Categories

Please remember that water must be visible in all pictures

Lake/Landscape:   What amazing scenery Kansas can provide us. Whether on the water or off, in the hills or in the plains please share your images here of any and all bodies of water and landscapes during any season.

Sunrise/Sunset:  Kansas has beautiful skies that can be even more beautiful when viewed over water. If you have a photo showcasing the wonders of a Kansas sunrise/sunset taken around water, please submit it to this category.

Grows on water:  Images submitted to this category cover a wide variety of items including livestock, pets, wild animals, irrigation/farming or other items that would grow by using water.
 
Water at play:  Images submitted to this category should showcase any of your recreational photos whether kayaking/boating, fishing/hunting, swimming, or just plain playing in the water. 

Creativity with water:  Seriously....get creative! Did you skip a rock across the water, did you make a giant wave, capture an image of water drops? Use your imagination. 

Youth Division - All Things Water:   This division will be submitted and judged separate from the categories above. No category for this division, just anything water related. If you have a photo that showcases water in Kansas and are 18 years old or younger please submit it here. 

Eligibility

Only pictures taken in Kansas are eligible to enter the contest. We ask that all photo submissions are not digitally manipulated or enhanced. Photos that have been altered will be disqualified. Photos that have been edited using Instagram filters will not be accepted. Normal cropping, color correction, etc. are acceptable. Please remove watermarks/trademarks before entering.

Judged on creativity and photo composition, winning photos will be used on the department's website, social media, publications, brochures, and may be displayed around the KWO building. Prior photo submissions to the KWO contest are not eligible for reentry, but photos taken before 2020 are acceptable. 

How to Enter

The contest is open to Kansas residents only.

Photo entries should be submitted by emailing high resolution photos to kwo-info@kwo.ks.gov. 

Entries must include:

• A title and brief description of each photo
• When and where the photo was taken
• Photographer's full name
• Email address
• And Category being entered

Judging Criteria

The KWO staff and select Water Authority Member's will vote on the entries to select fifteen images, the top three from each category. These will then be displayed and voted on during this year's Virtual Governor's Water Conference by conference attendees. Voting will take place virtually through the Vote Here link provided.

Prizes

The top winning photo per category will be displayed in the Kansas Water Office and Kansas Capitol, and will be featured at the 2021 Governor's Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas.  You will also see the winners featured in several of the Kansas Water Office publications, including the Water Front.

Terms

By submitting photos, the photographer gives the Kansas Water Office permission to use the photos in any publications, social media, websites, displays and other places without payment or other consideration. Additionally, by submitting a photo that includes human subjects, the photographer is indicating that they have obtained full permission from those subjects for the photograph to be used in department medium as well.