conducting activities in wetlands, tributaries, and other waters. Individual tribal, state and local laws, regulations, or policies may further protect aquatic water resources.

The guidance is consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision in the consolidated cases Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. United States regarding the scope of the agencies’ jurisdiction under the CWA. Specifically, this guidance discusses the agencies’ protection of three classes of waters through the following actions:

• 1. Continuing to regulate “traditionally navigable waters,” including all rivers and other waters that are large enough to be used by boats that transport commerce and any wetlands adjacent to such waters;
  2. Continuing to regulate “non-navigable tributaries that are relatively permanent and wetlands that are physically connected to these tributaries”; and
  3. Continuing to regulate based on case-by-case determinations for other tributaries and adjacent wetlands that have certain characteristics that significantly affect traditionally navigable waters.

The guidance supports a strong regulatory program that ensures no net loss of wetlands, which is one of three key elements to the Bush Administration wetlands policy. The other two elements include an active management program that will result in the restoration, enhancement and protection of three million acres of wetlands by 2009 and a commitment to conserve isolated wetlands such as prairie potholes.

During the first six months implementing the guidance, the agencies are inviting public comments on case studies and experiences applying the guidance. Upon publication of the notice of availability in the Federal Register, comments can be submitted to docket EPA-HQ-OW-2007-0282 through www.regulations.gov. The agencies will more broadly consider jurisdictional issues, including additional clarification and definition of key terminology, through rulemaking or other appropriate policy practice.

Contact Information: EPA, Jessica Emond, (202) 564-4355 / emond.jessica@epa.gov; Army Corps, David Hewitt, (202) 761-1807 / david.w.hewitt@usace.army.mil
More information : epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/CWAwaters.html

(Kansas City, Kan., May 30, 2007) – EPA has approved all of the provisions of the new and revised Kansas water quality standards submitted to EPA by the state. The approved provisions are now effective for implementation under the Clean Water Act.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) submitted new and revised Kansas surface water quality standards to EPA for review and approval last year, as required by the Clean Water Act.

Under the Act, states must review their water quality standards every three years or sooner and submit new or revised standards to EPA.

EPA recognizes KDHE for its work in preparing the water quality standards revisions.

With this action, EPA is approving the following provisions of the new or revised water quality standards:

• 227 bodies of water newly designated for swimming that must be protected for that use
• 314 bodies of water newly designated for fishing and wading that must be protected for those uses
• 90 bodies of water newly designated for uses such as drinking water supply, irrigation, and livestock watering that must be protected for such uses
• The removal of 62 bodies of water from those classified as “waters of the state” or “waters of the United States” because they do not meet certain factors, such as the Kansas requirement for a minimum flow in a stream

* Our May 30 decision letter provides a more detailed description of EPA’s review and the basis for this action.
Contact Information: Martin Kessler, (913) 551-7236, kessler.martin@epa.gov

This guide provides K12 educators with a number of ways to use Web 2.0 in their classrooms. (By Quentin D’Souza)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/3273