Hays, Ellis officials members of regional water planning group

KANSAS WATER OFFICE

TOPEKA — In December 2014, Regional Goal Leadership Teams consisting of nine to 11 individuals per region were identified by the Kansas Water Authority (KWA) to represent the 14 planning areas for Kansas. To begin the eight month process, orientation meetings were held recently by each of the Regional Goal Leadership Teams appointed to address water supply goals for each region and deemed successful.

Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty is chairman of the Smoky Hill-Saline regional group. Ellis Public Works Director Alan Schuerman and Ransom resident Bill Scott are also members of the Smoky Hill-Saline group.

The role of each team is to participate in a public scoping process in their region, develop and draft water supply goals for their region based on public input and available resource condition information. To assist with the process, trained facilitators from Kansas State University Research and Extension as well as the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy will be helping with the goal development.

“On behalf of the KWA we appreciate the dedication of all the individuals across our state who want to address our water supply issues,” said KWA Chair Gary Harshberger. “I agree wholeheartedly with the guiding principle of the Water Vision that locally driven solutions at the grass roots level have the highest opportunity for long term success.”

Public meetings will be held for each region to hear input from stakeholders and citizens to assist with drafting the goals for the future water supply needs in each region. Recommended water supply goals should seek to implement the following Vision statement:

Kansans act on a shared commitment to have the water resources necessary to support the state’s social, economic and natural resource needs for current and future generations.

“We appreciate the opportunity to serve in this capacity,” said Gregg Hadley K-State Research and Extension Assistant Director for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Community Development. “The KSRE mission is to help Kansans balance use and protection of natural resources today and into the future, making this a good partnership during this eight month process.”

The Teams will present the proposed draft regional water supply goals to the KWA in May 2015. The KWA will provide advice towards further development of the regional goals with final goals to be approved by the Authority in August 2015.

For more information on the upcoming public meetings to be held in March, to review the timeline for the goal setting process or read the final version of the Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas, visit www.kwo.org.