Natural Boundaries
Questions to explore:
- What is the difference between natural and political boundaries?
- Why would river basin boundaries be seen as useful for management of water resources?
- What would be disadvantages of using river basin boundaries for management of water resources?
- Where are natural boundaries used in Kansas to also serve as political boundaries?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of using natural boundaries as political boundaries?
- What natural features other than water bodies are used to manage natural resources in Kansas and where?
- Do natural features used as boundaries change over time? If so, what processes, natural or man-made, lead to those changes?
- Cite examples of boundaries that have changed over time due to natural processes. What relevance do those changed boundaries have today?
- What other interviews in the KOHP collection include references to natural boundaries or regions?
Historical Figures:
- John Wesley Powell
- Mike Hayden
An additional teacher resource is the Water Science School of USGS: Teacher’s Resources for Water Education.
The full Interview of Mike Hayden, November 23, 2021, can be accessed on this website.
Description
In his 2021 interview about Kansas water policy, former Kansas Governor Mike Hayden described the usefulness of establishing water policy administrative units based on the natural boundaries of watersheds.