Groundwater Management District 4 takes a big step towards completion
The Local Enhanced Management Area plan for Groundwater Management District 4 recently took a big step toward completion. As a result of input from a public hearing held in December, the chief engineer of the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Water Resources issued modifications recently to the original plan. The GMD 4 Board of Directors approved the modifications and the LEMA will become effective for the period 2018-2022 once the final order is issued by the chief engineer. GMD 4 includes all or parts of 10 counties in Northwest Kansas. The LEMA covers this entire area, except townships where the aquifer has a rate of decline less than 0.5%.
GMD 4 submitted its original LEMA proposal to the chief engineer in June 2017, with the goal of reducing decline rates and extending the life of the Ogallala Aquifer. The LEMA sets water right allocations in townships of the district based on the rate of decline and establishes enhanced compliance guidelines. Areas with the greatest rate of decline in the aquifer have the most significant restrictions.
During the hearing process, Kansas Livestock Association staff advocated for modifications to the LEMA to better protect livestock operations. Specifically, KLA worked with the GMD 4 board to develop language encouraging best management practices, rather than a hard reduction that could have left feedyards short of the water necessary for existing cattle. These changes were included in the chief engineer’s modifications.
The approval process should be finalized by mid-April, when the chief engineer is expected to issue an order of designation. GMD 4 will host educational meetings over the next few weeks to help clarify how LEMA restrictions will affect water users.
