MANHATTAN, Kansas – Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska officials announced Wednesday that the three states have signed agreements resolving several Republican River Compact issues. One of the agreements ensures that the Kansas Bostwick Irrigation District in north central Kansas will have a viable irrigation water supply for the 2015 growing season while providing Nebraska certainty of the effectiveness of its compact compliance efforts. The other agreement ensures that Colorado and Kansas will work towards improving Kansas’ water supply on the South Fork Republican River while authorizing Colorado to receive credit in the Compact accounting for operating its augmentation project on the North Fork Republican River.
“I’m pleased with the agreements we’ve come to with our neighbors in Nebraska and Colorado. There is still work to be done to strengthen our relationships and to administer the Compact together, but today’s agreements are very important steps towards a much better long-term situation,” Jackie McClaskey, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture said.
Kansas Gov. Brownback understands how important water is to the citizens of Kansas and is willing to fight for the water needs of the state and has directed his administration to work with Colorado and Nebraska to reach an agreement.
The two resolutions finalizing the agreements were unanimously approved in a special meeting of the Republican River Compact Administration held Wednesday in Denver, Colorado.
“The Kansas team worked hard with our neighbors in Nebraska and Colorado to develop common-sense proposals that protect Kansas’ rights under the Compact while balancing certainty and flexibility for all three states. We are encouraged by these agreements and will continue to work with Nebraska and Colorado to resolve the Republican River issues that still separate us. This is what the water users of Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado rightly expect of us,” McClaskey said.
Officials from the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Water Office will be holding informational meetings in the areas affected in the Republican River Basin over the next few months to update local stakeholders on the current agreements between the states and to learn more about local needs and concerns.
The recent agreements between the states can be found online at HERE.
Source: Kansas Department of Agriculture
