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Evaluating the state’s streams and rivers and improving roadside flora and fauna have earned two Kansans Conservation Achievement Awards from the Kansas Wildlife Federation.
Kansas Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller, a Pratt native, was awarded Conservationist of the Year for her efforts to improve habitat plant life in the ditches across the state with less mowing.
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Stream Biologist Ryan Waters, a Pratt resident, has received the Stream Monitor Award for 15 years of surveying Kansas’ streams and rivers. The Watershed Institute sponsors the Stream Monitor Award.
Waters efforts have led to a better understanding of Kansas’ streams and rivers. Better yet, the surveys show what is lacking. Many of the state’s streams are degrading in quality and quantity, said Steven Sorensen, KWF conservation vice president.
“By documenting these changes we have better options for stream management,” Sorensen said.
The largest single landowner in Kansas is KDOT with all the right-of-way acreage for interstates and highways.
“That’s some significant acreage,” Sorensen said.
With Miller’s leadership, changes in mowing and changes in the types of grasses and native wild flowers have helped increase the esthetics of the highway system and improved coverage for wildlife.
“It’s a pretty significant impact on wildlife in Kansas,” Sorensen said.
Following the creation of the esthetics task force, KDOT took a look at their mowing practices and determined to reduce the number of times they mowed and the width of swath in the ditches across the state.
The Department also changed the seeding mix to include more natural grass and wildflowers. They also required contractors to remove topsoil then replace it once a construction project was completed.
This has helped improve the quality of the road ides and as a practical matter saved gas for the state.
“We have a more pleasing, better looking right of way,” Miller said. “We have helped create a beautiful landscape for people traveling on our roadways.”
Mowing is timed so it doesn’t interfere with ground nesting game birds. Deer are more likely to bolt into traffic with taller ground cover, Miller said.
“We hope to have a positive improvement on deer and car accidents. That would certainly be beneficial,” Miller said.
The Department used the state of Iowa as an example for improving the environmental quality along the roadways. Former Secretary of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Mike Hayden had a long history of working with KDOT to improve roadways.
Evaluating the state’s streams and rivers and improving roadside flora and fauna have earned two Kansans Conservation Achievement Awards from the Kansas Wildlife Federation.
Kansas Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller, a Pratt native, was awarded Conservationist of the Year for her efforts to improve habitat plant life in the ditches across the state with less mowing.
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Stream Biologist Ryan Waters, a Pratt resident, has received the Stream Monitor Award for 15 years of surveying Kansas’ streams and rivers. The Watershed Institute sponsors the Stream Monitor Award.
Waters efforts have led to a better understanding of Kansas’ streams and rivers. Better yet, the surveys show what is lacking. Many of the state’s streams are degrading in quality and quantity, said Steven Sorensen, KWF conservation vice president.
“By documenting these changes we have better options for stream management,” Sorensen said.
The largest single landowner in Kansas is KDOT with all the right-of-way acreage for interstates and highways.
“That’s some significant acreage,” Sorensen said.
With Miller’s leadership, changes in mowing and changes in the types of grasses and native wild flowers have helped increase the esthetics of the highway system and improved coverage for wildlife.
“It’s a pretty significant impact on wildlife in Kansas,” Sorensen said.
Following the creation of the esthetics task force, KDOT took a look at their mowing practices and determined to reduce the number of times they mowed and the width of swath in the ditches across the state.
The Department also changed the seeding mix to include more natural grass and wildflowers. They also required contractors to remove topsoil then replace it once a construction project was completed.
This has helped improve the quality of the road ides and as a practical matter saved gas for the state.
“We have a more pleasing, better looking right of way,” Miller said. “We have helped create a beautiful landscape for people traveling on our roadways.”
Mowing is timed so it doesn’t interfere with ground nesting game birds. Deer are more likely to bolt into traffic with taller ground cover, Miller said.
“We hope to have a positive improvement on deer and car accidents. That would certainly be beneficial,” Miller said.
The Department used the state of Iowa as an example for improving the environmental quality along the roadways. Former Secretary of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Mike Hayden had a long history of working with KDOT to improve roadways.
The department will continue to educate and improve policy to continue the improvement on the roadways.
The department has used stimulus money for some of the big acreage projects with native grasses and native flowers that helps provide good visuals along the right of ways.
Miller said she was dumbfounded and absolutely surprised to win the award.
“I was absolutely pleased,” Miller said.
For 17 years Waters has led teams of students across the state as they take on the task of surveying over 700 rivers and streams that are on land that is 98 percent privately owned. They tackle 45 sites every summer.
The surveys reveal the biological and physical statistics of the streams. The streams and rivers are graded on health, Waters said.
This information is then shared across the state to be used for any project that might impact a waterway in the state.
“We collect data so people don’t make bad decisions,” Waters said.
Whether its putting a bridge a cross a stream, straightening out a stream or running a highway along side a stream, the goal of the research is to return the area to the way it was before the alteration was made.
The discovery of the Arkansas Snail Darter was one of his biggest success stories. He wants to make sure that any activity doesn’t disrupt their habitat.
“They were here before white man. You hate to have something introduced by humans that will knock out a natural occurring species,” Waters said.
They also keep track of nuisance species and help monitor any changes for them.
The surveys provide valuable information that helps evaluate the health of the streams and rivers and reveal any pollution elements that may be present.
The information allows Waters and his teams to be able to answer questions for landowners. It takes the combined efforts of Waters, his team and landowners to make the surveys successful.
