Rattlesnake Creek Region

The District is working with area stakeholders to provide a sustainable remedy to the Quivira NWR impairment complaint. The issue at hand is extremely complex and affects the livelihood of several generations throughout this region. As such, the District is considering every option thoroughly and consulting expert hydrogeologists to ensure that the objectives put forward are effective and based on the best science available. 

The District is leading a team that is in direct discussions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leadership. The two parties have met regularly since 2019 to find a local, voluntary, collaborative solution. In a special board meeting on July 24, 2020, the District board approved a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that outlines a pathway forward for the resolution for years to come. 

The Memorandum of Agreement can be found here.

The District stands committed to working to resolve this issue and is currently working through the Watershed Plan process with NRCS. The Watershed Act provides funding to project sponsors to plan, design and construct projects to address a wide range of natural resource concerns at the watershed scale, including fish and wildlife habitat improvements. USDA requires project applicants to first develop a Watershed Plan of the proposed improvement.

In 2020, the District was awarded funding from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) under the Watershed Protection and Flood Control Act (PL 83-566) (Watershed Act) to evaluate a streamflow augmentation project to supplement water supplies to the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). This project has received letters of support from the Kansas Congressional delegation, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Kansas Water Office, The Nature Conservancy, and Kansas Farm Bureau.  The District selected and entered into contract with Olsson of Overland Park, KS to conduct the Watershed Plan. The NRCS Watershed Program provides eligible local sponsors with cost share assistance to undertake a wide range of watershed-scale improvements, including projects to improve agricultural water supply and fish and wildlife habitat. A Watershed Plan provides National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance for the Proposed Project and will be developed as the first component of the Proposed Project.

Olsson has led a massive coordination effort to compile the Watershed Plan-Environmental Statement (Plan-EIS). The Plan-EIS includes, but is not limited to, the following assessments:

• Economic impact assessment coordinated with NRCS and Abt Associates Inc
• Biological assessment coordinated with USFWS staff
• Technical feasibility coordinated with USFWS, KGS, KDA-DWR and Balleau GW

** UPDATE May 01, 2026 **

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has issued the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final Plan–EIS) for Stafford County, Kansas. NRCS has selected the Augmentation Wellfield and Groundwater Use Reduction Alternative as the approved alternative. This alternative includes construction of an augmentation wellfield, retirement of 2,500 acre‑feet of water rights, and implementation of an adaptive management strategy to improve water availability for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge while supporting long‑term agricultural water management across the watershed. 

This decision follows NRCS’s review of the December 2025 Final Plan–EIS, which evaluated the proposed action, a No Action Alternative, and additional alternatives. The Final Plan–EIS was announced through a Notice of Availability on January 23, 2026 (91 FR 2930). 

Basis for the Decision

The ROD describes NRCS’s evaluation of environmental, social, and economic considerations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and identifies required mitigation measures that will be implemented with the project. NRCS concluded that the selected alternative provides the most balanced approach to meeting watershed objectives while minimizing adverse impacts. 

NRCS reviewed and considered all substantive comments received on the Final Plan–EIS. While no changes to the Final Plan–EIS were required, a Summary of Comments and Responses and supporting materials are available on below. 

• Record of Decision
• Final Watershed Plan - Environmental Impact Statement

KDA-DWR has convened several stakeholder groups to put together short term projects to provide “measurable progress” toward addressing the impairment at Quivira NWR. 

The Rattlesnake Creek working group includes:

• KDA-DWR
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Kansas Governor's Office
• NRCS-KS
• Kansas' Congressional Delegation
• Kansas Farm Bureau
• Kansas Livestock Association
• Kansas Corn
• Central Kansas Water Bank Association
• Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5
• Audubon of Kansas
• Kansas Water Users Association
• WaterPACK
• Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association
• The Nature Conservancy

This group has met several times and has established 3 pilot projects being implemented  by the group:

1. Pilot augmentation of streamflow - KDA-DWR & Kansas Water Users Association
2. Compensated Allocation Management Program (CAMP) - Central Kansas Water Bank Association & Kansas Corn
3. Rattlesnake Creek Water Conservation Area - Kansas Livestock Association & Kansas Farm Bureau

The Water Transition Assistance Program (WTAP) is a state-funded water right retirement program administered by the Kansas Department of Agriculture – Division of Conservation in coordination with the District. For this action item, prioritize this program to the High Impact Area (>40% response zone) of the Rattlesnake Creek.

Recently, KDA-DOC held the spring enrollment for the program. For this enrollment, KDA-DOC offered up to $6000 per acre-feet of historic consumptive use to retire the water right.

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

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.

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.