An initial public hearing will be conducted on Wednesday, Aug 23, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. (CDT) in the Cultural Arts Center at Colby Community College concerning a district-wide Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA) proposed by Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 4.

The proposed LEMA management plan covers all or portions of Cheyenne, Decatur, Rawlins, Gove, Graham, Logan, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas and Wallace counties in northwest Kansas.

Generally, this initial hearing is to determine whether conditions within the proposed LEMA area support its establishment as being in the public interest and whether the geographic boundaries are reasonable. A subsequent hearing may be held to determine whether GMD No. 4’s proposed LEMA Management Plan should be adopted and the area designated as a LEMA.

Persons who require special accommodations must make their needs known at least five days prior to the hearing by contacting Ronda Hutton at Ronda.Hutton@ks.gov or 785-564-6700.

More information, including a copy of the LEMA proposal, is available on the Kansas Department of Agriculture–Division of Water Resources website at www.agriculture.ks.gov/lema or GMD No. 4’s website at gmd4.org.