The Green Tunnel, that man-made channel east and south of Mead Island, is Wichita’s forgotten gem, now choked with silt, trash, and a 150-year-old cottonwood that fell this spring, trapping debris just 100 feet from the last cleanup in the area. Old timers from the Riverside Neighborhood and North High alumnus occasionally tell stories about a stretch of the Little Arkansas River from the 18th Street Bridge all the way to the Keeper of the Plains—it ran clear, people swam in it, it was full of fish and wildlife. It’s not quite the same in 2025.
Mead Island’s Buried Legacy
Mead Island, a 1.87 hectare haven on the Little Arkansas, carries Wichita’s soul. Named for James R. Mead, who built the city’s first trading post in 1864, it was a hub for the Wichita tribe—the same tribe that Mead would name the city after. In 1927, tribal descendants built a grass lodge and footbridge across the green tunnel, a symbol of resilience and a connection to our past, as the Wichita Beacon reported. Back then, the river was alive—clear, deep, perfect for fishing and boating. But not in the Green Tunnel. In fact, the Green Tunnel was a marsh at the time.
The grass hut has long since burned down. Now, just a few of the steel pipes in concrete used to hold the wooden staves of the structure remain remain (before you ask, nobody said the tribal descendants had to do it totally traditional). The bridge was lost to time when the channel was cut through the seasonal marsh as part of the flood plan in the 1950s. It was nearly six feet deep. Now, silt and neglect have turned it into a stagnant mess. We’re letting history drown.
Warnings and Thank Yous
The Little Arkansas in Wichita is in a bad state. Atrizine, effluent, fluoride, and surfactants are a chronic problem. The sandy bottom of the river has become covered by a gooey, thick sludge. Braving the toxic conditions, a small group of volunteers have been trying to remake that paradise.
The Saturday prior to writing this article, I watched seven people make a noticeable difference. I may have organized the event, collected some donated supplies, and sent out some invites, but I’m not taking the credit. That belongs to the amazing volunteers that showed out and removed 400lbs of trash from the river.
To the badass volunteers who slogged through muck at our last Green Tunnel cleanup: you’re the heart of this fight. You are the reason for this before and after shot. You hauled logs and trash, climbed out on tree limbs, dodging hazards to give our river a shot.
But that fallen cottonwood mocks us downstream. To all of you that have shown up, over the last four years with me or in previous decades with the legendary Rick McMullen: keep the pressure. Call the City Manager’s office (316-268-4351) or make a report about a river issue and demand action. Show up at council meetings on Thursday mornings and speak up. You’ve shown what’s possible; now let’s make city hall listen.
Over the course of the next week, I will be dropping some disturbing statistics and (arguably more troubling) some estimates for cleanup. All the thoughts and prayers in the world won’t pay for dredging, debris removal, bioengineering, bank remediation, or bubble barriers (and yes, that is a thing that really exists and can really help). We’re going to need to convince the city to put their money where their mouth is. Pulling some logs out won’t fix this.