The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) has extended the comment period for the first draft of the initial report on the investigation of the impairment complaint by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service (FWS) regarding Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) has extended the comment period for the first draft of the initial report on the investigation of the impairment complaint by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service (FWS) regarding Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. At the request of the Big Bend Groundwater Management District #5, the comment period has been extended until May 13, 2016. Comments can be submitted by mail to the KDA Division of Water Resources (DWR) at 1320 Research Park Dr., Manhattan, KS 66502, or by e-mail to Chris.Beightel@kda.ks.gov.
The U.S. FWS owns and operates the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, a wetland of international significance and part of the central U.S. flyway. U.S. FWS filed an impairment complaint with KDA-DWR in April of 2013, claiming that its water right in the lower end of the Rattlesnake Creek Basin has been impaired. KDA-DWR is working with stakeholders in the basin to develop and evaluate alternatives to address the resource problems.
The revised schedule for finalizing the impairment report is as follows:
- May 13, 2016, end of review period for first draft of the Initial Report
- May 30, 2016, KDA-DWR to publish second draft of the Initial Report
- July 1, 2016, end of review period for first draft of the Initial Report
- July 15, 2106, KDA-DWR to publish Final Report
More information on the complaint and on the investigation of the complaint can be found on the KDA website, agriculture.ks.gov/quivira.