Diving Deep into Kansas Water
April 16, 2020
Want to know more about one of our state’s most precious natural resource? Get ready to take plunge into short films, one-of-a-kind stories, and fun activities all about water.
Watch: When the Well Runs Dry
Supported by a Humanities Kansas grant and produced by NGO Films and the Florence Historical Society, Ruben Aaronson and Steve Lerner’s documentary short film When The Well Runs Dry gives us a closer look at the many issues surrounding water in our state.
“People prefer to not think about their water,” says Kyle Bauer, KFRM talk show host from Florence, Kansas. “Let’s face it. Most of us take it for granted. We turn on the tap and it’s there, it’s clean, it’s pristine, it tastes great. And until it doesn’t, we don’t think about it.”
Watch "When the Well Runs Dry"
Ebb and Flow: Kansas Water Stories
A canal in Dodge City built to rival Lake Como in Italy. A boat cruising down Kansas Highway 10. A dam that took a really, really long time to built. These are just some Kansas water stories that communities contributed as part of the Water/Ways initiative. Read these one-of-a-kind stories to quench your thirst for Kansas history.
- Empty Promises, Empty Riverbeds: In the 1880s, the Gilbert brothers planned to create the Eureka Canal, which would divert water from the Arkansas River through southwest Kansas. However, the canal did not produce what the plans promised.
- A Deluge of Things to Do: During the 1951 flood that ravaged Eudora in northeast Kansas, neighbors emphatically came together to help each other through the chaotic crisis.
- Dam, That Took a Long Time: Learn more about the history and difficult development of the Wyandotte County Lake, a project constructed during the Great Depression.
- (Mineral) Spring Fever Hits Kansas: People with an entrepreneurial spirit worked to create a mineral spring resort that could have made Marion, Kansas, a successful tourist spot. Learn more about the shifting trends and economies of 19th century Marion.