Multiple Approaches, One Program

The Rattlesnake Augmentation Management Program (RAMP) is the District’s coordinated effort to add water to Rattlesnake Creek upstream of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and help resolve the refuge’s water right impairment complaint. It brings together two streamflow augmentation projects: the RAMP Corridor and the RAMP Wellfield.

The two projects differ in scale and timing and use separate wells and pipelines, but both deliver water to the same location on Rattlesnake Creek. The Corridor builds on the pilot augmentation project started by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources (KDA-DWR), which transferred the project to the District in August 2026. The Wellfield is the long-term project approved by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in May 2026 after years of study and public input.

RAMP does not change the purpose of either project. It is a way to show how these efforts fit together, along with voluntary water right retirement and the work of the Rattlesnake Creek working group. The District remains committed to working with local producers, landowners, agencies, and other partners on practical, locally supported solutions for the Rattlesnake Creek region.

Streamflow Augmentation

RAMP Corridor

The RAMP Corridor is the District’s streamflow augmentation project that builds on a KDA-DWR pilot to test using irrigation water rights to put water in the stream instead of growing crops. The project includes three new wells and an 8.5-mile pipeline that delivers groundwater to the creek, helping address the water right impairment at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Leased irrigation water rights will be authorized to be pumped from these three wells.

KDA-DWR launched the pilot with the Kansas Water Users Association as one of the working group’s three pilot projects. It showed that augmentation can deliver water to the creek.

In August 2026, the District and KDA-DWR agreed to transfer operations and implementation of the project to the District. The funding to transition the pilot project to the Corridor is shared between KDA-DWR and the District. Since then, the District has worked through the logistics needed to begin installing the pipeline and instruments for project monitoring and delivery. Three new wells are now installed awaiting leased water and connection to the delivery pipeline.

RAMP Wellfield

The RAMP Wellfield is a planned augmentation wellfield in Stafford County, designed to deliver up to 15 to 18 cubic feet per second of groundwater into Rattlesnake Creek upstream of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. It is intended to improve water availability for the refuge while supporting long-term agricultural water management across the watershed. The project is largely funded through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program. The District has worked with local, state, and federal partners to find a local, voluntary, collaborative solution, guided by the best available science.

In its May 1, 2026 Record of Decision, NRCS approved the Augmentation Wellfield and Groundwater Use Reduction Alternative. It has three parts:

An augmentation wellfield that delivers water to Rattlesnake Creek upstream of the refuge
Retirement of 2,500 acre-feet of water rights to reduce groundwater use
An adaptive management strategy that allows adjustments over time based on results

NRCS also identified required mitigation measures that will be carried out with the project.

The RAMP Wellfield is in the design and implementation phase, which begins with conducting site-specific field assessments to determine proper placements for the wells within the wellfield and to address mitigation measures identified in the Record of Decision.

Rattlesnake Water Retirement

The Rattlesnake Water Retirement program offers landowners a voluntary, compensated way to permanently retire irrigation water rights in the Rattlesnake Creek subbasin. It is the second component of the project approved in the NRCS Record of Decision, alongside the RAMP Wellfield. The plan calls for retiring 2,500 acre-feet of water rights to improve streamflow and support groundwater sustainability, without large-scale mandatory water reductions across the area.

The program is funded through the NRCS Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program, with 75% federal funds and 25% non-federal funds. The District is expected to provide most of the non-federal share, and other partners may contribute as well.

Participation is entirely voluntary. Declining an offer does not affect a landowner’s standing with the District or other agencies. Offers are based on the market value of the full authorized quantity of the water right, for permanent retirement. After retirement, the land can still be used for dryland farming, grazing, or other non-irrigated purposes.

The District is sending offer letters to eligible landowners. If the land is leased or farmed by a tenant, landowners are encouraged to talk with them early. Landowners who receive a letter are asked to respond by the date in their letter.

Setting the stage for success

Rattlesnake Creek Working Group

In January 2024, KDA-DWR brought together a group of partners to develop short-term projects that make “measurable progress” toward addressing the impairment at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The group includes local, state, and federal agencies, agricultural and conservation organizations, and other non-governmental partners.

Over the past few years, the group has put together a set of projects showing that water users in the region can work together to solve a shared challenge.

The working group's pilot projects are streamflow augmentation (now the Corridor), Compensated Allocation Management Program (CAMP), and the Rattlesnake Creek Water Conservation Area. Much has been accomplished, and there is more work ahead. The District is committed to being an active partner in this effort.

The Rattlesnake Creek working group includes: