Fighting for Water

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Brad Guhr

(Interested in Kansas water issues? Learn about our Kansas Water Symposium on Saturday, March 7 at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains!)

“Whisky’s for drinking and water’s for fighting.” ~Mark Twain is often given credit for this quote

Kansans for decades have utilized a seemingly endless supply of water to drink, to bathe, wash clothes, manage sewage, generate power, irrigate lawns, and grow crops. We give it little thought, we turn on the tap and it is there – clean, plentiful and inexpensive. Most families pay much more per month for their smart phones than for water.

The law of supply and demand is certainly in effect here to keep our water cheap. We have developed a state infrastructure making the availability of water plentiful and we access it in two main ways. Kansas reservoirs capture an average precipitation of 30-40 inches for use across much of Eastern Kansas, and one of the world’s largest underground water tables, the High Plains or Ogallala Aquifer, supplies water for most of Western Kansas. In South Central Kansas, we benefit from both supplies.

Experts are telling us though (and common sense should too) that this unbridled use cannot last. Our Kansas population continues to grow along with our collective thirst for water, and our water supply is not increasing to keep pace. The Ogallala aquifer as a whole is declining in its level, and stream sedimentation is diminishing the capacity of reservoirs. A recent 2013 presentation by Tracy Streeter, Kansas Water Office Director, shows that, depending on the region of Kansas that one examines, the trend lines of decreasing supply and increasing demand are set to cross each other in coming decades and in some locations coming years.

The sobering unknown factor in this discussion of water supply and demand is weather. Over the last 50 years or so, we have been lucky to have above average rainfall and below average temperatures. The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) helps us track this information and is one of the most widely-used indices to measure drought in North America. The PDSI measures the intensity and duration of long-term drought using precipitation and temperature data to determine how much soil moisture is available compared to average conditions. In a 2012 presentation by Tony Layzell of the Kansas Geological Survey, he shares the following graph of PDSI data in South Central Kansas:

Click here for the full presentation.

You can see that the two most recent significant drought events of 10-15 years in duration last happened in the Dust Bowl and the 1950s. For those of us that didn’t experience either of these drought events, the mini-drought of 2011 and 2012 gave us a little taste of relentless heat and drought, and it was distasteful enough. Here is the pending reality and problem – the law of averages is catching up with us and we are due for another drought event. Whether a little five-year event or a whopping multi-decade drought, it is coming.

We shouldn’t ignore this reality, hope that it never happens, and stick our heads in the proverbial sand in search of more prehistoric water that won’t be there or new reservoir storage, which is extremely expensive to create. Rather, we can proactively begin to appreciate how precious our water resources are and begin to use them more wisely. To survive, we will simply be forced to do so.

Center-pivot irrigation, a common sight in Southwestern Kansas (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crops_Kansas_AST_20010624.jpg)

Solutions are available. Agricultural irrigation uses 85% of our state’s water and efficiency improvements are being made there already, but a drought will certainly force us to shift away from corn towards more traditional dry-land crops. Fossil fuel power generation is water-intensive and may diminish during a drought, but renewable alternatives are also available to pick up the slack. How we landscape our yards, parks, golf courses, etc. could significantly curtail municipal water use by shifting away from thirsty cool season grasses and utilizing more native, warm-season vegetation. We could be recycling our cleaned sewage water into drinking water; The City of Wichita Falls, Texas has been forced to do so because of a 5-year drought and cut their water supply demands over that period in more than half. The fact that North Americans wash clothes, flush toilets, and irrigate lawns, gardens, and crops with drinking water is laughable to much of the world’s population (including some other developed nations too) where access to clean drinking water is not a laughing matter. Thankfully, Kansas is in the midst of developing A LONG-TERM VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF WATER SUPPLY IN KANSAS and is considering all of these conservation solutions in addition to looking at increasing supply.

There are so many more issues to consider when discussing this complex topic of water. We invite you to the Dyck Arboretum’s Kansas Water Symposium on Saturday, March 7 and explore the above issues with eight experts speaking on a variety of water topics.

Winter Dreams of Prairie Gardens

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Brad Guhr

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We are near the longest nights of the year when your landscape is cold, brown, and sometimes snowy with few creatures stirring. But soon, if not already, you will be having visions of coneflowers and ground plums dancing in your head.

Since landscaping labor is not taking up your free time at the moment, now is the perfect time to be thinking about and planning the logistics of your spring or fall prairie garden.

Here are a few things you can be doing during the months of winter to prepare for your prairie garden:

Identify Desired Area

Identify the area you want to plant and measure the square footage. With a generally recommended planting rate of one plant/2-4 sq. ft., knowing your planting area will allow you to estimate the number of plants you need and help establish a budget (~$4/plant).

Install Edging

Edging around your prairie garden is not only aesthetically pleasing, but functionally critical to establish where you should stop weeding and start mowing. Garden center options include plastic, metal, wood, or brick, but my favorite is Kansas limestone. A good source in Central Kansas is the Florence Rock Quarry where I last acquired an inexpensive load for $20.50/ton.

Embedded limestone for a garden border.

Acquire Mulch

Mulch is essential to reduce water and nutrient competition for new prairie plants, reduce weeds, and slow soil moisture loss. Garden center mulch is always available in easy-to-transport bags but, you also have to pay for it. Many municipalities offer free self-serve mulch or a friendly request to a local tree-trimming contractor may get a pile delivered right to your desired location. A layer of newspaper under the mulch will give a bit more biodegradable weed protection in the first year.

Newspaper under mulch is a great first year weed barrier.

Plan for Bermuda Grass Eradication

Believe me, you don’t want it in your prairie garden. If your site gets plenty of sun you most likely have it; delay your planting till late summer so you can eradicate this species during its growing season. This is the one scenario for which I use herbicide and plan for two to three glyphosate treatments (e.g., Roundup) in the months of June-September to eliminate this very difficult-to-weed warm-season grass.

Killing Bermuda grass is essential before planting.

Hardscape Features

Water features and feeders attract wildlife, seating allows you to relax in your garden, and weatherproof artwork adds beauty.

Leopold Bench (http://www.aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/LeopoldEvents.shtml)

Petersen Elementary’s Artwork by Erin Dresher Dowell

Consider Sun Exposure and Other Notable Features

Sun exposure and notable features that affect soil moisture such as low spots or downspouts will affect your plant choices. Consider structures or tree canopies that will block sunlight anywhere from straight overhead to about 45 degrees off the southern horizon. Prairie plants can thrive with at least six hours of sunlight. With less sunlight you should consider more shade-tolerant woodland understory species. Water from downspouts will wash away mulch.

Consider the amount of sunlight your garden area receives (Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solar_altitude.svg)

Pick Plants

Peruse our Dyck Arboretum plant library and keep an eye out for our spring and fall plant sale lists. Have fun choosing the plants that fit your preferences with regard to season of bloom, flower color, height, dormant season texture and color, wildlife attraction, and more. See our website for further tips and ideas on landscaping with native plants.

Attention to these items in advance will make your native landscaping endeavor much more successful and enjoyable. Enjoy your winter planning during the darkest days of winter and signs of spring will be here before you know it!

How to Make a Natural Evergreen Wreath

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Scott Vogt

The other day I made a wreath out of Juniper branches to hang from the Visitor Center chandelier. We needed a centerpiece for our luminary stroll open house. It took about 45 minutes. This natural evergreen wreath was easy to make and looks great.

Here are the steps to making your own natural evergreen wreath:

First, find a Juniper tree with large quantities of blue berries. Prune branches 18 to 24 inches long. You will need at least 12 branches this size.
Next, place four branches in a square overlapping each other by six to eight inches. Make sure branches are all facing the same direction all around the square.
Tie the stems to the upper portion of the branch-ends with fine black wire.
Next, attach four more branches but rotate 1/8 of a turn. Tie stems and tips together like the previous square. Tie these branches to the original four branches as well.
Now look at the wreath. If there are exposed stems (pruned portions), cover them with the last four branches placing them the opposite direction. Tie these branches to the wreath tightly. All ties should be invisible.
I topped my wreath with some red holly berries. They really show up well against the dark green of the Juniper branches.
You can finish it with some red velvet bows, pine cones or other natural elements.

The fragrance of fresh cut evergreen branches permeate the room plus you have the satisfaction that you created your own wreath from natural elements. If I can make this, then you can too. Good Luck.

Five Reasons We are Giving Thanks at the Arboretum

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Scott Vogt

November is a great time to reflect on the many blessings of the past year here at the arboretum. We are grateful for so many things. We enjoy serving you and serving with you to fulfill the mission of this organization, to promote through education and stewardship the conservation and use of plants native and adaptable to Kansas.

Though words cannot adequately express our appreciation and thankfulness, here are five reasons we are giving thanks this holiday season:

Generous Supporters – When I became director, I had no idea how many people there are who underwrite the work we do throughout the year. I have been amazed at the generosity of our supporters. Your financial gifts are not taken for granted. Each membership and each donation is accepted with much appreciation. I view your support as a partnership. Thank You!

Dedicated Volunteers – When people come along side us and give us their time and talent, it makes a difference. Volunteers are special people. Last year, volunteers contributed over 2,000 hours of valuable service to help us accomplish the work of the arboretum. We encourage volunteers to use their skills and interests to help in our valuable work. Volunteering is a great way to support our mission, as you share your experiences about this prairie garden with others, learn about plants, meet new people and serve our visitors. Thank You!

An Important Mission – Since its inception, the arboretum’s mission has been about the prairie. We are a prairie education facility that promotes stewardship and conservation. Advocating for plants that use less water, teaching children about the prairie and its many benefits, and hosting events that bring visitors to the arboretum are at the heart of our calling as an organization. Our core values have never been more important in the world.

Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) – This signature arboretum program has impacted over 21,000 students, 173 teachers from 58 schools over the past eight years. Thanks to the dedicated work of teachers, who were guided by our EPS staff, students are able to detach themselves from the daily distractions of technology, slow down and observe the beauty of the prairie. This program perfectly fits our mission and is having a positive impact on students in Kansas.

A Successful Year – All the reasons above and many more have helped the arboretum continue to grow this year. Our goal is to increase our influence, educate more people, and enhance the arboretum gardens and programs we offer throughout the year. We had one of our most successful years because of your efforts and support. THANK YOU!

Bonus Reason! Dedicated Staff – I am fortunate to lead a team who love the arboretum. These individuals strive daily to champion the mission of the arboretum and provide you with excellent programs and events. I wish you could see their diligence, hard work and passion. I am blessed to serve with them. Thanks Brad, Janelle, and Brett!

Take time to count your blessings. Be grateful for the good things you enjoy.

Seven Reasons to Attend This Years’ Luminary Walk

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Scott Vogt

Over the years, the Winter Luminary Walk at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains has become a tradition for many people. Here are my top seven reasons to be part of this unique event:

The south bridge is one of our favorite spots along the path during the luminary walk, especially on a magically snowy night. Photo by Ken Raney.

Enjoy the natural beauty of the gardens in winter. Thousands of lights bring the arboretum to life, highlighting the pure, organic forms of the trees, shrubs and prairie plants.
Relax and stroll the pathways with more than 900 jars and candles lighting the way. No commercial glitz – just the simple, soft light of candles.

Roast s’mores. Warm yourself by the fires and roast a marshmallow. Sticky fingers, but oh so good.
Drink hot almond tea with Christmas cookies in the Visitor Center. This drink is perfect on a cold winter night along with cookies from the Hesston Women’s Civic Club and other volunteers.

Walkers gather around the fire to roast marshmallows.

Make memories at the Arboretum. It is great to be with family and friends spending an evening together. Forget about the hustle and bustle of the season, slow down and enjoy together everything this time of the year has to offer.
Be creative. Each night children will make crafts that relate to a different culture’s holiday traditions.
Learn about other cultures. With the theme “Joy to the World: A Multicultural Celebration”, this year’s luminary walk will include performers, crafts, stories and an outdoor nativity representing a variety of cultural perspectives.

Stop in to the buildings to warm up and be creative during craft time.

We at the arboretum enjoy hosting this special event. It is unique because it invokes fond memories of Christmas’ past while making new memories with the special people in your lives. Come, relax, and enjoy this one-of-a-kind Christmas celebration.

For this year’s Luminary Walk schedule and line-up of performers, click here.

A Love for Water: Reflections on Water Supply

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Brad Guhr

In spite of winter’s recent blast, I am feeling hydrophilic. It is true that I have a “strong affinity for water” as the definition goes. In a vocation working with water-dependent plants where Latin names are commonly used, the word “hydrophillic” (Latin hydrophilus, from Greek hydr- + -philos -philous) should be common vernacular.

It may seem silly to state this affection given that everyone knows human survival requires regular access to potable water. But it feels fitting to make this proclamation after experiencing a 2014 Kansas growing season of near average precipitation when rain fell regularly and nearly always when it seemed to be most needed. Our home lawn didn’t require much irrigation to keep from going dormant, our vegetable garden was especially bountiful, and the Central Kansas prairie was as lush and tall and colorful and productive with ripe seed as I have seen it in the last decade. With fresh memories of the scorching summers of 2011 and 2012, when heat and drought tested every Kansan’s resolve to maintain residency, I can definitely say that I…love…water.

I just finished attending the first day of the Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas, where newly re-elected Governor Sam Brownback committed that a big part of his second term will be dedicated to development and implementation of A Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas. Kansans are fortunate to have access to plentiful groundwater in the western part of the state and surface water in the east. At the moment, we are fortunate to regularly turn on the tap for a clean, seemingly limitless supply of water – a luxury that costs less than our phone bills, cable bills, and electricity bills, but is far more essential.

The introductory statement in the Governor’s document issues a warning: “The writing is on the wall and if we don’t act today, our future is bleak. The Ogallala Aquifer is declining faster than it is recharging. Reservoirs, which are critical water storage structures for much of our state, are filling with sediment. At this rate, with no changes in the next 50 years, the Ogallala will be 70 percent depleted and our reservoirs will be 40 percent filled with sediment.” Most of us haven’t experienced a Dust Bowl in our lifetime or don’t remember the one we did. Hopefully, we won’t experience one in our lifetime, but odds are increasing that we will.

Wise Use of Kansas Water will be the topic of our Dyck Arboretum 2015 Spring Education Symposium. This symposium will explore the history of drought cycles on the Plains, the current status of our Kansas water supply, what steps are being taken to protect it, and offer ways we can better conserve it.

Stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, love water.

(Photos courtesy of Gerry Epp)

Make Your Favorite School an EPS School

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Brad Guhr

Kansas Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) has become a flagship program at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains since we received training from EPS founders at University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum in 2006. Over the last eight years, we have enjoyed helping 173 teachers form 58 Kansas schools pass along knowledge of the prairie to more than 21,000 K-12 students.

Here are five reasons why you should share this post with a teacher or administrator and make your favorite local school an EPS school:

1. Kids thrive on outdoor, hands-on, project-based learning.

When students get the chance to learn by doing and are asked to solve a problem in an inquiry based way, not only do they learn and retain concepts more effectively, but they also have fun in the process.

2. Improve student health and environmental literacy.

Literature and studies show that each successive generation of students is becoming less connected to natural surroundings, more sedentary and more affected by real world problems, including attention deficit disorder and childhood obesity. The EPS Program helps schools address these problems.

3. Add environmentally-friendly landscaping, biological diversity and aesthetic interest to school grounds with prairie garden learning laboratories.

Once established, native plants survive, and often thrive, without irrigation, chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. They attract a host of insect pollinators and other wildlife too. Prairie gardens also give students outdoor laboratories where all subjects of a school’s curriculum can be enhanced.

4. Teacher training can be fun!

The EPS summer and winter teacher institute evaluations have clearly and consistently expressed that this Dyck Arboretum program gives teachers some of the most enriching, meaningful and enjoyable teacher training available today. And thanks to grant funding from generous donors, we have been able to provide this program with all of its follow-up support to teachers AT NO CHARGE.

5. Meet objectives of Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.

The new uniform national performance standards in schools are a reality for teachers and administrators, and the EPS curriculum has been fully correlated to these standards to give teachers a full toolbox of hands-on curriculum activities with which to work.

Tell your favorite teacher to check our website and put the next EPS Summer Institute on the calendar! If you have questions, or would like to schedule an in-service to learn more about EPS, please use our contact form, or call our office and ask for Brad.