Following a public hearing in October 2016, a proposal to expand the boundaries of the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District No. 2 (GMD 2) was approved by David Barfield, Chief Engineer in the Division of Water Resources at the Kansas Department of Agriculture on July 7, 2017.

GMD 2 comprises portions of four counties in south central Kansas which rely upon the Equus Beds aquifer as the principal source of fresh and usable water. The boundary expansion resulted from a resolution which was brought to the chief engineer by the GMD 2 Board of Directors to request annexation of a territory which is part of the same hydrologic community of interest as the existing district.

The resolution was followed by a petition, submission of maps and evidence, as well as written and oral testimony, comments, and other documents as part of the public hearing. Based upon the materials presented, the chief engineer determined that the requirements for the expansion of a groundwater management district were met and the expansion became effective upon his approval of the resolution.

Details about the expansion, including the original resolution and petition and a detailed description of the expansion areas, can be found at the KDA–DWR website at agriculture.ks.gov/GMDs.