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Sedgwick County Extension urges continued water conservation despite recent rains; highlights Master Gardener award
Summary
K‑State Extension staff briefed the commission on drought outreach, city partnerships on water conservation, upcoming county fair and Master Gardener volunteer impact; staff warned drought effects persist despite recent heavy rains and invited residents to educational events and trainings.
Sedgwick County Extension staff told the Board of County Commissioners on June 25 that although recent rainfall has eased some conditions, drought remains a community concern and the office will continue water‑conservation education for residents, landscapers and businesses.
Dr. Jennifer Brantley, director of the Sedgwick County Extension Center, introduced horticulture agents Abby Drought and Matthew McKernan, who summarized 15 months of outreach that included 30 media interviews, 15 large public presentations and partnerships with local organizations such as the Wichita Area Builders Association, Sedgwick County Conservation District and Wichita State University’s Community Engagement Institute.
McKernan described ongoing public programming — including weekly television spots, a K‑State Garden Hour webinar series and tours of the Sedgwick County Arboretum — and said the extension has helped homeowners and landscape professionals measure water usage and adopt drought‑tolerant practices. Abby Drought and McKernan urged residents to “know when to water,” to measure irrigation with a rain gauge, to water slowly and deeply and to adopt small landscape changes such as raised mowing height, mulching and drought‑tolerant species.
The extension also highlighted workforce and business support: the local horticulture and nursery sector is a leading agricultural employer in the region (extension cited a 2024 Kansas Agricultural Economic Impact Report figure that the industry supports roughly 2,230 jobs and contributes roughly $204 million annually), and the office has provided continuing‑education and certification courses to more than 500 industry workers in the past year.
Staff outlined upcoming and recent community programs: the Sedgwick County Fair in Cheney, July 9–12; a spring garden fair that reached 2,254 attendees; and training for more than 350 Extension Master Gardener volunteers, whose 2024 volunteer service was reported as more than 28,500 hours, a volunteer time value the extension estimated at about $954,900. The Master Gardener program reached roughly 97,750 community members last year, the office said.
Dr. Brantley announced the Master Gardener program had won the 2025 David Gibby International Master Gardener Search for Excellence Award (first place, youth programs division) for a program called “How Trees Drink, Breathe, and Grow,” which extension staff said has been presented to over 3,000 students and at public venues.
Commissioners asked how extension work ties to the state drought effort; staff said Kansas State University’s water institute and other K‑State resources feed into statewide planning, and staff described collaborations with the City of Wichita on the Save Wichita Water website and drought‑education materials. Extension staff said recent rainfall — including a reported 10.2 inches in the month prior to the meeting — does not erase long‑term drought concerns because local water restrictions are based on a 12‑month rolling average and best practices should continue.
The commission voted unanimously to receive and file the presentation.
