KC Cares: Friends of the Kaw work to sustain a safer Kansas River

Photo Courtesy of Friends of the Kaw

From fishing for trash to legislative advocacy, Friends of the Kaw (FOK) is looking out for the health of the Kansas River.

It all started more than 30 years ago when some Lawrence residents got notified of a proposed dredging plan for a nearby part of the river. They responded by gathering such a large group of friends and neighbors to oppose it that the dredging never happened.

That group grew into Friends of the Kaw and has been working for decades to clean up the river and improve public access to it.

“We have to do everything we can to keep water as clean as we can, because it’s a drinking water source for 950,000 Kansans,” says Dawn Buehler, Kansas riverkeeper and Executive Director of Friends of the Kaw.

One goal of FOK is to get rid of what they call “legacy trash” by 2030. That includes trash that’s been in the river for decades, particularly large tires that people have used in a failed attempt to stabilize the riverbank. In the last five years, Buehler says they have removed about 4,000 tires and 35 tons of battery cases.

There are also old appliances, cars, and other trash people have dumped over the years.

But it’s not all trash pick-up work. They work vigilantly to prevent new trash from polluting the river, regularly monitoring the entire 173-mile length of the river for pollution and illegal dumping.

“If we see it, we turn them in. I’m at the point where there are so many of us on the Kansas River—we have over 300 volunteers. There’s always people out there,” Buehler says.

Outreach is also a big part of their work, and they do water quality education workshops for kids from sixth grade through high school where they discuss watersheds and how water quality works, then take the kids on a field trip to a stream fairly close to the school.

That’s where the kids get to collect and compare data on things like water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and more. They also get to look for tiny animals like caddisflies that can indicate water quality.

“What we try to teach students is you don’t have to have all that fancy testing equipment. If you can identify some of these water bugs and critters, you can have idea of health of that stream without ever using any sort of water testing equipment. They can do their own citizen science,” Buehler says.

After learning how to analyze their data, the kids create a project to improve the stream. And the learning experiences aren’t just for kids.

Classes from Johnson County Community College and the University of Kansas also do trips out to the river with them to check water quality and identify different types of fish.

“We use the river as a living classroom for whatever it is we want to do with student groups,” Buehler says.

In addition to collaborating with schools, FOK hosts regular beginner kayaking programs. For one recent program, they partnered with the Kansas Geological Survey and took a group kayaking out to a sandbar to talk about the how glaciers affected the formation of the river.

If you’re a more experienced kayak or canoe enthusiast, the Kaw River Guide program might be for you. These FOK volunteers provide support for the various paddle trips, helping beginners get the hang of paddling or assisting anyone who gets stuck.

They also help with water-based clean-up efforts, like removing tires from the middle of the river.

Andrea Mulford and Tom Martin are both river guides. Mulford has enjoyed helping with a beginner’s camping and paddling trip.

“It’s a great way to help build confidence in their abilities and show them they can have fun on the river safely,” she says.

She also likes the clean-up work.

“I always feel like Ariel. What can I find? We definitely have a collection of glass bottles that we’ve found on the river,” Mulford says.

Photo Courtesy of Friends of the Kaw

Helping people get comfortable paddling on the river is one of Martin’s favorite parts of volunteering.

“We’ll get people who have kayaked on lakes before, and they’re nervous about the river, because they think it’s incredibly dangerous. So, it’s nice to get them out there and show them it’s not as dangerous as you think,” he says. “It does demand respect, and it can become dangerous quickly, but you can safely navigate it and safely paddle on the Kansas River.”

Ultimately, he thinks boosting recreational use is good for the river itself.

“I feel that leads to more people wanting to advocate to help protect, maintain, and keep it clean,” Martin says.

To encourage people to use the river for fun on their own, FOK has helped add numerous public access ramps so people can get on and off the river without disturbing private property.

The next land-based clean-up day where you can volunteer will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13 at Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, Kan. Volunteers do not need to stay the entire two hours.

For more information on Friends of the Kaw, visit kansasriver.org.