Republican River Compact extends Colorado deadlines to retire South Fork acres

On November 6, the Republican River Compact Administration held a brief special meeting to adopt a resolution to extend by 2 years the deadlines by which Colorado will retire 25,000 acres from irrigation in the South Fork Republican River to increase streamflow into Kansas. The extension was requested by Colorado because the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) modifications Colorado sought took longer than expected to be implemented by the federal Farm Service Agency.

The requirement to retire the additional acres is part of the state’s long-term resolution passed in 2016. For more information: http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/RRCA

Tags: RRCA, northwest KS, South Fork Republican River…

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GMD 5 LEMA web page updated with GMD-KDA correspondence and US FWS response to Audubon

KDA’s web page on GMD 5’s development of a proposal Local Enhancement Management Area (LEMA) to resolve the Quivira impairment has been updated with the following:

  1. Recent correspondence between KDA and GMD 5 regarding LEMA plan development. Most recently, KDA expressed its commitment to continue to work toward a workable solution that addresses impairment without devastating the local economy, stating it will develop some specifics to be provided to the GMD Board and the Basin water users in the coming weeks.
  2. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s response to Audubon of Kansas’ August 17 letter, which called on both the Service and KDA DWR to act immediately to remedy the impairment.

More at: http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/GMD5LEMA

Tags: GMD5LEMA, GMD5, Quivira, impairment…

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Wichita Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) hearing rescheduled to Dec 11, scope of hearing narrowed

On September 4, GMD 2 filed a motion requesting additional time to prepare for the hearing. This precipitated a series of additional filings by the parties and additional pre-hearing conferences calls.  On Sept. 20, the City of Wichita requested their new applications be withdrawn.

After discussion at the September 26 pre-hearing conference, it was agreed the hearing would be postponed to December 11 and the scope of the hearing would be narrowed, dropping the consideration of the City’s withdrawn new applications.

Thus, the public hearing in the matter of Wichita’s proposed changes to Phase II of its ASR project will be held on December 11, 2018, starting at 9:00 a.m. at American Ag Credit, located at 4105 North Ridge Road, Wichita, Kansas, 67205, to be continued on December 12 if needed.

More details on these matters are available at: http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/WichitaASR

Tags: WichitaASR, GMD2, StaffordFO…

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Hays/R9 Ranch change web page updated with input from GMD 5, WaterPACK, and the Cities

KDA-DWR’s web page on the Hays/R9 Ranch change applications (http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/HaysR9) has been updated with the following:

  • On September 14, the GMD 5 supplemented its recommendation of August 28.
  • On September 13, WaterPACK provided an additional response.
  • The Cities provided responses on September 14 and 18 to GMD5 and WaterPACK comments and recommendations.

The record is now closed. The Chief Engineer will review this record to make a decision on the pending change applications.  If the change applications are contingently approved, the water transfer process would be initiated.

Tags: HaysR9, Changes, water transfer, StocktonFO…

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KDA and KWO host Oct. 2 in St. Francis meeting to discuss Upper Republican Basin issues

The Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Water Office are hosting an informational meeting and forum on October 2, 2018 at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds in St Francis, Kansas to discuss Upper Republican River Basin issues including how to best invest $2 million in the basin’s water resources and options for Bonny Reservoir. The meeting announcement, proposed agenda, and background documents can be found at KDA’s our new web page for Upper Republican basin issues at: http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/upperrepublican.

Tags: RRCA, StocktonFO…

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GMD 5 provides its recommendations on the Hays/R9 Ranch changes

GMD 5 has provided its recommendation on the Hays/R9 water rights changes. The recommendation, along with two additional supporting documents presented at their August 27 public meeting, have been posted on KDA’s web site at: http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/HaysR9.

Tags: HaysR9, changes, water transfer, StaffordFO, GMD5…

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