News Release, Kansas Geological Survey, Feb. 19, 2002

Statewide Water Conference to be Held in Lawrence

Attorney General Carla Stovall has confirmed that she will discuss her views on the state's water issues as part of the townhall meeting. The other gubernatorial candidates have been invited.

The one-day conference brings together private citizens and representatives from state agencies, universities, and organizations involved in the state's water issues. The conference, which will focus on water-management issues, will be held at the Holiday Inn, Holidome, in Lawrence.

"How we manage water resources is a timely topic, given the high interest in declining water levels in the Ogallala aquifer," said program coordinator Don Whittemore, Kansas Geological Survey water scientist.

The program will include presentations on a wide range of topics, including the management of the Ogallala aquifer, protection of surface water quality, and interactions between surface and ground water. Hayden will talk about managing surface water for wildlife.

Other speakers include David Pope, chief engineer of the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas Dept. of Agriculture; Clark Duffy, assistant director of the Kansas Water Office; and Jay Ham, Kansas State University agronomy professor who has studied the waste management at confined-feeding operations. Whittemore also noted that speakers from Arizona and Texas will bring an out-of-state perspective on ground-water management issues.

The conference is sponsored by the Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment (K-CARE), Kansas Geological Survey, Kansas Water Resources Research Institute (KWRI), K-State Research and Extension, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The registration fee is $50 ($75 after February 25) and includes lunch, refreshments, and conference proceedings.

Information on the conference is available online at www.dce.ksu.edu/dce/conf/waterfuture/ and www.kgs.ku.edu/General/News/2002/water.html. For additional information, contact Don Whittemore (785) 864-2182 or the conference registration office at (785) 532-5569 or (800) 432-8222.

Also available is a conference program available as an Acrobat PDF file. You will need the Acrobat PDF Reader, available free from Adobe, to read the program.