kansas paddling rights

[jim johnson]

I thought you all would be interested in what is happening with regards to access to the Arkansas River in Kansas.

Sedgwick County orders halt on Arkansas River plan
Comments (62) Recommend (6)
BY DEB GRUVER
The Wichita Eagle
No more planning, staff time or money from Sedgwick County will go into a public access plan for the Arkansas River north of 53rd Street North, commissioners decided Wednesday.

The board's decision made area landowners -- who were concerned about trespassing, poaching, littering and noise -- happy.

But it irked people who favor the Arkansas River Corridor proposal. They said they didn't know commissioners planned to take action Wednesday.

Sedgwick resident Charles Peaster had asked to talk to the commission about the river plan. His request was listed on the board's agenda as a "citizen inquiry," and staff recommended that commissioners receive and file Peaster's comments. That's what they typically do when people speak to them on issues ranging from taxes to global warming.

Several other speakers joined Peaster at the front of the room and also told commissioners about their concerns.

Then, board chairman Kelly Parks made a motion to "direct the county manager and his staff to immediately stop all planning, staff time, expense and related promotion" of the plan north of 53rd Street North to the county line.

Commissioners voted 5-0 in favor of the motion -- but not before board member Tim Norton noted that "this was not a full agenda item and not a public hearing announced to the public." He said he didn't know "how we got the word out" to opponents of the plan and cautioned that there may be another side that would have liked to have spoken.

Parks said he thought directing staff to cease work on the plan during Wednesday's meeting was more open and transparent than doing so during the board's regular Tuesday meeting with staff.

He said later that he thought it was time for staff to quit working on a plan that landowners in that area don't support.

"I just thought we had an obligation to our taxpayers out there," he said. "It was made real clear to me by my constituents and by Commissioner (Karl) Peterjohn's constituents that they didn't want that."

Limiting river access

Jim Johnson, a canoeing enthusiast, said a fellow paddler told him that Peaster was listed on the board's agenda. He said he didn't think there was adequate notice to people who are interested in recreational activities on the river, and he didn't think commissioners adequately discussed the plan.

"However, I think it was maybe a foregone conclusion," he said. "I would guess maybe there was discussion and the opinion... wasn't going to be changed by any discussion at the commission meeting."

Johnson said the commission's vote limits access to the river and "in fact will deter the use of the river."

"If you can't get to it, you can't paddle it," he said.

Only three rivers in Kansas are considered navigable -- the Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri rivers. The corridor plans for access points and recreational canoeing and kayaking areas along a 100-mile stretch of the Arkansas River. The city of Wichita approved the plan last year.

But landowners such as Carl Younts say they already deal with trespassing, littering and noise from ATVs and motorcycles. They worry people will increasingly cause problems on their land.

Johnson said canoeists and kayakers don't drive ATVs or shoot guns.

"What is frustrating to me is that they tarnish paddlers by referring to four-wheel drivers, referring to poachers, referring to people driving their cars across their wheat fields," Johnson said. "That is not the paddling community."

He also said that if legal access points are created, that "would go a long way to solving the trespassing issue."

'Very disappointed'

Mike Hayden, secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, said he was "very disappointed" by the commission's decision.

But he added, "We're not surprised. Landowner opposition has arisen on almost all the river corridor plans.

"What the commissioners often forget is that the river belongs to the people of Kansas. They should not be denied access to their own property."

Although the county has decided not to invest more time or money in the plan, that doesn't mean the Wildlife and Parks Department can't continue to try to find funding sources for public access points there, Hayden said. Where the department owns or can buy right-of-way along the river, it will develop public access points, he said.

"The County Commission does have jurisdiction over their staff," Hayden said, "but they don't have jurisdiction over the river."

Reach Deb Gruver at 316-268-6400 or dgruver@wichitaeagle.com.