Topic #4: Water, water everywhere...or nowhere

This is another topic that probably will be revisited in another form later on. As I learned about Salina this past fall there were two contrasting water issues that came up frequently: the effort by Friends of the River to restore the Smoky Hill River's flow through Salina proper, and the underground contamination on the west side at Schilling AFB.

Even with the river restoration project, there are concerns about how the state intends to manage the dwindling water supply at Kanopolis Lake...and of course there are pressing regional concerns regarding the similarly dwindling Ogalallah Aquifer, the source of water for virtually all of Nebraska and western Kansas.

These issues notwithstanding, the Friends of the River project is a true grassroots effort and it needs the participation and input of as much of the community as possible. There's a lot to consider here: aesthetic beautification and access; defining a waterfront; the aforementioned state-wide water rights issue; flooding and property values. What do you envision for the river and its relationship to the community...and what should the community and F.O.R. be considering first and foremost?