The project cost $74,000. Richard Basore, a member of the district and an irrigator, questioned the economic justification for spending so much for only 100 acre-feet. Instead of recharging, which he said could take acres of land out of production, he argued Wichita could cut back. "As we irrigate that ground, 20 percent of what we take goes back. Everything Wichita takes out is exported. After it's used in Wichita, it's dumped in the river as sewage and, 48 hours later, it's in Oklahoma." (Eagle-Beacon, 1/10/82).

Bell refuted the charges, arguing that the study was necessary to see if the beds could be recharged without taking large parcels of land out of production. As water became more valuable, the economics of recharging could change drastically, he claimed. Sources such as Milford could be a source for millions of gallons to recharge the Equus Beds. "This has a lot of potential," Bell added. "California projects recharge 200,000 and 300,000 acre-feet a year--much more than the total 137,000 acre-feet we pump out a year." (Eagle-Beacon, 1/10/82).

The recharging project could not offer as widespread a solution as interbasin transfers, but it provided the possibility of maintaining current supplies, diminishing the danger of shortages. When combined with the possibility of wastewater recycling which is possible under current technology, the possibilities for innovative approaches to maintain water supplies becomes apparent.

The search for water does not have an end. Like the growth of the society to which it is vital, it is a constant, ongoing process. Water has challenged every generation of leaders since the city's birth to fashion an improvement in its quality, availability, or management. As the city achieved each goal, the quality of life advanced, and new goals emerged. An equation linking water to Wichita's prosperity unfolded.

In the 1980's, a search for an additional supply is in progress. The history of the first century offers clues to predict the events that will shape this quest. Years lie ahead to study the costs and benefits of each alternative: Corbin, Milford, Tuttle Creek, the Equus Beds, the Arkansas River, recycled wastewater. Concentrated political and legislative maneuvering will follow. Civic leaders will render courageous and controversial decisions. Citizens will find themselves involved.

When the need for another source of supply becomes urgent, the community will overcome the challenge, like cresting a Flint Hills ridge, and discover new ones on the horizon.