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State of the Resource & Regional Goal Action Plan Implementation
While the 50-year Vision for the Future of Water in Kansas provides a framework for the management of the State’s water supply overall, Regional Goals identify and address issues at the local level. In 2015, Regional Goal Leadership Teams were developed for each of the 14 regional planning areas which were comprised of local water users along with input from area stakeholders to help develop regional water supply goals. These goals were adopted by the Kansas Water Authority in August of 2015 and at that same time members for the 14 Regional Advisory Committees (RAC) were appointed. The first task for the newly formed RACs was to develop action plans to correspond with the goals.
Executive Summary
The State of the Resource & Regional Goal Action Plan Implementation Report is intended to provide a background of the regional issues and record activities and progress toward regional goals and the Long Term Vision for the Future of Water in Kansas objectives utilizing the most up to date data available at the time of report development.
State of the Resource
Cimarron Regional Planning Area
The Cimarron Regional Planning area includes a proton of Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District #3 as well as part of the Cimarron River Basin. The Cimarron Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) is looking at ways to extend the usable lifetime of the region's groundwater resources to continure sustaining the region's economic production and support future development. Read More
Equus-Walnut Regional Planning Area
The Equus-Walnut Regional Planning Area includes all of Equus Beds Groundwater Management District #2, as well as portions of the Lower Arkansas drainage area and the entire Walnut River basin. Preservation of both surface water and groundwater resources is a primary objective of the Equus-Walnut Regional Advisory Committee (RAC). Read More
Great Bend Prairie Regional Planning Area
The Great Bend Prairie Planning Region covers approximately 6,836 square miles in central Kansas, including all of Big Bend Prairie Groundwater Management District #5 (GMD5) and portions of the upper and lower Arkansas River drainage areas. Surface water resources of the region include Cheyenne Bottoms wetlands and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The focus of the Great Bend Prairie Planning Region is to achieve a long term sustainable water supply. Read More
Kansas Regional Planning Area
The Kansas River serves as a critical drinking water supply for more than 600,000 people, in addition to being used for irrigation, municipal wastewater and industrial discharges, cooling water for three coal-fired power plants, and a source of commercial sand and gravel. The primary concern of the Kansas Region is with reservoir sedimentation and harmful algal blooms (HABs). Read More
Marais des Cygnes Regional Planning Area
The Marais des Cygnes Region is evaluating current water supply, and also redefining its demands. The strategies of securing water supply for the demand in the region and reducing sedimentation are key components in ensuring that the Marais des Cygnes Region will have a safe and reliable water source for all its citizens, now and 50 years into the future. Read More
Missouri Regional Planning Area
The primary concern of the Missouri Regional Planning Area is to evaluate and collect data on the groundwater quality and quantity within the region. A portion of this will be accomplished by an ongoing study by Kansas Geological Survey which looks at groundwater quality and quantity within the region. Read More
Neosho Regional Planning Area
Preservation of surface water is a primary objective of the Neosho Regional Advisory Committee (RAC). The Neosho Region is evaluating current water supply, and also redefining its demands. Proper coordination and funding is essential to ensuring the citizens of the Neosho Region have access to a dependable and high quality supply of water. Read More
Red Hills Regional Planning Area
The Red Hills Planning Region covers approximately 5,824 square miles in south-central Kansas bordering Oklahoma. Agriculture is the base for the local economy with oil and gas production also playing an important role. The region’s unique water resource conditions are a challenge to economic stability and growth. Ensuring that water management tools and programs are accessible is key to helping individual water users, landowners, industrial users, and public water suppliers manage their resources effectively. Read More
Smoky-Hill Saline Regional Planning Area
The Smoky Hill-Saline Region is concerned with future water quality and supply to meet the needs of the region. More specifically, it is the ability to maintain present usage and allow for expanded use to support economic development and growth in the region, even in times of drought. Maintaining or increasing storage is a key component to ensure water supply into the future, along with efficient use and developing additional supplies. Read More
Solomon-Republican Regional Planning Area
The Solomon-Republican Region struggles with balancing irrigation needs and lack of run-off to fill the reservoirs. The region has cyclic lake elevations from a combination of drought conditions, irrigation releases from the dam. Surface water is the primary source of water in the region, supplying approximately 75% of the region’s water, with the majority being supplied from five federal reservoirs. Read More
Upper Arkansas Regional Planning Area
The principal aquifers in this region include the High Plains-Ogallala and alluvial aquifers. The High Plains-Ogallala aquifer is distinctive from other aquifers in Kansas in that it generally has low annual recharge. Goals for the Upper Arkansas Region are to extend the usable lifetime of the Ogallala Aquifer, to re-establish and maintain flows in the Upper Arkansas River, and maximize water conservation of industrial and municipal users. Read More
Upper Republican Regional Planning Area
The Upper Republican Regional Planning Area includes all of Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District #4 (GMD4) as well as parts of the Republican, Solomon, and Saline River Basins. The Upper Republican Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) is looking at ways to extend the usable lifetime of the region’s groundwater resources to continue sustaining the region’s economic production and support future development. Read More
Upper Smoky Hill Regional Planning Area
The principal aquifers in this region include the High Plains-Ogallala and alluvial aquifers. The groundwater levels continue to decline across much of the region, as groundwater is extracted at higher rates than is replenished. To address the continual declines of the Ogallala Aquifer, goals for the region are to reduce irrigation use, develop a water reduction plan and begin implementation by 2017, and an increase in implementation of best management practices for industrial, municipal, and stock watering uses of water. Read More
Verdigris Regional Planning Area
The Verdigris Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) is evaluating the feasibility of reservoir operation changes and water storage increases, along with the estimated costs of these, with focus on Fall River Reservoir. Beyond looking at the federal reservoirs to ensure the region has sufficient water supply, the Verdigris RAC is also assessing new potential sites to construct small water supply lakes. This assessment will review the Reservoir Roadmap for the Verdigris Region to evaluate the water supplies currently available and the projected population changes in the region. Read More
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900 SW Jackson Street
Suite 404
Topeka, Kansas 66612
900 SW Jackson Street
Suite 404
Topeka, Kansas 66612
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