Map shows groundwater use and water level changes in Edwards-Kiowa County region.

Edwards - Kiowa Region

Background

For several years, the District has been working with local, state, and federal agencies to develop a long-term sustainable program to address the water resource needs at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (“Refuge”) in Stafford County. Since 2020 the District has contracted with Olsson to conduct a thorough evaluation of several alternatives for water management issues in the Rattlesnake Creek region. This highly anticipated work is now complete and will provide the long-term sustainable program to the region that is largely funded by USDA-NRCS funds through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program.

Meanwhile, the Kansas Department of Agriculture - Division of Water Resources has initiated a working group of stakeholder organizations to coordinate efforts to implement short-term projects for providing water use conservation and/or streamflow improvements. The District is involved in this working group effort while finalizing the larger long-term resolution for the region.

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[DRAFT] ACTION ITEMS

Monitor Water Table Trends

The District will continue to monitor the water level trends throughout the region.

Water Flow Meter Program

The District will continue the water flow meter program to inspect, test, and provide assistance to water users throughout the region to ensure proper measurement of water withdrawals within the region.

Irrigation Technology Initiative

The Irrigation Technology Initiative (ITI), funded in part by the State of Kansas Water Plan fund, offers free irrigation system assessments to help producers better understand and improve the efficiency of the water system.

Upon submission of the application, a professional irrigation engineer will visit the irrigation system and thoroughly evaluate the irrigation system - from the well all the way to the last sprinkler. The engineer will identify any inefficiencies in water use or energy consumption and provide a detailed report with practical recommendations for improvements.

This report can then be used to apply for the associated cost-share funding to help implement those upgrades. The on-site evaluation is completely free to the producer. Each entity is eligible for up to two free assessments.