Whose Water Is It, Anyway?
Karen Reinert
Herington Elementary
Herington, Kansas


Kansas Social Studies Standards for Benchmarks, Grade Levels S-K:

National Geographic Standards:
#7 How human actions modify the physical environment.

Outcome:
The student will understand Kansas water rights and how citizens go about changing laws.

Performance Objective:
The student will be able to use various skills (map reading, data collection, graphing, letter writing, filting out an application and discussion) to obtain knowledge about the water rights in Kansas.

Vocabulary (see Glossary):
Aquifer
Ground water
Surface water
Water Commission
State law		 Purification
Well Application
Water rights
Domestic use water rights		 Safe yield
Water quality
Water meter engineer
Pollution

Materials:
  • Several sources of water at school (Sinks, fountains)
  • Self-selected container to hold water
  • Measuring cups
  • Application to drill a well (teacher sample attached)
  • The actual well application and the Kansas Handbook of Water Rights (for teacher background information) may be obtained from the Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources (see Bibliography).
  • Chart or journal for collecting water data
  • Letter writing supplies/stamps/envelopes
  • A Kids Guide to Social Action by Barbara Lewis
  • The Magic Schoolbus at the Waterworks by Cole and Degan
  • Color Groundwater poster (U.S. Geological Survey; see Bibliography)
  • United States map
  • Kansas map
  • Addresses of your state's Congressmen, Governor, local politicians
  • Large chart paper
  • Color booklet for students: Your Hometown Clean Water Tour is avallable through the Conservation District; call 1-800-THE-SOIL.
  • Slips of paper with occupations for each child

Procedures:
Day 1:
Pretend that your desk is your land, and it comes with domestic water rights. Domestic water rights mean you can have water for your household use. But later, if you have some sort of business that uses water, you will need to get a special permit to drill a well to get more water. You will need to have a container from home (of your choice - any Size) to get water to your land for your use.
     
Day 2:

a.

 As the students come in the next day, their choice of container is recorded and volume of water it holds. Use measuring cups to get an exact measurement of its volume. They are not allowed to change container sizes once the project begins (This is to represent their well and the amount of water it pumps). This information should be kept in a journal.

b.

Students may choose water from anywhere in the building and anytime during the day to get their water for drinking. Remind the students they do not need to fill out an application to drill a well because they are only using water for their household.

Students may get water from their choice of: classroom fountain, bathroom sink, refrigerated water fountain in the hall. The only catch is, they need to measure the amount they get each time and record that data in their journal.

They may use it (drink it throughout the day). They may dump any unused water for fresh water the next day. There are no restrictions - yet.

 
Day 3:
Explain that the Kansas Water Appropriation Act (KSA 82a-702) states that water from rivers and lakes, and underground water is the property of all Kansans for their use, subject to control and regulation of the state. It is based on the principle of "first in time-first in right." Discuss why water needs control and regulation. Record answers on a large classroom chart.

Get out maps and name the states bordering Kansas. Discuss the fact that every state has its own laws governing its water (for example, Texas law states the land owner has the ownership of the water under his/her land; while Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado ground water belongs to the state). Do you think the water lnaws in other states will be the same as Kansas?

"Safe Yield" is the amount of water that can be taken from the ground water basin. Look at a Kansas map. Determine if your town or city is in the eastern or western pan of Kansas. Where are most of the rivers and lakes? Will your town rely more on surface or ground water? Display poster of ground water.
 
How do we get water out of the ground? (apply to drill wells)

Day 4:
Settlers came to Kansas. They had to make a living where they settled. Most of them became farmers and ranchers; however, as the population began to grow, people began to perform different jobs to serve the needs of the new settlers living in their area.

Draw slips of paper with occupations for each child (farmer, rancher, home owner, meat packer, trucking company, store owner, restaurant owner, etc.). Brainstorm jobs. Then let the children decide which of these occupations would use the most water each day.

Have each student fill out an application for drilling a well (teacher sample attached).

Why should everyone be concerned about water? If there is no water, there is no population; consequently, there will be no one here to require your services! No job = no money. You will not be able to make a living here, and you will have to relocate. You also need water to survive.

Review and discuss the importance of water;
Three-fourths of earth is covered with water - less than 1% of all the water on the planet is accessible.
Three percent is fresh water. Of that, 2/3 of it is in ice caps. Of the last 1%, 2/3 of that is in the ground.
Who or what needs water to survive? (every living thing)
What did the pioneers try to settle close to? (water) Why?
If there was not a river, lake or spring close by, how did people get water? (dig a well)
Students continue keeping data about amount of water they use each day.

Day 5:
After several days of becoming accustomed to getting as much water as they want, close the door and tell them, they are no longer allowed to get water from any source but the classroom fountain. (Discuss water quality - is the classroom water as cold as the water cooler? Which do they like the best?) Why can't they continue to get water wherever they want? Because you are the Water Commissioner, and it is your job to make sure that everyone in Kansas gets their fair amount of water. The water belongs to everyone in Kansas, and some people, industries, and parks aren't getting enough so we have to make some compromises.

a. What would influence whether some people are not getting enough water? (amount of rain, recharge of the aquifer)
b. How do we decide what a fair share or "safe yield" of ground water is? (Each state decides, and administration of the Water Appropriation Act is charged to the Department of Water Resources).
c. The Water Resource Director's decision is: We'll go by what your well is producing now according to your application (amount of water that you have recorded in your journal each day) to determine how much water you will be allowed to use in the future.

Using your birthday, we'll divide you into three groups and assign your water rights to you.
 
Vested Rights - (First in time - first in right; the pioneers)
You can use all the water you want (January, February, March, April birthdays) with no restrictions.
 
Senior Rights - (May, June, July, August birthdays)
Use the container you have been using, but no more than 6 trips to the water fountain a day. Keep track of the amount you get each day on your data sheet.
 
Junior Rights - (September, October, November, December birthdays)
You can only have 3 trips to the water fountain a day with the container you have been using. Keep track of the water you have been using on your data sheet.
 
Discuss whether this is fair. (Pioneers were here first, etc.)
 
How does the water office decide how much water you are using? (measurement by meters on the pumps) You must send a report to the water office every year.
 
What happens if you take more than your share? (Violation of the Water Appropriation Act is subject to a maximum of 6 months in jail and a $500 fine.)
 
Day 6:
Continue with new rules. Discuss water quality. What could pollute our city's water supply? Are there any industries here that produce a lot of pollutants in your town? From the occupations you drew, do any of you have a business that may contribute pollutants to the water supply?
 
To find out, take a field trip. Tour water treatment plant in your community. Ask about the purification process. They will be able to give you the specifics concerning your community's purification process.
 
Before your visit, read the book, The Magic Schoolbus at the Waterworks, to your class. Give each child a copy of the booklet, Your Hometown Clean Water Tour. Read and discuss it after the field tripto compare likenesses and differences from your water treatment plant.
 
Day 7:
Yearly reports are due to the Department of Water Resources. It is time to fill out your report for your yearly use. Pretend all the water you have used up to this point equals your yearly use. This should be recorded in journals.
 
Fill out a report for the last 6 days that tells how much water you have used on your property. The Department of Water Resources will review your water use data. If you have not been using all of the water you are allotted, they will make an adjustment on the amount of water you are allowed, and you will get LESS. (The "Use It or Lose It" theory comes into question.)
 
What will affect the amount of water you use? (rainfall, cooler weather) What will people do so they do not get cut back on water use? (Should they waste it to ensure they will have it when they do need it? Is this an environmentally sound practice?)
 
Day 8:
Have your opinions about water rights changed? If so, how?
 
What do you do if you do not agree with this law? Introduce the book, A Kid's Guide to Social Action, to your class. It explains the steps to be taken to express your views and try to change a law.
 
Discussion: write to Senators, Governors, Congressmen, Water Commission, local officials to get a law changed.
 
Day 9:
Write letters of support or change to one of the above people.
 
Day 10:
How do the things we as humans do affect our water supply? (Overuse, pollution, etc.)
 
Extending the Lesson:
Topics brought up in this lesson may be studied more in depth. For example:
Should we worry only about ourselves, or our state, our country or the world?
 
Is water infinite, or is it in unlimited supply?
 
Should we just worry about the present generation or future generations too?
 
What are some ideas you have about getting water from "unattainable sources" like icebergs, salt water oceans, etc.
 
Does water quality matter? Why or why not? (health reasons)
 
How can you tell if your water is unpolluted and safe? (water quality test) If it looks okay, is it?
 
Using the well applications: Divide students into two groups: aquifer and surface water users. Using a Kansas map, locate where the aquifer users would be located in the state, and where the surface water users would be located. Determine why.
 
If I sell my land, can I sell the water rights with it?
 
Do I always have water rights? (The right is considered abandoned if it has not been used in 3 years without acceptable cause.)
 
Can people or businesses sell me water? (yes)
 
Study the water cycle and how it is a closed system.

Assessment:
Understanding will be evaluated through the student's discussion, data collection, letter writing, map skills, graphs and completion of the well application.


Bibliography:

Kansas Department of Water Resources: Application to Drill a Well
 

Date: _______________________________

Name: _____________________________________________

Address:____________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Phone Number: _____________________________________

Location of well: ____________________________________
___________________________________________________

Why do you need this well? ____________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Do you need this well for commercial purposes? ___________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

How much water do you estimate you will use a day? _______
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

After three months you will need to send the actual amount of water your well is pumping per day. This data will help determine the amount of water your well may pump.

DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Date: ______________________________
Request to drill well: Granted ___________
 

Denied _____________

Signature: ______________________________________
David Pope, Chief Engineer


Top of page | Lesson Plan V Content Page
Lesson Plans Content Page
Previous Lesson | Next Lesson
FHSU Geoscience | Kansas Geographic Alliance
National Geographic Society | Kansas Water Office
Fort Hays State University | Kansas State University

e-mail: pphillip@fhsu.edu

irc staff 11/13/97 (updated kn 06/18/99)
Disclaimer