River Access - The growing number of paddlers has
brought awareness to the issue of river access, particularly in Sedgwick and
surrounding counties of south-central Kansas. Out of the 50 states, Kansas
ranks dead-last in the percentage of land owned by t
he
state and federal government (source).
Not surprisingly, most citizens are unaware that the Arkansas River is open to
the public, similar to a national park or forest. Unfortunately, most
access points in rural Kansas are limited to the road-side right-of-ways
maintained for road and bridge crews. This leaves paddlers climbing
rip-rapped banks through poison ivy and various other hazards in order to get in
and out of the river. These unsafe conditions inhibit, and in many cases,
prohibit access to the river. There is also the health safety concern, as
many are sent home 
with scrapes, bruises and a bad case of contact dermatitis.
In addition, there often is no parking space and boats must be unloaded along
highways which adds to the danger of having an accident.
As part of the lobbying efforts from the Arkansas River Coalition, several
municipalities, counties, and other various user groups formed the Arkansas
River Corridor Access Plan (ARCAP) to help establish the Arkansas River as a
recreational amenity for the state and region. In 2008, a Master
Plan (18MB) was developed for recreational use of a 120 mile reach of the
Arkansas River in south-central Kansas.
Arkansas River
Coalition 
