Volume 40 - Issue 35 - September 2, 2021

State of Kansas

Department of Agriculture
Division of Conservation

Notice of Meetings

The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation will conduct public meetings in Leoti, Kansas and Tribune, Kansas on September 21, 2021, to review the agency’s Water Right Transition Assistance Program (WTAP). The meetings will be held as follows:

• 10:00 a.m. (CST) at the Wichita County Fairgrounds 4-H building, Leoti, Kansas
• 1:00 p.m. (MST) at the Greeley County Fairgrounds 4-H building, Tribune Kansas

The purpose of the meetings is to inform the public of the possible economic and hydrologic impacts of the program and to discuss the upcoming WTAP fall 2021 enrollment period which will be available from October 1 to November 15, 2021.

WTAP is a voluntary, incentive-based program designed to manage aquifers and streams in critical need of restoration by compensating landowners for the permanent retirement of irrigation water rights. Priority in the fall 2021 enrollment will be given to retiring water rights that have the greatest impact on the local aquifer system in 2-3-mile radius areas around the municipal water supplies of Leoti and Tribune.

WTAP is part of the regional Groundwater Recharge and Sustainability Project (GRASP) in Wichita and Greeley counties which will also be discussed at these meetings in advance of the WTAP presentations. GRASP is a coordinated effort between the Natural Resources Conservation Service and several state and local partners to provide enhanced financial incentives for implementing water conservation and playa restoration practices.

The meetings can also be accessed virtually with the login information can be found at http://www.agriculture.ks.gov/WTAP. Contact Steve.Frost@ks.gov at 785-564-6622 for additional information.

Andrew Lyon
Executive Director

Doc. No. 049397