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2028-2032 LEMA
News
On August 5, 2026, the Chief Engineer of the Division of Water Resources, Kansas Department of Agriculture (DWR) issued an Initial Public Hearing Order concluding that the proposed Sheridan 6 Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA) satisfies the initial requirements necessary to continue the LEMA renewal process and ordered that a second public hearing be conducted.
An in-person public hearing was held on May 26, 2026 to consider the proposed Sheridan 6 LEMA Management Plan submitted to the Chief Engineer by Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 4 (GMD4). Any interested parties were welcome to submit written or oral statements to be included in the record of the hearing. Oral statements were only accepted at the hearing, while written statements were accepted through June 9, 2026. Written statements that were submitted are available in the Public Hearing Comments and Testimony table below.
For more information, please review the documents in the tables below.
2028-2032 Sheridan 6 LEMA Documents
| Description | Document File | Document Date | Provided by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of Prehearing Conference (Second Public Hearing) | Notice of Prehearing Conference | 8/5/2026 | DWR |
| Initial Public Hearing Order | Initial Public Hearing Order | 8/5/2026 | DWR |
| Sheridan 6 LEMA Hearing Transcript | Hearing Transcript | 5/26/2026 | Advanced Court Reporting Services |
| Amended Prehearing Order | Amended Prehearing Order | 5/1/2026 | DWR |
| Notice of Hearing in the Matter of the Proposed Sheridan 6 LEMA | Notice of Hearing | 4/20/2026 | DWR |
| Prehearing Order in the Matter of the Proposed Sheridan 6 LEMA | Prehearing Order | 4/14/2026 | DWR |
| Notice of Prehearing Conference (Proposed Sheridan 6 LEMA) | Notice of Prehearing Conference | 3/17/2026 | DWR |
|
Request for Renewal of Sheridan 6 LEMA |
Request for Renewal | 2/18/2026 | GMD4 |
| Supporting Attachments for Sheridan 6 LEMA Renewal Request |
Application to Combine LEMA Amounts
|
2/18/2026 | GMD4 |
Public Hearing Comments and Testimony
| Provided by | date provided |
|---|---|
| Kelly Stewart, DWR | 5/18/2026 |
| Dave Mann, Upper Republican Regional Advisory Committee | 5/15/2026 |
|
With Exhibits |
5/13/2026 |
Past LEMA Periods (Archived)
News
October 14, 2022 - The Chief Engineer issued a Order of Decision and Designation approving the GMD4 Management Plan for the Sheridan 6 Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA). The Sheridan 6 LEMA will remain in place for another five years, from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2027.
The Chief Engineer has scheduled a public hearing to determine whether the LEMA should be renewed as proposed. The hearing will be held at 2:00 p.m. on July 26, 2022, at the Sheridan County Courthouse (925 9th Street, Hoxie, Kansas). Further details can be found in the Notice of Hearing and the Pre-Hearing Order.
October 20, 2021 - GMD4 submitted a Request for Renewal of the Sheridan 6 LEMA for 2023-2027 to the Chief Engineer.
Additional related documents and supporting materials may be found in the Sheridan 6 LEMA Supporting Materials table below.
Sheridan 6 LEMA Supporting Materials
| Description | Document File | Document Date | Provided by |
|---|---|---|---|
| SD-6 Advisory Committee Meeting Report and Handouts | Advisory Committee Report | 03/28/2019 | Advisory Committee |
| Environmental Research Letter on Quantifying Irrigation Adaption Strategies in Response to Stakeholder-driven Groundwater Management in the US High Plains Aquifer | Environmental Research Letter | 01/14/2019 | MSU |
| Dr. Bill Golden's Report on Monitoring the Impacts of the SD6 LEMA | LEMA Monitoring Report | 11/15/2018 | Golden |
| Effects of Collective Action Water Poly on Kansas Farmers' Irrigation Decisions: The Case of the SD6 LEMA | ACCC Fact Sheet | 01/25/2016 | KSU |
2023-2027 SD6 LEMA Documents
| Document | Document Date | Provided by |
|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Order of Decision and Designation Renewing Sheridan 6 LEMA for 2023-2027 | 10/14/2022 | DWR |
| Request to Renew and Management Plan | 10/20/2021 | GMD4 |
Written Testimony for 2023-2027 SD6 LEMA Hearings
| Description | Document Date | Provided by |
|---|---|---|
| GMD No. 4 | 07/26/2022 | GMD4 |
| Kelly Stewart | 07/22/2022 | DWR |
2018-2022 SD6 LEMA Documents
| Description | Document File | Document Date | Provided by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Engineer's Order of Designation for 2018-2022 | Order of Designation | 11/07/2017 | DWR |
| Order of Decision on Acceptance | SD6 Management Plan Order 2018 to 2022 | 08/24/2017 | DWR |
| Findings and Order Establishing Initial Requirements | SD6 LEMA Order and Exhibits | 05/31/2017 | DWR |
| Response to Request | DWR response to request for re-formulation | 03/06/2017 | DWR |
| Re-formulation Request | SD6 Re-Formulation Request by GMD 4 | 2/02/2017 | GMD4 |
2013-2017 SD6 LEMA Documents
| Description | Document File | Document Date | Provided by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Proposal | LEMA SD6 Initial Proposal 2012-06-15 | 3/1/2012 | GMD4 Board of Directors |
| Chief Engineer finds plan acceptable for consideration | LEMA SD6 CE - Acceptable for Consideration 2012-08-03 | 8/3/2012 | DWR |
| Notice of initial hearing | LEMA SD6 Notice of Initial Hearing | 8/3/2012 | DWR |
| Order from initial hearing | SD6.Initial.Order | 10/4/2012 | DWR |
| Notice of second hearing | LEMA SD6 Second Public Hearing Notice | 10/10/2012 | DWR |
| Hearing Management Order No. 1 | Hearing Order 1- Designation of SD 6 LEMA 12 Water 8366 | 11/19/2012 | DWR |
| Order of Decision | LEMA SD6 Order of Decision 2012-12-31 | 12/31/2012 | DWR |
| Order of Designation | LEMA SD6 Order of Designation 2013-04-17 | 4/17/2013 | DWR |
| First annual report of the advisory committee | LEMA SD6 Annual Report 2013 | 12/20/2013 | GMD4 |
| First annual report of the advisory committee | LEMA SD6 Newsletter Dec. 2013 | 12/20/2013 | GMD4 |
| First annual report of the advisory committee | LEMA SD6 Advisory Committee Handouts Nov. 2013 | 11/26/2013 | GMD4 |
| Formal review, 2016 | Formal Review of the SD-6 LEMA | 12/15/2016 | GMD4 |
| Advisory committee report, 2016 | Sheridan 6 LEMA Annual Review, 2016 | 12/31/2016 | GMD4 |
Initiated
- July 12, 2012 - The Sheridan 6 LEMA proposal and Management Plan was approved by the GMD4 Board of Directors.
- July 16, 2012 Sheridan 6 LEMA Proposal transmitted to DWR. The proposal includes legal descriptions of sections to be included in the LEMA, sets a goal for limiting water use, and specifies proposed management actions to achieve the goal.
Reasons for Recommendation
- To reduce the rate of groundwater decline and extend the life of the aquifer.
- The rate of withdrawal of groundwater in the area appears to exceed the recharge rate.
Public Hearings
September 13, 2012 - The initial public hearing for the proposed Sheridan 6 LEMA was held at the Sheridan County Courthouse (925 9th Street, Hoxie, Kansas). The purpose of the initial hearing was to consider whether GMD4's LEMA proposal met the initial requirements for consideration.
November 28, 2012 - The second public hearing required to establish a LEMA was held at the Sheridan County Courthouse in Hoxie, Kansas. The purpose of the second hearing was to consider whether GMD4's recommended corrective control provisions for the proposed Sheridan 6 LEMA ought to be revised or accepted as submitted.
Orders
October 4, 2012 - Following the initial public hearing, the Chief Engineer issued his Initial Order finding that the proposed Sheridan 6 LEMA met the initial requirements for consideration.
December 31, 2012 - The Chief Engineer issued his Order of Decision accepting the Management Plan for the Sheridan 6 LEMA.
April 17, 2013 - The Chief Engineer issued his Order of Designation setting forth the complete terms for the Sheridan 6 LEMA.
Resources
- Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 4 (GMD4)
- GMD4 Sheridan 6 High Priority Area
- K.S.A. 82a-1041 (LEMA Statutory Provisions)
- Contact Information
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