The Water Legacy Award recipient is selected based on significant contributions and lasting impacts on the future of water in the state. Past recipients of the award include Wayne Bossert in 2015, Joe Harkins in 2016, Pat Sauble in 2017, David Pope in 2018 and most recently, Mike Hayden in 2019. 

“Be the Vision” recipients, which can be individuals, municipalities, companies or organizations, are selected as an entity or individual taking extraordinary measures to conserve, reuse or adopt better practices to help ensure the future of our state’s water resources.

To nominate an individual please choose from the forms below. Please email your nomination form to kwo-info@kwo.ks.gov by the deadline of October 1, 2020.

Water Legacy Nomination Form
Be the Vision Nomination Form

The 2019 Water Legacy Award winner was Mike Hayden, who has epitomized what public service for water and natural resources stands for all across the state and country and help implement the modern water resource management funding and principles used today. Starting with his role as legislator to the 41^st Governor of Kansas to Asst. Secretary of the Dept. of Interior for Fish Wildlife and Parks of the U.S. under the Bush administration to Secretary of Kansas Dept. of Wildlife Parks, he has spent decades leading many groundbreaking initiatives.

“The challenges ahead are greater than what we have faced in the past,” Hayden said. “There are many who say we needn’t take political risk, but you have to have vision, and you have to be willing to put your name on it to truly make a difference for the future.”

Previous Water Legacy Award Recipients