The Politics of Water

THE POLITICS OF WATER

Melissa Nech
Smith Center Jr/Sr High School
Smith Center, Kansas

Overview:
This activity will acquaint students with the Governor’s Kansas Water Initiative. It will help students understand the conflicting interests involved in water use and its conservation.

Grade Levels: 7-12

Time: 1-2 class periods

Geographic Themes:
Location, Region, Human-Environmental Interaction.

Kansas Social Studies Standard for Benchmark, Grade Levels 12-K:
The student will understand the roles of government and civic ideals and practices in the local school and community, Kansas and its surrounding states, the U.S. and its region, and the world.

The student will understand the roles of individuals, groups, and institutions throughout time in the local school and community, Kansas and its surrounding states, the U.S. and its region, and the world.

National Geography Standard, Grades 9-12:

#13 The geographically informed person knows and understands how the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth’s surface.

Outcome:
Students will understand Kansas water usage issues.

Performance Objectives:
Students will be able:

1. to locate the major rivers of the Lower Republican River Basin, reservoirs and the cities of 10,000+ population located along the rivers.

2. to discuss the water quality issues of Kansas.

3. to describe how location effects viewpoint of the ranking of the importance of various water quality issues.

Vocabulary:

watershed atrazine

Kansas-Lower Republican River Basin silt

surface water reservoirs

Kansas Water Quality Initiative Water Authority

Kansas Water Plan fecal coliform bacteria

Materials:

Kansas Topography map handouts Kansas atlas
Kansas Water Plan Overhead projector
Lower Republican River watershed overhead acetate

Procedures:

1. As class discussion, list on blackboard as students brainstorm water use in Kansas.

2. Have students label an outline map of Kansas with the following:
Blue River, Kansas River, Republican River, Delaware River,
White Rock Creek, Tuttle Creek Reservoir, Perry Reservoir, Milford- Reservoir, Lovewell Reservoir, Manhattan, Kansas City, Junction City, Topeka, Lebanon, or Hometown .

3. From an overhead projection, have students shade in the Lower Republican River watershed.

4. Discuss the purposes of the reservoirs. Be sure students identify flood control, water supply, recreation, and wildlife.

5. As class discussion, list on blackboard as students brainstorm about water quality issues in Kansas. Be sure students discuss sediment issues, atrazine, and fecal coliform bacteria pollution.

6. Bread students into groups based on each city indicated on the map. In each group, students should; identify the basic needs of their cities and surrounding areas; discuss which reservoir is most important to it and what the main purpose of that reservoir should be.

7. Have a student from each group share the main purpose of the reservoirs. Discuss items they agreed/disagreed about. Be sure they indicate differences due to: recreation vs. wildlife interests; agricultural vs. industrial use; water supply vs. conservation?

8. Handout copies of the Governor’s Kansas Water Plan. Discuss how the different interests are represented by the different agencies involved in the water plan.

9. Finally, have the students complete a worksheet to evaluate the lesson.

Assessment:
Word sheet questions:

1. What were the concerns of Kansas City about water quality as compared to Lebanon (hometown)?

2. What are the various uses of the reservoirs such as Tuttle Creek or Perry?

3. What do you think is the reservoir’s most important purpose? Why?

4. How does you location in the state effect your decision as the the reservoir’s most important purpose?

5. Who should decide what purpose is the most important? Why? Will everyone agree? Why or why not?

Extensions:

Have students find current news articles that relate to water issues in Kansas.
Invite a local River Basin Advisory Committee member to the class to discuss their role in developing the Kansas Water Plan.
Have students find current news articles that relate to water issues in Nebraska and discuss impact on Kansas.

Resources:

Kansas Water Office (1997). Summary Kansas Water Plan January 1997. Topeka, KS: Author
Kansas Water Office. (1997). Appendix to the Kansas Water Plan January 1997. Topeka, KS: Author
www.epa.gov/surf “Surf your watershed”.

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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 / jh 03/16/98 (updated kn 06/23/99)
Disclaimer

1.	to locate the major rivers of the Lower Republican River Basin, reservoirs and the cities of 10,000+ population located along the rivers.
2.	to discuss the water quality issues of Kansas.
3.	to describe how location effects viewpoint of the ranking of the importance of various water quality issues.

watershed	atrazine
Kansas-Lower Republican River Basin	silt
surface water	reservoirs
Kansas Water Quality Initiative	Water Authority
Kansas Water Plan	fecal coliform bacteria

1.	As class discussion, list on blackboard as students brainstorm water use in Kansas.
2.	Have students label an outline map of Kansas with the following: Blue River, Kansas River, Republican River, Delaware River, White Rock Creek, Tuttle Creek Reservoir, Perry Reservoir, Milford- Reservoir, Lovewell Reservoir, Manhattan, Kansas City, Junction City, Topeka, Lebanon, or Hometown .
3.	From an overhead projection, have students shade in the Lower Republican River watershed.
4.	Discuss the purposes of the reservoirs. Be sure students identify flood control, water supply, recreation, and wildlife.
5.	As class discussion, list on blackboard as students brainstorm about water quality issues in Kansas. Be sure students discuss sediment issues, atrazine, and fecal coliform bacteria pollution.
6.	Bread students into groups based on each city indicated on the map. In each group, students should; identify the basic needs of their cities and surrounding areas; discuss which reservoir is most important to it and what the main purpose of that reservoir should be.
7.	Have a student from each group share the main purpose of the reservoirs. Discuss items they agreed/disagreed about. Be sure they indicate differences due to: recreation vs. wildlife interests; agricultural vs. industrial use; water supply vs. conservation?
8.	Handout copies of the Governor’s Kansas Water Plan. Discuss how the different interests are represented by the different agencies involved in the water plan.
9.	Finally, have the students complete a worksheet to evaluate the lesson.

1.	What were the concerns of Kansas City about water quality as compared to Lebanon (hometown)?
2.	What are the various uses of the reservoirs such as Tuttle Creek or Perry?
3.	What do you think is the reservoir’s most important purpose? Why?
4.	How does you location in the state effect your decision as the the reservoir’s most important purpose?
5.	Who should decide what purpose is the most important? Why? Will everyone agree? Why or why not?