Though all four of the state’s gubernatorial candidates were invited, only Kansas Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall showed at a public forum in Lawrence on Kansas water issues.

The three empty chairs did not go unnoticed.

Against a projected photo of a Kansas lake at sunset, Margaret Fast, foreground, manager of state water planning in the Kansas Water Office, speaks at the 19th annual Water and the Future of Kansas Conference in Lawrence. Issues at Tuesday's conference included surface-water management, high plains aquifer management and Kansas leadership in the management of water supplies. Conference organizers were disappointed that the only gubernatorial candidate to show up was Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall. The man behind Fast was not identified.

“I’m very disappointed the others didn’t show,” said Jim Triplett, chairman of the Neosho River Basin Advisory Commission in southeast Kansas.

“If you want to be governor of this state, one of the issues that’s really going to smack you in the chops is water quality and quantity,” he said.

“Their not being here was a major tactical error on their part. I really wanted to hear what they had to say; I’m sure others did, too.”

The no-shows: state Treasurer Tim Shallenburger and Wichita Mayor Bob Knight, both Republicans; and state Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat. Organizers said they didn’t know until the day of the event that Knight and Shallenburger would not attend.

Sebelius and Knight each sent letters, noting prior commitments kept them from the session. Shallenburger’s absence was not explained, but he had campaign appearances scheduled Tuesday in Quinter and WaKeeney.

“I wish they’d been here,” said Sharon Falk, manager of the Big Bend Groundwater Management District. “I wanted to know where they stand on our issues.”

Falk and Triplett were among more than 200 water officials at the Lawrence Holidome for the 19th Annual Water and the Future of Water Conference.

Stovall lost little time in reminding the group of her office’s ongoing involvement in precedent-setting lawsuits accusing Colorado and Nebraska of depriving Kansas of its share of water from the Arkansas and Republic rivers, respectively.

“I have more expertise on these issues than any of the other candidates who should have been sitting at this table with me here today,” Stovall said.

In the state’s lawsuit against Colorado, she said, the U.S Supreme Court has upheld an order that Colorado pay Kansas for its lost water.

“That’s the first time ever that the court has said one state owes another state money with interest,” Stovall said.

The amount owed and interest due are subject of ongoing negotiations.

“I don’t want anybody to leave here today thinking this candidate isn’t committed to water,” Stovall said.

Stovall’s message wasn’t lost on Triplett.

“I don’t know about the others they weren’t here,” he said. “But after today, it’s pretty obvious that (Stovall) has a firm grip on many of the issues before us.”