The Arkansas River Compact Administration (ARCA) annual meeting will be on Thursday, December 7, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. MST at the Otero Junior College Student Center, 2001 San Juan Ave. in La Junta, Colorado. The meeting agenda will be posted on the ARCA website at www.co-ks-arkansasrivercompactadmin.org.

ARCA administers provisions of the Kansas-Colorado Arkansas River Compact, including operations of the John Martin Reservoir. Topics to be covered at the annual meeting include a review of John Martin Reservoir operations, compliance update, committee reports, and updates from state and federal agencies. 

Kansas has three representatives who serve on ARCA, including Earl Lewis, chief engineer of the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources; Troy Dumler, Garden City; and Zachary Gale, Syracuse.

ARCA’s Operations, Engineering, and Administrative and Legal committees will meet on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. MST also at the Otero Junior College Student Center.  There will be a special presentation on the 75th anniversaries for the signing of the Compact and the completion of John Martin Reservoir ahead of the committee meetings starting at 1:00 p.m. MST.

The annual meeting, special presentation, and committee meetings are all open to the public. To access a virtual option to listen in on the meetings, please contact Stephanie Gonzales at arca.co.ks@gmail.com on or before December 4. Individuals who require special accommodation should notify Gonzales at 719-688-0799 at least three days prior to the meeting.

The Kansas-Colorado Arkansas River Compact was negotiated in 1948 between Kansas and Colorado with participation by the federal government. Its stated purposes are to settle existing disputes and remove causes of future controversy between Colorado and Kansas regarding Arkansas River water and to equitably divide and apportion the water between Colorado and Kansas, including benefits arising from John Martin Reservoir.