NEWS:
On May 29, 2019, WaterPACK filed a petition for judicial review in Edwards County District Court, which lawsuit is ongoing (see below).
On March 27, 2019, the chief engineer contingently approved the change applications submitted by the cities of Hays and Russell to convert the irrigation rights of the R9 Ranch in Edwards County to municipal use for the cities. Documents related to this action can be accessed in the table below.
Background
The City of Hays purchased the approximately 7,000-acre R9 Ranch and its thirty water rights in southwestern Edwards County in 1995 with the intention of someday using the water as part of the Cities of Hays and Russell's water supply.
During June 2015, the Cities of Hays and Russell (Cities) submitted applications to KDA-DWR to change the use made of water from irrigation to municipal use for the R9 Ranch water rights. As these proposed changes envision moving greater than 2,000 acre-feet more than 35 miles, during January 2016, the Cities submitted an application to transfer water from Edwards County to the Cities pursuant to the Water Transfer Act (K.S.A. 82a-1501, et seq.).
The water right change applications and other information related to their consideration are available below.
During May 2018, a draft proposed master order and exhibits were transmitted to GMD5 for its review and posted on this website, along with the change applications and amendments. A public informational meetings was held on June 21, 2018 to discuss the applications. GMD5 provided a recommendation on August 28, which was supplemented on September 14; WaterPACK provided additional responses on August 21 and 13; and the cities provided responses on September 14 and 18.
Additional information on the Hays/R9 Transfer Application
1995 R9 Ranch and water rights purchased by the City of Hays
2015-06-26 Cities of Hays and Russell (Cities) apply to change R9 Ranch water rights from
irrigation to municipal use
2016-01-06 Cities apply to transfer water from R9 Ranch to Hays and Russell
2016-01-21 KDA-DWR letter to the Cities with comments from its review of the change
applications
2016-03-08 KDA-DWR letter to the Cities with additional comments from its review of the
change applications
2016-03-24 Cities of Hays and Russell meet with KDA-DWR to discuss details of the water right
change applications
2016-04-06 KDA-DWR letter to the Cities summarizing 3/24/2016 meeting and next steps
2018-02-16 KDA-DWR post Cities' modeling report
2018-05-07 KDA-DWR transmits draft proposed master order with exhibits to GMD No. 5 for
review and posts to its website
2018-05-11 KDA-DWR posts change applications and amendments to its website.
2018-06-21 Public informational meeting to discuss application in Greensburg, Kansas.
Summer 2018 Public input on proposed change applications
2018-08-30 GMD No. 5 comments on change applications
2018-09-14 GMD No. 5 provides supplemental comments on change applications
2018-10-05 Updated modeling report
2019-03-27 Contingent Approval of Change Applications