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March-APril 2021 Newsletter

3/8/2021

President’s Message Environmentalists Wanted
The ARC Board of Directors wishes to expand the BOD with individuals who are interested in monitoring and improving the Arkansas River and its watershed. The mission of the Arkansas River Coalition is to protect, restore and improve the entire watershed and enhance the well-being of all life it sustains. Expanding the BOD with environmentalists should al- low more progress in the mission. Please contact any board member if you are interested.

Kay Drennen Lecture
ARC member and Extension Master Gardener Kay Drennen will present a program titled “ Designing Draught Tolerant Landscapes “ via Zoom.. This program will share planning and maintenance tips as well as a list of draught tolerant plants for your water wise landscape. Wichita Public Library is the sponsor, and one may sign up for the virtual programs by call- ing the library or using the library website. There are also four other programs on the series.

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Coalition News Board Meeting
Monday March 8, 2021 Zoom .us virtual
Monday May 10, 2021 Zoom .us virtual

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS
Lynn and Kathryn Thurlow

ARC Mini-Float Schedule
To find the schedule for Mini-Floats go to our website at www.arkrivercoalition.org or call Wally Seibel at 316-684-0730 or email wallyseibel@aol.com to get on his float list to receive float schedule announcements.

CONTRIBUTIONS $100 and over level:
Under $100 level:
Nancy Anderson
April 20, 2021

ARKANSAS RIVER COALITION, INC. NEWSLETTER
Editor: Jane Icke
Email: 2fe2o3y@gmail.com
Website Administrator: Tom Kneil
Board Members: Kay Drennen, Curt Demuth, Hoyt Hillman, Russ Icke, Jon Marr, Tom Kneil, Nicole Olson, Wally Seibel
Address: PO Box 3056, Wichita, KS 67201 Website: www.arkrivercoalition.org Facebook: Ark River Coalition Group
Website
Our website is: http://www.arkrivercoalition.org
Watch for added information to the website in the future.

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Kayaking is one of my favorite sports of choice! By Vince Marshall
Sure, there may be some conflicting current conditions and activities, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, political dissension and challenging weather, but kayaking on the river is my go to pass time, for sure.
I have been kayaking on the river for many years, and especially during each of the past 12 months. I hope that I can get out on the river with my paddle, PFD and kayak in February and the coming months.
So what has been right and enjoyable about kayaking in my life? I will elaborate (and entertain?) by showing a few visuals with brief explanations.
As far as I am concerned, the access site at the Alden South bridge over the Arkansas River is
my favorite. It’s an easy place to launch and land kayaks and canoes. The parking is very spacious and the boat carry distance between vehicle and the water’s edge is minimal....and the adjacent camp- ing area is sufficient for an over-nighter. All of these positive features are made possible by a cooperative landowner and Kansas Wildlife personnel. Of course there are other fine Arkansas River ac- cess sites for the paddler.... But Alden South is my very favorite river access site for beginning, ending or making a stopover on my enjoyable kayaking journeys!
I have enjoyed paddling with Wally (here kayaking between tall reeds) on almost every segment of the
Arkansas River from Great Bend to the OK boarder. I have listened. learned and shared paddling lore with Wally. We have explored and experienced var- ious river stretches and scenes. Shown in this photo, Wally is resting his paddle among the Common Reed plants that provide a canyon-like setting next to the river channel.
(continued on page 4)

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Kayaking (continued from page 3)
Kayaking down the river and stopping over on a sandbar or river bank for an overnight camp is a special, favorite time for me. Shown in this photo is Kevin, stirring up the campfire, and Wally, pre- paring his evening meal, as the sun sets in the background. After our evening meal we usually built up the fire with driftwood and then share stories and discuss the highlights of the day.... And then it becomes time to seek the comfort of our tents and sleeping bags. Rising in the morn- ing to again enjoy the ever southward flow of the current.
We frequently share our kayak journeys with friends and newcomers to the world of river floats. This scene occurred on one of our floats when a newcomer Mom and two youngsters each paddled their own boat. A girl from this family, around the age of 10 or 11, and small for her age, jumped into this kayak with great anticipation and joy. She was hoping to seek the freedom of paddling with the current! Unfortunately, immediately after her launching the kayak, she experienced great difficulty in her efforts to propel and steer the boat. Consequently Mark connected their two kayaks, slipped a kayak spray skirt on her kayak, and towed her down the river while she nestled down and commenced to take a cozy nap.
New BOD Member
The ARC BOD is pleased to welcome a new board member. Jon Marr retired from a fire service career. He is now the Deputy Director of Emergency Management for Sedgwick County. He has experience with virtual meetings and has been instrumental in setting up the ARC BOD meetings, which have become virtual because of COVID 19, as many of the BOD members are in the age range that is most at risk. He also has experience with web design and is working with Tom to make changes on the website. He is active in Sea Scouts and Healthy Kids Running Series. The Healthy Kid Running Series sponsors a series of races of varying distances for ages K through 8th grade. He is working with ARC as ARC becomes a sponsor of a Sea Scout Ship. Sea Scouts are affiliated with BSA.

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Since we are nearing a time when we can plan more float trips, here is a reprint of Wally’s article about PFD fitting.
Selecting and Properly Fitting a PFD (Life Jacket)
Having a life jacket is not enough. Wearing a life jacket is not enough. Only a PFD that is worn properly can be counted on to keep you afloat in the event of an emergency. Fitting a life jacket is not like fitting a winter coat. If a coat is inadequate the wearer can return for a refit. With a failing PFD there may be no second chance! According to some reports, a PFD not properly fitted may have been a significant contributing factor in a recent tragedy on our river.
SIZING: The life jacket should fit snugly without being too tight. The term the Coast Guard uses is “comfortably snug.” If you can’t make the life jacket fit snugly, then it is too big. If you can’t comfortably put it on and fasten it, it is too small.
Life jackets may be categorized by size: Infant, Child, Youth and Adult. The first step toward finding the proper fit is to determine which category the person you are fitting falls into. The chart below breaks down these categories by chest size and by weight in the infant child, and youth models to be used as a general guide.
Size
Chest
Weight
MUST HAVE
INFANT
- - - - - - -
< 30 lbs.
CROTCH STRAP HEAD SUPPORT & GRAB LOOP
CHILD
22” - 25” 30 - 50 lbs.
CROTCH STRAP
YOUTH
24” - 29”
50 - 90 lbs. PROPER FIT
ADULT
- - - - - -
<275 lbs. limit
PROPER FIT
FITTING: Once you’ve selected a size, follow these fitting steps.

 Loosen all the straps, put the PFD on and, if it has a zipper, zip it up.
 Start at the waist and tighten all the straps. It should feel snug but not uncomfortable.
 Next pull up on the PFD shoulders. If it moves up past your nose, ears, or head,
tighten the straps. If it still moves up, the PFD is too large.

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