The Kansas Water Program Task Force, a group authorized by a bill KLA supported to review and suggest improvements to the water planning and funding process, met June 23 and 24. During the second day of the meeting, KLA provided public comment on two draft proposals submitted by the Water Planning Work Group, a technical subcommittee of the task force. Much of KLA’s comments focused on the association’s opposition to one of the draft proposals that called for stripping the chief engineer and the Division of Water Resources (DWR) out of the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) and merging it with the Kansas Water Office and the Bureau of Water, currently in the Kansas Department of Health and Environment - Division of Environment to create a department of natural resources. KLA has longstanding policy that supports retaining the chief engineer and DWR within KDA. Nearly 85% of all water rights in Kansas are agricultural, and numerous efficiencies have developed between DWR and other KDA divisions in administering water programs.
KLA made additional suggestions about how to strengthen local input and reduce redundancies in the water planning process. KLA also shared its support for setting aside 0.1% of existing sales tax to fund water programs and opposition to any increase in the water user fees assessed on stockwater rights. The task force is expected to meet at least two more times this year before finalizing its recommendations to the Legislature.