Water

Water levels in the Little Caney River are so low that the river isn’t flowing over the dam, leaving the stream dry.

Southeast Kansas Town is Almost Out of Water, and Signs of Crisis are Everywhere

The stubborn drought has brought Caney, a southeast Kansas town of less than 2,000 people, within weeks of reaching the end of its water supply.

Read More >
A water tower in Guymon, Oklahoma, which relies on the Ogallala Aquifer for drinking water.

As Ogallala Aquifer Declines in the Great Plains, States Weigh Metering Irrigation Wells

Water levels are dropping in the Ogallala Aquifer, and states in the Great Plains are considering whether to monitor groundwater irrigators are pumping out.

Read More >
The Hays water conservation program's mascot, WaterSmart Wally, gives out high fives at a recent street fair. Wally is just one sign of how far the town's water-saving culture has come since the 1990s.

This City in Kansas Really Conserves Water, But That Might Not be Enough to Survive

Thanks to decades of conservation efforts, Hays has become a place where thinking about your water use is a way of life. But as climate change brings drier, hotter weather to Kansas, more cities may have to follow a similar path.

Read More >
Center pivot irrigation systems like this one in Finney County pump water up from the Ogallala aquifer to spray on crops. This part of southwest Kansas experienced some of the state's worst aquifer declines last year as drought pushed farmers to pump more water from underground.

How Kansas Could Lose Billions in Land Values as its Underground Water Runs Dry

The water in the Ogallala aquifer is worth billions of dollars to western Kansas, but it’s rapidly disappearing. And it’s been a challenge to find ways to slow the depletion.

Read More >
Former Haviland mayor Robert Ellis stands between pipes inside the small town's multimillion-dollar water treatment plant.

As Fertilizer Pollutes Tap Water in Small Towns, Rural Kansans Pay the Price

For towns with only a few hundred residents, keeping tap water clean and safe can pose a crippling expense. The predicament is likely to become more common in western Kansas as farm chemicals seep into dwindling water supplies.

Read More >

Local Storytelling. Fact-Based Reporting. Trustworthy Sources.

Help support the nonprofit media landscape in Kansas City and provide a platform for underrepresented voices across the region.