Frequently Asked Questions

Roads and bridges are rarely closed to traffic except in cases of major construction. If you have a question about a specific road or bridge you may contact the Public Works Department by telephone at 785-832-5293, or by visiting the Road Closings page.

The Douglas County Noxious Weed Department rents 300 gallon trailer-mounted sprayers with hand wands for daily and weekend use. Easily transported with a pin hitch they can be rented for any type application in Douglas County, Kansas. Call the Douglas County Noxious Weed Department at 785-331-1331…

Chemical control is not the only method to treat noxious weeds. If you decide to spray your noxious weeds you can participate in the cost share program through the Douglas County Noxious Weed Department. Chemicals are sold for the treatment of noxious weeds only. Private landowners can purchase 2-…

A "minimum maintenance" road is a road that receives little or no routine maintenance and has been officially designated as such by the Board of County Commissioners. Kansas law (K.S.A. 68-5,102) allows for certain roads to be designated as "minimum maintenance" for various reasons. Generally,…

Each late-winter, with the approval of the Board of County Commissioners, the Public Works Department has an enrollment period for residents wishing to purchase a "dust control" treatment for the road fronting their property. This is a user-fee program, so the property owner pays up front for the…

The process to designate a road as "minimum maintenance" involves a hearing before the local township, the county planning commission, and the Board of County Commissioners. Requests to designate a road as "minimum maintenance" are made to the Public Works Department, 3755 East 25th Street,…

K.S.A. 2-1319 through 2-1332 provides information about Kansas noxious weed laws. The statutes name specific weeds that must be controlled by the landowner. The goal is to prevent the production and spread of viable seed. Fines are invoked at the rate of $100.00 day for each day of non-compliance…

The Kansas noxious weed law identifies 13 weeds as being noxious that must be controlled. Common infestations in Douglas County are Musk thistle, Johnson grass, Field bindweed, and Sericea lespedeza. Bull thistle is currently under consideration to be added to the list. Weed identification…

Various roads have different widths of right-of-way depending on several factors. Some have widths that were determined arbitrarily by statute based on the year they were created. Other roads have variable right-of-way widths depending on the terrain in which they are located. Roads built to modern…

The City of Lawrence/Douglas County Household Hazardous Waste program is open for Douglas County residents to drop-off household hazardous waste, or visit the product reuse area. The facility is located at 2201 Kresge Road in Lawrence, and is open Tuesday through Thursday, by appointment only. The…

Water skiing is only allowed at Lone Star Lake on dates approved by the Board of County Commissioners. The dates approved for this calendar year can be found on the Lone Star Lake Skiing Dates page.

The park opens at 6:00 a.m. and closes at 10:00 p.m. The Wells Overlook park was donated in 1971 by William H. Wells in memory of William D. Wells and Charles W. Wells.

Ownership maps are available at the Engineering Division office at the Public Works Department, 3755 East 25th Street, Lawrence, KS 66046. Please call the Public Works Department by telephone at 785-832-5293 to get one printed. The fee for a large ownership map is $23.00 with tax. 

Road maps are available at the Engineering Division office at the Public Works Department, 3755 East 25th Street, Lawrence, KS 66046. Printed road maps are $5.00/each plus tax. If you have any questions, you may call the Public Works Department by telephone at 785-832-5293.

If the immediate safety of traffic is at risk due to a missing traffic control sign, i.e. a STOP sign, then you should contact the appropriate law enforcement agency by dialing 911. Other rural sign problems concerning down or damaged signs should be reported by using this form.Report down or…