Kansas Water Office 2017 Update

Ginger Harper, Chief of Policy & Communication

Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water in Kansas

Kansans act on a shared commitment to have the water resources necessary to support the state's social, economic and natural resource needs for current and future generations.

8/16/2017VISIONWater Conservation

Research FutureTechnology

Action

Supply

If we take no action in the next 50 years… Ogallala-High Plains The Ogallala will be

70% depleted Another 40% of the area

irrigated by the Ogallala won’t support a 400 gal per minute well

Reservoirs Water supply reservoirs

will be 40% filled with sediment

Five of the seven major river basins that support municipal and industrial use won’t meet demands during a drought

VISIONWater Conservation

Research FutureTechnology

Action

Supply

VISIONWater Conservation

Research FutureTechnology

Action

Supply

Ogallala-High Plains Aquifer – Water level change – 1996-2014

Ogallala-High Plains Activities

Long-term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas

Local Enhanced Management Areas (LEMA) Allow stakeholders to develop conservation plans Sheridan County LEMA (SD-6), 100 sq. mile high priority

area, in place since January, 2013. Water use restricted to 55 inches per acre for a five-year time period

KGS well measurement data shows localized improvement to groundwater conditions

Interim reports from SD-6 show there have been shifts in crop mixes and water use amounts, with little, if any, reduction in net farm income from within SD-6 compared to surrounding areas

Northwest Kansas GMD#4 has proposed a five-year LEMA for the entire district

8/16/2017VISIONWater Conservation

Research FutureTechnology

Action

Supply

SD-6 LEMA

- Overall water reduction 20% +

- Producers allowed to move water within boundaries

- Groundwater levels increased inside LEMA in 2015

Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) Signed into law in April 2015 by Governor Sam

Brownback Provide a tool to water right owners to extend the

usable lifetime of the Ogallala-High Plains Aquifer Developed by a water right owner or group of water

right owners with the consent of the chief engineer to reduce water withdrawals while maintaining economic value via water right flexibility

County-wide WCA in Wichita County Six agreements signed to date, total 1,677 acres and a water

savings of 1,923 acre-feet of water over the next 7 years (more than 600 million gallons)

Water Technology Farms Three Water Technology Farms first established for

2016 growing season, ten additional farms for 2017 Showcase on a field scale, the latest technologies in

irrigation infrastructure, irrigation water management, soil moisture management, conservation tillage, automation telemetry and other agronomic practices aimed at reducing water use

Six field days taking place in August

Ogallala-High Plains Results Governor Brownback toured

the region last month, and stated: “A recent study found that the

Aquifer is replenishing itself faster than we previously realized. This means that with some reduction in water usage, we can reach sustainable aquifer levels for the next one to two decades over about two-thirds of the Aquifer. This bears repeating: sustainable water use is attainable in the near term over much of the Ogallala Aquifer!”

Equus Beds Aquifer Groundwater Modeling

KGS recently completed Sustainability Assessment for Equus Beds GMD2 to help define average sustainable water use at the township level.

Next step: Utilize data from Sustainability Assessment for model expansion to cover all of GMD2

Future: Use GMD2-wide model data to support chloride plume transport modeling, including evaluation of potential remediation scenarios.

Reservoir Activities

Long-term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas

John Redmond Reservoir Dredging Water supply demand projections over time showed the

cross between supply & demand much sooner than anticipated

2012 drought brought issues to the forefront Pool rise in 2013

3 million cubic yards of sediment dredged, avg. 25,000 cubic yards/day

First-of-its-kind in the nation, worked closely with USACE – Tulsa District

New supply and demand outlook, to 2035

Streambank Stabilization Streambank stabilization efforts will be concentrated:

Big Blue/Little Blue Rivers above Tuttle Creek Reservoir Delaware River above Perry Lake Neosho/Cottonwood Rivers above John Redmond Reservoir

Prioritization and selection of the highest priority sites using assessment information Watershed assessments have shown that streambanks are a

major sediment contributor to Kansas’ reservoirs.

Sediment eroded from streambanks leads to a large loss in reservoir storage capacity.

Interagency Team works to identify sites, funding is combination of sources

VISIONWater Conservation

Research FutureTechnology

Action

Supply

http://arcg.is/2rVgGfc

Streambank Stabilization

Before After

Site 1 : Stateline

Nutrients and Harmful Blue-Green Algae Nutrient runoff within the Milford Lake watershed is a

source of nutrient loading contributing to aquatic conditions which promote formation of harmful algal blooms (HAB) within Milford Lake

Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project through Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) would look to implement best management practices within the Milford Lake watershed to decrease nutrient runoff

Existing Funding & SourcesMunicipal Fees,

$3,318,143, 16%

Industrial Fees, $1,095,350, 5%

Stockwater Fees, $374,448,

2%

Clean Drinking Water Fee

Fund, $2,998,235,

15%Fertilizer Fees, $3,416,703,

17%Sand Royalties,

$100,873, 0%

Pesticide Fees, $1,202,420, 6%

State General Fund,

$6,000,000, 29%

EDIF, $2,000,000,

10%

Estimation of annual funding requirement to implement the Vision ~ $55M

Blue Ribbon Funding Task Force Evaluation of various funding sources: Increase existing State Water Plan Fund fees Water right fee/Irrigation fee Bottled drinking water fee Residential electric fee Statewide retail sales tax

Questions?

www.kwo.ks.gov