By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Final Master Order for the R9 Ranch long-term water project is off the desk of the Chief Engineer of the Division of Water Resources (DWR), announced Hays Mayor Henry Schwaller on Thursday night.

“He (David Barfield) finished the order as he said he would. It is now under consideration by Division of Water Resources attorneys and then we will get to look at it as well,” Schwaller said at the end of the city commission work session. “Once that Master Order is reviewed, it will be issued.”

“It will become official,” added City Manager Toby Dougherty, “and the start of the Water Transfer (Act) is contingent upon an approved change order.”

“So, we cannot start that process until it is approved.”

The Final Master Order is set up to be contingently approved with a clause that if the cities of Hays and Russell are not successful in negotiating the transfer process, none of the changes will take effect, Dougherty explained.

The next step, he said, is for the cities to “start pressing the three agency heads to begin moving forward with the water transfer process.”

By state law, once the Final Master Order is issued, the Water Transfer Act will be triggered. The act still requires approval within 18 months from a three-person panel consisting of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary or the KDHE Director of the Division of Environment, the head of the Kansas Water Office, and the chief engineer of the KDA/DWR. The state agriculture department oversees the Division of Water Resources.

“So one step is down. Two more to go. We’re very excited about that,” Schwaller added.

He expressed appreciation for the meeting with Gov. Laura Kelly and Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers as well as the support of Goodland Sen. Rick Billinger, Hays Rep. Barbara Wasinger and the Kansas secretary of agriculture.

“It’s an important step in our history and we’re looking forward to moving forward,” said Schwaller.