“Water in Kansas: Past and Present,” a presentation and discussion by Rex Buchanan, will be held Saturday, Oct. 14, at 3 p.m. during the 3i Show at the Western State Bank Expo Center in Dodge City, Kan.

The free program is hosted by the Ford County Extension Office in Dodge City with sponsorship by the Kansas Humanities Council.

Early evidence of native peoples in Kansas shows that they lived near springs, seeps and rivers. Later, European settlers moved along water sources, and even today demographic changes are the result of water availability. Recently, the state government developed a 50-year water planning vision focused on reservoir sedimentation and the rapid drawdown of the Ogallala Aquifer. This presentation will highlight how water issues today define much about Kansans in the future, just as they always have.

Rex Buchanan grew up in Rice County, Kan., on the edge of the Smoky Hills. He is the interim director of the Kansas Geological Survey and the author of numerous publications and books about Kansas geology and water.

"Water is central to who we are as a people. Water determines much about where we live, what we do. It is a critical part of our history and our future,” says Buchanan.

“Groundwater declines are among the most important natural resource issues facing the state of Kansas," Buchanan continues. "The more we know, and the better we understand groundwater supplies, the better we can manage this critical resource."

“Water in Kansas: Past and Present” is part of the Kansas Humanities Council’s Water/Ways Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and discussions that focus on the numerous relationships between people and water — how it shapes our history and traditions and impacts our daily life. Boot Hill Museum, Dodge City, Kan., hosts the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street exhibition Water/Ways Sept. 30 through Nov. 12.

For more information about “Water in Kansas: Past and Present,” contact the Ford County Extension Office in Dodge City at 620-227-4542 or visit ford.ksu.edu. For more information about KHC programs, contact the Kansas Humanities Council at 785-357-0359 or visit online at Kansashumanities.org.

Source: 3i Show