DOCSLIB.ORG

HISTORY of WATER RIGHTS in KANSAS Ty L

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
HISTORY of WATER RIGHTS in KANSAS Ty L Division of Water Resources HISTORY OF WATER RIGHTS IN KANSAS Ty L. Vaughn Certificate Unit Supervisor KDHE Geology & Well Technology Seminar - October 2020 2009 data from the publication: Identifying historical and recent land-cover changes in Kansas using post-classification change detection techniques Küchler’s (1974) Potential Natural Vegetation (KPNV) map of Kansas. Classes are coded to dominant prairie and forest types. Limited Water Western Central Eastern in Kansas Kansas Kansas Kansas • Primarily • Relies on a • Primarily relies on the mixture of relies on Ogallala- surface and surface High Plains groundwater water aquifer for supplies its water supply Images from kansastrailguide.com Ogallala / High Plains Aquifer Let’s start at the very beginning… Kansas became a state in 1861. Post Civil War, The Homestead Act was passed in 1862, which gave 160 acres of free land to some 1 million new settlers in Kansas. Western Kansas was arid and made up mostly of flat prairie. At first, settlers were unsure this part of Kansas would be worthwhile to settle on… that is until they discovered healthy soils and seemingly abundant water sources. Kansas Settlers – All photos from Kansas Historical Society PRE-1945 WATER “LAWS” Riparianism, according to the English and American Common Law, starting in 1861, which meant the landowner owned the surface water on their land and/or had a right to use water adjacent to their land. After the discovery of groundwater, a policy called the doctrine of absolute ownership was implemented, which means the groundwater under the land belonged to the landowner. Manhattan, Kansas. New People = New Crops & New Tech A variety of crops were planted by these new settlers. Some – like oats, cotton, tobacco, and grapes– didn’t fare well in Kansas’s climate. Corn and wheat became staple crops. With technological advancements from 1850 to 1930, farming began to be big business in Kansas. Irrigation technology truly started in the 1880’s, where irrigation canals were built to divert surface water from rivers. From there, windmills were used to tap into groundwater sources. Steam powered engines were created in the 1870’s and the early 20th century brought in the internal combustion engine and helped farmers access water that was deeper in the ground. Richfield, Morton County Lawmakers Get Involved Kansas Agriculture Society was formed in 1857, although it was less of a management entity and more of a recordkeeping group. Kansas counties started to have County Fairs, whose purpose was to allow farmers to share ideas with each other. However, these ideas rarely crossed county lines and it was decided a state organization should be created. The Kansas State Agricultural Society was formed by the Kansas Legislature on March 5, 1862. They collected and shared ideas amongst all counties. They also provided funding for farming research. Still, this Society wasn’t a state agency and lacked funding. In 1872, it was renamed the State Board of Agriculture and was now connected to a larger federal system. It was renamed the Kansas Department of Agriculture in 1995. David Barfield •Involved in the litigation of the Republican Guy Gibson George Knapp River Compact with Nebraska •Groundwater Management Districts •Involved in the implementation of the •Republican River Compact (1943) (GMDs) were formed Kansas-Colorado Arkansas River Compact Earl Lewis •Kansas Water Appropriations Act (1945) •Implemented the first Intensive •Signed the first Tribal water right The current Kansas Water Office Director, •Arkansas River Compact (1949) Groundwater Use Control Area (IGUCA) settlement in KS will begin his role as the 6th Chief Engineer. 1951–1972 1983–2007 February 2020 – Present 1927–1951 1972–1983 2007–2020 November 2020 David Pope •Implemented mandatory water use Robert Smrha reporting Christopher Beightel (Acting) •Enacted water permit filling requirements •Implemented mandatory water flow meters Program Manager for Water Management •Signed the Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas •Administration of minimum desirable Program River Compact (1966) streamflows •Signed the Big Blue River Compact (1971) •Transition to safe yield policies for water allocation Chief Engineers GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS (GMDS) 1942 - Republican River Interstate Compacts Compact • Litigation in 1998 and 2010 against Nebraska 1948 - Kansas-Colorado Arkansas River Compact • Litigation in 1985 against Colorado 1965 - Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact 1971 - Kansas-Nebraska Big Blue River Compact Kansas Water Appropriation Act (KWAA) • Since 1945 – Right to use water based on prior appropriation or "First in time – First in right" • Expressly states that a water right is “a real property right appurtenant to… the land… in connection with which the water is used…”; and that “all water within the state… is hereby dedicated to the use of the people of the state, subject to the control and regulation of the state…” and that a water appropriation “shall not constitute ownership of such water.” • Allows a limited resource to be allocated for beneficial use and to protect minimum desirable streamflows. • Protects investments, property rights and the resource Water Regulator’s Primary Roots 1861 1919 1945 1973 Riparianism was the The Division of Irrigation was Kansas Water Appropriation The first Groundwater common law. created within the State Act was signed. Management Districts were Board of Agriculture. formed. The Kansas Water The two entities were Commission was created and combined to form the Division Law allowed DWR to establish made up of the governor and of Water Resources. George Field Offices. They were two civil engineers. They had Knapp became the first Chief developed in Topeka, Stafford, no planning funds. Engineer. Stockton, & Garden City. 1917 1927 1957 Why do I need a Water Right? Water is protected for the use and benefit of the citizens of the state in order of priority. DWR issues permits to appropriate water, regulates usage & keeps records of all water rights. As of 1978, all non-domestic uses of water are required to have a permit from DWR. It is illegal to use water without holding a vested right, or applying for & receiving a permit to appropriate water from DWR. Exception is domestic use – household, 2 acres of lawn & garden use, livestock on pasture & secondary uses. Beneficial Uses of Water Others: • Municipal A Beneficial Use of Water is described as water that is used • Domestic for financial purposes or aesthetic value and classified under • Dewatering one of the fourteen uses listed in KAR 5-1-1. • Hydraulic Dredging • Thermal Exchange Vested Rights A vested right is the right to continue the beneficial use of water begun prior to June 28, 1945. To attain a vested right, the water user would have to prove the historical use of beneficial water prior to 1945 via a Verified Claim form. The deadline to attain one was July 1, 1980. Required the following information: 1. The name and post-office address of the claimant; 2. the source to which the claim relates; 3. the amount of water claimed; 4. the location of the works for the diversion and use of the claimed water; 5. the dates of the beneficial use made; and 6. Image from KSHS: A sand dredge being operated sometime around any additional information the chief engineer may 1908 in an attempt to make the Eureka Irrigation Canal in Ford County a require. success. It is located in the Arkansas River. Intensive Groundwater Use Control Area (IGUCA) Regulating Evaporation Above: Photo from Ducks Unlimited Right: Photo from Republic County Annual Water Use Reporting Meters 2000 – K.A.R. 5-7-1, which requires all nondomestic, non-temporary wells and pumpsites have a meter. • Meters must have sufficient register capacity to not roll over more than once per year • They must be maintained in satisfactory operating condition • Must have appropriate seals and labels. Seals can only be broken by an authorized representative of the manufacturer Violations & Penalties Overpumping Penalties Other Violations Penalty Severity Level A Severity Level B Severity Level C Category < 24 hours 24≤ x <72 hours ≥ 72 hours Fine: $1,000 per day Fine: $1,000 per day 1 Written notice Reduction: quantity equal to twice the Reduction: quantity equal to three (no prior Meter Tampering of non-compliance quantity overpumped, not to exceed times the quantity overpumped, not to offense) the annual authorized quantity exceed the annual authorized quantity Fine: $1,000 per day 2 Reduction: quantity equal to Fine: $1,000 per day Fine: $1,000 per day (1 prior twice the quantity overpumped, Falsified Water Use Suspension Length: one year Suspension Length: three years offense) not to exceed the annual Report authorized quantity 3 Fine: $1,000 per day Fine: $1,000 per day Fine: $1,000 per day (2 prior Suspension Length: one year Suspension Length: three years Suspension Length: four years offenses) 4 Waste of Water Fine: $1,000 per day Fine: $1,000 per day Fine: $1,000 per day (≥3 prior Suspension Length: three years Suspension Length: four years Suspension Length: five years offenses) Violation of an CE Late Water Use Penalties Order 2018 update to K.S.A 82a-732 – Civil and other penalties for failure to submit a water use report were increased: • If report is not received by March 1, owner is subject to $250 penalty per file number Threatening to • Used to be $50 per file number Divert Without • If report is not received by June 1, owner is subject to $1000 penalty per file number Authorization • Used to be $250 per file number DROUGHT TERM PERMITS Other Tools by DWR • 1992 – Water Right Conservation Program (WRCP) • Enrollment in this program protects water rights from being abandoned due to non-use, subject to various enrollment requirements as listed in K.A.R. 5-7-4(b). • 2001 - Multi-Year Flex Accounts (MYFAs) • a 5-year term permit that temporarily replaces an existing (or base) water right.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis for Kansas City, Missouri
    The analysis presented in this report was completed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States and therefore the forecast estimates do not take into account the economic and housing market impacts of the actions taken to limit contagion of the virus. At this time, the duration and depth of the economic disruption are unclear, as are the extent and effectiveness of countermeasures. HUD will continue to monitor market conditions in the HMA and provide an updated report/addendum in the future. COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research As of January 1, 2020 Share on: Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis as of January 1, 2020 Executive Summary 2 Executive Summary Housing Market Area Description The Kansas City Housing Market Area (HMA), coterminous with the Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), encompasses 14 counties along the border between Missouri and Kansas. For this analysis, the HMA is divided into two submarkets: (1) the Missouri submarket, which consists of Bates, Caldwell, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Jackson, Lafayette, Platte, and Ray Counties; and (2) the Kansas submarket, which consists of Johnson, Linn, Miami, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte Counties. The city of Kansas City is known for its style of jazz. In 2018, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization designated Kansas City Tools and Resources as a “City of Music,” the only such city in the United States. Find interim updates for this metropolitan area, and select geographies nationally, at PD&R’s Market-at-a-Glance tool.
    [Show full text]
  • State Abbreviations
    State Abbreviations Postal Abbreviations for States/Territories On July 1, 1963, the Post Office Department introduced the five-digit ZIP Code. At the time, 10/1963– 1831 1874 1943 6/1963 present most addressing equipment could accommodate only 23 characters (including spaces) in the Alabama Al. Ala. Ala. ALA AL Alaska -- Alaska Alaska ALSK AK bottom line of the address. To make room for Arizona -- Ariz. Ariz. ARIZ AZ the ZIP Code, state names needed to be Arkansas Ar. T. Ark. Ark. ARK AR abbreviated. The Department provided an initial California -- Cal. Calif. CALIF CA list of abbreviations in June 1963, but many had Colorado -- Colo. Colo. COL CO three or four letters, which was still too long. In Connecticut Ct. Conn. Conn. CONN CT Delaware De. Del. Del. DEL DE October 1963, the Department settled on the District of D. C. D. C. D. C. DC DC current two-letter abbreviations. Since that time, Columbia only one change has been made: in 1969, at the Florida Fl. T. Fla. Fla. FLA FL request of the Canadian postal administration, Georgia Ga. Ga. Ga. GA GA Hawaii -- -- Hawaii HAW HI the abbreviation for Nebraska, originally NB, Idaho -- Idaho Idaho IDA ID was changed to NE, to avoid confusion with Illinois Il. Ill. Ill. ILL IL New Brunswick in Canada. Indiana Ia. Ind. Ind. IND IN Iowa -- Iowa Iowa IOWA IA Kansas -- Kans. Kans. KANS KS A list of state abbreviations since 1831 is Kentucky Ky. Ky. Ky. KY KY provided at right. A more complete list of current Louisiana La. La.
    [Show full text]
  • Kansas Voter Registration Form
    Kansas Voter Registration For further information, contact the Office of the Secretary of State, Kansas Voter Registration Instructions 1-800-262-VOTE (8683) V/TTY. This form is available at www.sos.ks.gov. You can use this application to: • Voter registration closes 21 days before any election. In order to be eligible to vote in that election, your • register to vote in Kansas application must be postmarked on or before that date. • change your name, address, or affiliation with a political • If you decline to register to vote, that fact will remain party confidential and will be used for voter registration purposes only. If you do register to vote, the office where you apply will be kept confidential and will be To register to vote, you must: used for voter registration purposes only. • If this form is incomplete, it may be rejected. • be a U.S. citizen and a resident of the state of Kansas. • • have reached the age of 18 years before the next election. Identification number requirements • have received final discharge from imprisonment, parole, or conditional release if convicted of a felony. Enter your current Kansas driver’s license number or • have abandoned your former residence and/or name. nondriver’s identification card number. If you do not have either one, enter the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you do not have any of these numbers, How to register to vote: write “none” in the box. The number will be used for administrative purposes only and will not be disclosed to • Return your completed application to your county.
    [Show full text]
  • The 1951 Kansas - Missouri Floods
    The 1951 Kansas - Missouri Floods ... Have We Forgotten? Introduction - This report was originally written as NWS Technical Attachment 81-11 in 1981, the thirtieth anniversary of this devastating flood. The co-authors of the original report were Robert Cox, Ernest Kary, Lee Larson, Billy Olsen, and Craig Warren, all hydrologists at the Missouri Basin River Forecast Center at that time. Although most of the original report remains accurate today, Robert Cox has updated portions of the report in light of occurrences over the past twenty years. Comparisons of the 1951 flood to the events of 1993 as well as many other parenthetic remarks are examples of these revisions. The Storms of 1951 - Fifty years ago, the stage was being set for one of the greatest natural disasters ever to hit the Midwest. May, June and July of 1951 saw record rainfalls over most of Kansas and Missouri, resulting in record flooding on the Kansas, Osage, Neosho, Verdigris and Missouri Rivers. Twenty-eight lives were lost and damage totaled nearly 1 billion dollars. (Please note that monetary damages mentioned in this report are in 1951 dollars, unless otherwise stated. 1951 dollars can be equated to 2001 dollars using a factor of 6.83. The total damage would be $6.4 billion today.) More than 150 communities were devastated by the floods including two state capitals, Topeka and Jefferson City, as well as both Kansas Cities. Most of Kansas and Missouri as well as large portions of Nebraska and Oklahoma had monthly precipitation totaling 200 percent of normal in May, 300 percent in June, and 400 percent in July of 1951.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Surrounding States *For Those Chapters That Are Made up of More Than One State We Will Submit Education to the States and Surround States of the Chapter
    List of Surrounding States *For those Chapters that are made up of more than one state we will submit education to the states and surround states of the Chapter. Hawaii accepts credit for education if approved in state in which class is being held Accepts credit for education if approved in state in which class is being held Virginia will accept Continuing Education hours without prior approval. All Qualifying Education must be approved by them. Offering In Will submit to Alaska Alabama Florida Georgia Mississippi South Carolina Texas Arkansas Kansas Louisiana Missouri Mississippi Oklahoma Tennessee Texas Arizona California Colorado New Mexico Nevada Utah California Arizona Nevada Oregon Colorado Arizona Kansas Nebraska New Mexico Oklahoma Texas Utah Wyoming Connecticut Massachusetts New Jersey New York Rhode Island District of Columbia Delaware Maryland Pennsylvania Virginia West Virginia Delaware District of Columbia Maryland New Jersey Pennsylvania Florida Alabama Georgia Georgia Alabama Florida North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Hawaii Iowa Illinois Missouri Minnesota Nebraska South Dakota Wisconsin Idaho Montana Nevada Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming Illinois Illinois Indiana Kentucky Michigan Missouri Tennessee Wisconsin Indiana Illinois Kentucky Michigan Ohio Wisconsin Kansas Colorado Missouri Nebraska Oklahoma Kentucky Illinois Indiana Missouri Ohio Tennessee Virginia West Virginia Louisiana Arkansas Mississippi Texas Massachusetts Connecticut Maine New Hampshire New York Rhode Island Vermont Maryland Delaware District of Columbia
    [Show full text]
  • Water, Capitalism, and Urbanization in the Californias, 1848-1982
    TIJUANDIEGO: WATER, CAPITALISM, AND URBANIZATION IN THE CALIFORNIAS, 1848-1982 A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History By Hillar Yllo Schwertner, M.A. Washington, D.C. August 14, 2020 Copyright 2020 by Hillar Yllo Schwertner All Rights Reserved ii TIJUANDIEGO: WATER, CAPITALISM, AND URBANIZATION IN THE CALIFORNIAS, 1848-1982 Hillar Yllo Schwertner, M.A. Dissertation Advisor: John Tutino, Ph.D. ABSTRACT This is a history of Tijuandiego—the transnational metropolis set at the intersection of the United States, Mexico, and the Pacific World. Separately, Tijuana and San Diego constitute distinct but important urban centers in their respective nation-states. Taken as a whole, Tijuandiego represents the southwestern hinge of North America. It is the continental crossroads of cultures, economies, and environments—all in a single, physical location. In other words, Tijuandiego represents a new urban frontier; a space where the abstractions of the nation-state are manifested—and tested—on the ground. In this dissertation, I adopt a transnational approach to Tijuandiego’s water history, not simply to tell “both sides” of the story, but to demonstrate that neither side can be understood in the absence of the other. I argue that the drawing of the international boundary in 1848 established an imbalanced political ecology that favored San Diego and the United States over Tijuana and Mexico. The land and water resources wrested by the United States gave it tremendous geographical and ecological advantages over its reeling southern neighbor, advantages which would be used to strengthen U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • HOUSE BILL No. 2016 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas: Section 1. GOVERNOR's DEPARTMENT (A) There Is
    HOUSE BILL No. 2016 AN ACT concerning governmental response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas; providing certain relief related to health, welfare, property and economic security during this public health emergency; making and concerning appropriations for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021, for the governor's department; requiring the state finance council's approval for certain expenditures; relating to the state of disaster emergency; powers of the governor and executive officers; providing certain limitations and restrictions; business and commercial activities; violations of the Kansas emergency management act; relating to the closure of schools by executive order; requiring state board of education approval prior to any such closure; enacting the COVID-19 response and reopening for business liability protection act; relating to limitations on liability associated with the COVID-19 public health emergency; providing immunity from civil liability for certain healthcare providers during the COVID-19 public health emergency; providing an affirmative defense for adult care homes; enacting the COVID-19 contact tracing privacy act; relating to privacy of persons whose information is collected through contact tracing and the confidentiality of contact data; authorizing the secretary of health and environment and local health officers to establish and operate systems of contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic; validating certain notarial acts performed while the requirements that a person must appear before
    [Show full text]
  • VI Mexican Indigenous Groups of the Border Region
    VI Mexican Indigenous Groups of the Border Region John A. Peterson and Michael Wilken-Robertson ABSTRACT The indigenous cultural heritage of Mexico’s border region includes native tribes—defined as relatively small, rural populations living on communally held ancestral lands—and migrant indigenous groups—which are larger populations of indigenous descent living in urban areas or agricultural settlements, usually without a community land base. This study examines the state of the environment of both native and migrant groups within the Mexican border region, which is defined as extending 100 kilometers (km) south of the U.S.-Mexican international political boundary. Just as this definition is problematic when considering ecosystems, watersheds, and other natural configurations, it likewise leads to arbitrary distinctions when discussing tribal nations of the border region. For example, the territory of some groups, like the Papago, extends beyond the 100-kilometer zone and the people maintain constant contact with other closely related tribal nations beyond the border region. Other groups, such as the Paipai and the Kiliwa of Baja California, live outside the 100km range but are closely tied culturally, socially, politically, and economically to indigenous and non-indigenous populations within the range. The Pai, Yaqui, and Pima comprise closely-related groups on both sides of the border but their entire territories are north and south of the 100km designation. For migrant indigenous groups the concept of the border region is even more problematic because their residences may vary anywhere from a few hours or days in one place to permanent settlements of transplanted ethnic colonias (neighborhoods) in urban areas such as Ciudad Juárez or Tijuana.
    [Show full text]
  • Communications
    DECEMBER 5, 2020 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | GAME NOTES KANSAS COMMUNICATIONS # # 3-1 0-0 7 / 5 0-3 0-0 - / - BISON OVERALL BIG 12 RANKING (AP/COACHES) OVERALL THE SUMMIT LEAGUE RANKING (AP/COACHES) -VS- Bill Self 504-110 (.821) DAVID RICHMAN 121-78 (.608) JAYHAWKS HEAD COACH RECORD AT KU, 18TH SEASON HEAD COACH RECORD AT NDSU, SEVENTH SEASON GAME SCHEDULE (H: 1-0; A: 0-0; N: 2-1) NORTH DAKOTA STATE AT #7/5 KANSAS SERIES AT A GLANCE KU OPP Lawrence, Kan. • Allen Fieldhouse OVERALL KANSAS LEADS, 1-0 Date Rnk Rnk Opponent TV Time/Result Saturday, December 5, 2020 • 3 p.m. (CT) at Lawrence (Allen Fieldhouse) 0-0 (0-0) NOVEMBER (1-1) 5 Last Meeting W, 84-74 @ Minneapolis, 3/20/2009 26 6/5 1/2 Gonzaga% FOX L, 90-102 27 6/5 -/- Saint Joseph’s% FS1 W, 94-72 BIG 12 NOW ON ESPN+ JAYHAWK RADIO NETWORK DECEMBER (2-0) Play-by-Play: Dave Armstrong Radio: IMG Jayhawk Radio Network 1 7/5 20/9 Kentucky# ESPN W, 65-62 Analyst: Nick Bahe Webcast: KUAthletics.com/Radio 3 7/5 -/- WASHBURN B12 NOW W, 89-54 Producer: Curtis Lorenz Play-by-Play: Jimmy Chavez Analyst: Greg Gurley ‹‹ POINTS 5 -/- -/- B12 NOW 3 p.m. 84.5 54.3 NORTH DAKOTA ST. Producer/Engineer: Steve Kincaid PER GAME 8 -/- -/- CREIGHTON~ ESPN 4 p.m. 11 -/- -/- OMAHA ESPN2 6 p.m. TIPOFF 46.1 ‹‹ FG% 32.4 13 -/- -/- TARLETON STATE B12 NOW 1 p.m. • Kansas continues its five-game homestand when it hosts North Dakota 17 -/- -/- at Texas Tech* State, Saturday, Dec.
    [Show full text]
  • CRRSA 60 Day Report 2021 – Iowa Tribe of Kansas & Nebraska
    NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY SERVICES, INC. 3313 B THRASHER ROAD * WHITE CLOUD, KS 66094 (785) 595-3260 – FAX (785) 595-3262 CRISIS LINE: (800) 209-0910 DIRECT CHILD CARE SERVICES: Parent Copay Relief and Alternate Daycare Assistance – The Iowa Tribal Learning Center has been seeing an increased need in copayment assistance due to COVID-19. Parents are returning to fulltime onsite work, and fulltime remote work. Although the parent is working remotely it is still necessary for a child to be attending daycare, to receive the proper care and quality activities to help with developmental stages. The parent is focused on working and completing tasks as assigned and often times leave children unattended. The ITLC has suspended parent copayments and would like to supplement that income with the CRRSA funding to maintain operating costs. We estimate that the average parent monthly Co-Pay is $250.00/child/month with an estimated 39,000 of the $39,000 we would like to set aside $5,000 – for alternate daycare assistance – please see “assistance to providers not participating in the subsidy system prior to the pandemic” for the description. Total Estimated cost of Parent Co-Payment assistance for direct care $34,000. IMPLEMENTATION OF VIRUS MITIGATION POLICIES AND PRACTICES Health and Safety - Replace Carpet with padded tile system – we would like to remove the carpeting from the upstairs area. As nice as the carpet is, with toddlers and infants, we see that many of our children stay ill. It is estimated that carpet can hold up to 200,000 bacteria per square inch.
    [Show full text]
  • A BRIEF HISTORY of DISCOVERY in the GULF of CALIFORNIA © Richard C
    A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISCOVERY IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA © Richard C. Brusca Vers. 12 June 2021 (All photos by the author, unless otherwise indicated) value of their visits. And there is good FIRST DISCOVERIES evidence that the Seri People (Comcaac) of San Esteban Island, and native people of Archaeological evidence tells us that Native the Baja California peninsula, ate sea lions. Americans were present in northwest Mexico at least 13,000 years ago. Although these hunter-gatherers probably began visiting the shores of the Northern Gulf of California around that time, any early evidence has been lost as sea level has risen with the end of the last ice age. Sea level stabilized ~6000 years ago (ybp), and the earliest evidence of humans along the shores of Sonora and Baja California (otoliths, or fish ear bones from shell middens) is around that age. Excavations of shell middens from the Bahía Adair and Puerto Peñasco region of the Upper Gulf show more-or-less continuous use of the coastal area over the past 6000 years (Middle Archaic Period; based on Salina Grande, on the upper Sonoran coast; radiocarbon dates of charcoal and fish a huge salt flat in which are found artesian otoliths to ~4270 BC). The subsistence springs (pozos) pattern of these midden sites suggests a The famous Covacha Babisuri lifestyle basically identical to that of the archaeological site on Isla Espíritu Santo, in earliest Sand Papago (Areneños, or Hia ced the Southern Gulf, has yielded evidence of O’odham) (see Mitchell et al. 2020). indigenous use that included harvesting and In the coastal shallows, Native working pearls as much as 8,500 years ago.
    [Show full text]
  • Ms. Katherine Biggs United States Environmental Protection Agency Region VII 726 Minnesota Avenue Kansas City, Kansas 66101 Dear Ms
    3589-87-I-DOE-177 Department of Energy Oak Ridge Operations Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project Office Route 2, Highway 94 South St. Charles, Missouri 63303 October 16, 1987 Ms. Katherine Biggs United States Environmental Protection Agency Region VII 726 Minnesota Avenue Kansas City, Kansas 66101 Dear Ms. Biggs: INTERIM RESPONSE ACTIONS (IRA'S) Enclosed are six (6) copies of the documentation for the following four (4) Interim Response Actions: 1. Dismantling of Building 401 2. Dismantling of Building 409 3. Removal of PCB Transformers 4. Debris Consolidation In addition, we are sending under separate cover, six (6) copies of the technical specifications and drawings from each of the four (4) proposed bid packages. It is our intention to have copies of these documents in place in the repositories for public inspection, and to provide public notice of their availability on October 19, 1987. This will initiate the twenty one (21) day comment period. If you have any questions, please give me a call. Sincerely, 1-70 Rod Nelson roject Manager Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project Enclosures: As stated cc w/enclosures: D. Bedan, MDNR The public comment period on this_interim remedial action ends on November 9, 1987. Comments may be sent to any of the following: • 1. Ms. Katherine Biggs U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Region VII 726 Minnesota Avenue Kansas City, Kansas 66101 • 2. Mr. David Bedan Missouri Department of Natural Resources Post Office Box 176 Jefferson City, Missouri 65102 3. Mr. Rodney R. Nelson Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project Route 2, Highway 94 South St.
    [Show full text]