Ross_Irrigation
75th Anniversary
2020 marked 75 years of the Kansas Water Appropriations Act
"First in time, first in right"
Read more about the KWAA:
KWAA at 50
Read more about Kansas water law:
Kansas Water Law by KSRE

The Kansas Department of Agriculture's Division of Water Resources field offices are now making themselves available to the public by appointment during regular business hours.

KDA field offices serve water users statewide. Each office is managed by a water commissioner, who is the chief engineer's agent, and each is staffed with employees familiar with local water issues.

If you need to speak with someone in person, please contact the appropriate field office to schedule an appointment. All staff and visitors are required to wear face coverings in public areas of KDA buildings, except where social distancing can be maintained.

Topeka/Parsons     785-296-5733      Brett.Bunger@ks.gov
Stafford   620-234-5311      Jeff.Lanterman@ks.gov
Stockton   785-425-6787  Kelly.Stewart@ks.gov
Garden City   620-276-2901, or
620-765-7110 		 Mike.Meyer@ks.gov



Division of Water Resources

The Division of Water Resources administers 30 laws and responsibilities including the Kansas Water Appropriation Act which governs how water is allocated and used; statutes regulating the construction of dams, levees and other changes to streams; the state's four interstate river compacts; as well as coordinating the national flood insurance program in Kansas.

COMMON SEARCHES

  • Paper Filing Fee / Online support options: Information about the $20 per water right paper filing fee that will be applied to 2018 water use reporting.
  • Quivira: Information about the investigation of the impairment complaint filed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on behalf of the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. 
  • Hays R9: Information about the City of Hays' applications to KDA-DWR for water right changes and water transfer of the R9 Ranch.
  • Water Conservation Area (WCA): Information about WCAs and active or pending WCA plans. 
  • Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA): Information about LEMAs including the GMD No. 4 District-wide LEMA, the Sheridan County 6 LEMA and the proposed GMD No. 5 Rattlesnake/Quivira LEMA.
  • Wichita ASR: Information about the City's request for changes to the conditions associated with the Phase II Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project.
  • Kickapoo Water Right: Information on the Kickapoo Indian Reservation Water Right Settlement Agreement.
  • Republican River Compact: Information on the latest resolutions and annual meetings between Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska on this compact.
  • Multi-Year Flex Accounts (MYFAs)
  • DWR Approved Meter List: Current list of approved water flowmeters, forms and instructions.
  • Minimum Desirable Streamflow (MDS): Streams subject to and currently under MDS administration.
Division of Water Resources in the News
All news

Hearing Scheduled for Proposed Regulations Regarding Water Use

A public hearing will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2019, to consider the adoption of proposed regulations regarding water use. The hearing will be held in room 124 on the first floor of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, 1320 Research Park Dr. in Manhattan.

A public hearing will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2019, to consider the adoption of proposed regulations regarding water use. The hearing will be held in room 124 on the first floor of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, 1320 Research Park Dr. in Manhattan.

The hearing will consider a proposal to repeal K.A.R. 5-21-7, which adopted change in use rules applicable only in Western Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 1; repeal of this rule would result in the statewide rule (K.A.R. 5-5-9) being applied within GMD 1. The other proposed regulations — K.A.R. 5-25-2, 5-25-4, and 5-25-22 — will assist water users in Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5 in developing an augmentation project.

The proposed regulations can be found on the KDA website: agriculture.ks.gov/PublicComment. Written comments can be submitted online at this site as well.

All interested persons may attend the hearing and may present comments either orally or in writing, or both. In order to give all parties an opportunity to present their views, it may be necessary to request that each participant limit oral presentations to five minutes. Individuals wishing to participate by teleconference may go to either the KDA Garden City Field Office or the KDA Stafford Field Office on the date and time of the public hearing.

Any individual with a disability may request accommodation to participate in the public hearing and may request a copy of the quarantine in an accessible format. Persons who require special accommodations must make their needs known at least five days prior to the hearing. For more information, including special accommodations or a copy of the regulations or their economic impact statement, please contact Ronda Hutton at Ronda.Hutton@ks.gov or 785-564-6715.

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Questions about the Division of Water Resources 

Looking for answers to frequently asked questions? Check out our FAQ page.