A new enterprise to address declining aquifer levels soon will be available in Wichita and Greeley counties. The Natural Resources Conservation Service is investing $1.4 million in a partner-driven groundwater recharge and sustainability project to support local communities through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The project has an additional $1.5 million in partner contributions.
RCPP will help landowners voluntarily restore playas near municipal and domestic wells, improve irrigation efficiency, reduce pumping, retire wells and transition to dryland cropping systems. It is designed to support existing conservation efforts such as the Wichita County water conservation area management plan and the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Water Transition Assistance Program, as well as the proposed Wichita County local enhanced management area.
Many individuals and organizations, including KLA, came together in support of this project. For more information, contact Dan Meyerhoff with the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts at (785) 650-1330 or Matt Smith with Playa Lakes Joint Venture at (785) 420-7000.