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Development And Conservation Along Kansas City's 'Invisible' Blue River Watershed

By Brian Ellison,

Chris Young, Luke X. Martin

Published July 7, 2020 at 3:47 PM CDT

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Volunteers work to clean up the Blue River in 2015. The watershed is home to about half a million people, covering roughly 270 square miles.

In most parts of the Kansas City area you don’t have to go far to spend time in nature. But growth and economics can often rise to challenge those green public spaces.

One such area feeling that tension recently is the Blue River watershed, straddling the Kansas-Missouri state line.

Jill Erickson, executive director of the Heartland Conservation Alliance

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Brian Ellison

As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.

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Chris Young

Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.

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Luke X. Martin

As culture editor, I oversee KCUR’s coverage of race, culture, the arts, food and sports. I work with reporters to make sure our stories reflect the fullest view of the place we call home, so listeners and readers feel primed to explore the places, projects and people who make up a vibrant Kansas City. Email me at luke@kcur.org.

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