Kansas wetland, stream, and riparian area resources have been in a state of decline for a variety of reasons. Obvious reasons to attack this natural resource concern are to improve water quality, provide high quality wildlife and aquatic habitats, and quality of life concerns.    

• Remaining wetlands are estimated at 48 percent of the original estimated wetlands found pre-settlement and recent inventories conducted indicate a continued net loss;
• many remaining wetlands are degraded or in need of restoration; and,
• of the 136,000 stream miles and riparian corridors, experts estimate that over half of those miles, 68,000-plus, were destroyed, degraded, or otherwise impaired.   

Individual efforts and programs by federal, state, and local agencies and other entities were not slowing the degradation and loss of these valuable areas.  In response to the need to build a strong educational and implementation effort to reverse the trend, the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams was formed in 1996.  In 2004, it became a 501.C. 3. public educational charity non-profit.

KAWS is a non-governmental, non-political, locally-driven group that  identifies, strategizes, and implements sound plans to address Kansas wetland, stream, and riparian area water quality and habitat concerns.  The collective challenge is to meet water quality standards, habitat needs for wildlife and a host of other environmental opportunities that face all Kansans.  KAWS delivers its services through 12 local chapters that cover the state of Kansas.  KAWS derives the majority of its funding through grants.  Today, it has eight staff that provide services to chapters and helping recruit and implement wetland, stream, and riparian area demonstration projects. 

In 2003, KAWS began implementing demonstration projects completing 30 that year.  In 2004, KAWS effectively spread demonstration projects through chapters, spending over $621,000 on 125 on-the-ground projects to improve water quality valued at over $2.2 million.  For 2003-2004, projects total 155.  The 155 projects completed amount to a total commitment of over $3.4 million in grant and non-federal match.  All KAWS projects serve as educational venues to show people what kinds and types of treatment they can use to treat their natural resource needs.