Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran have announced a bipartisan agreement to resolve water needs in an area of south central Kansas.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Agriculture have agreed to work together on water rights issues for the Rattlesnake Creek Basin, which has provided water for area farms and for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Stafford, Rice and Reno counties.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to pause its request to secure its senior water right as agriculture officials and local stakeholders look for a solution to the region’s water issues.
Governor Kelly and Senator Moran have urged the Fish and Wildlife Service to work with agricultural producers and all water rights holders. The governor said failure to work out a solution will create unnecessary economic hardships for local businesses and communities.
Kansas 4th District Congressman Ron Estes said in a press release that families, small businesses and communities in rural Kansas depend on the reliable source of water that comes from the Rattlesnake Creek Watershed, and a solution is needed to give residents access to water for years to come. First District Congressman Tracey Mann said the decision “recognizes the importance of locally led, long-term solutions that won’t hamstring our agricultural producers and local economies.”
Senator Roger Marshall also issued a statement saying ” Our farmers are already dealing with drought conditions and would be substantially impacted by a curtailment in water allocations. We applaud our federal partners for agreeing to continue to work together to implement conservation practices and avoid a call for water. This is a win for our producers and the communities in Stafford and surrounding counties.”
Kansas Farm Bureau president Joe Newland also responded to the news of the agreement:
“We commend the bipartisan approach Gov. Laura Kelly and Sen. Jerry Moran have taken to find a durable resolution to the water situation within the Rattlesnake Creek watershed. Kansas Farm Bureau, working directly alongside impacted farmers and ranchers within the watershed, looks forward to working together to ensure the economic driver that is Kansas agriculture continues to prosper for decades to come under our priority-based water allocation system supplemented by augmentation.”
