Our 76th Annual Meeting will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, February 2-3 2027, Topeka, Kansas.

Watershed Partnership Meeting is scheduled for August 18, 2026, 10:30 AM at the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Congratulations to our two $500 SAKW scholarship winners:

Olissa Randa, Wet Walnut Creek WS Joint District #58

and

Cade Whitmore, Upper Verdigris WS District

23 Years of Dedicated Service State Association of Kansas Watersheds

Mark your calendars for the DamWatch Training webinars, scheduled for August 18 and 19, 2026, and facilitated by US Engineering Solutions (USES). These sessions are specifically organized to boost our proficiency in managing DamWatch data, responding to alerts, and utilizing system features that underpin NRCS watershed operations and dam safety efforts.

Contact Laura Gray for the formal agendas for each session, along with a DamWatch getting started guide for those who are new to the platform. The training is open to all NRCS staff, project sponsors, and other DamWatch users. Current and new users are both welcome.

Both webinars will take place on Microsoft Teams, with meeting links and additional information to follow in a subsequent message. You may choose between two options: August 18th from 1:00–3:00 PM CDT or August 19th from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM CDT. Since the same material will be covered in each session, there’s no need to attend both.

During the training, we will walk through essential day-to-day functions including navigating DamWatch, managing alerts, and other key features relevant to your role as a user.

Laura A. Gray, PE

Dam Safety Engineer
Kansas NRCS

Governor Kelly Announces Water Local Consult Meetings Across Kansas

Governor Laura Kelly announced the dates for a summer round of local consult meetings to elevate water planning and share insights on existing and future funding. The meetings start next week in Colby and Hays.Kansans are encouraged to RSVP for the meetings here.

“Preserving and protecting Kansas’ water supply for the next generation is of the utmost importance for our state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These local consult meetings provide Kansans the opportunity to share their thoughts on how we can best tackle our short- and long-term water issues. I encourage Kansans to attend a meeting near them so we can take coordinated, collective action for communities in every corner of our state.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to share work that is being done as it relates to water conservation, quality issues, and funding related to community infrastructure and regional planning. The meetings will also allow Kansans to learn about the state’s water supply and how it impacts local growth or sustainability, as well as explore future opportunities to ensure a clean and robust water supply.

The Kansas Water Office, Kansas Department of Agriculture, and Kansas Department of Health and Environment are conducting the local consult meetings July 28, 2026, through August 27, 2026. Kansans are encouraged to attend a meeting in their geographic region of the state:

• Tuesday, July 28
  9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 
  Colby Community College, Frahm Theater/Cultural Arts Center
  Colby, Kansas

• Wednesday, July 29
  9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
  Hilton Garden Inn
  Hays, Kansas

• Thursday, August 13
  9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 
  Labette Community College - Cardinal Event Center
  Parsons, Kansas

• Wednesday, August 19
  1:00-4:00 p.m.
  Kansas State University Student Union, Forum Hall
  Manhattan, Kansas

• Friday, August 21
  9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
  Docking State Office Building
  Topeka, Kansas

• Wednesday, August 26
  9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
  The Refinery
  Garden City, Kansas

• Thursday, August 27
  9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
  Wichita Public Library – Advanced Learning Center
  Wichita, Kansas

A future meeting in the Kansas City metro area may be announced at a later date. Questions can be emailed to the Kansas Water Office at kwo-info@ks.gov.