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<br />April. 2004 <br /> <br /> <br />WATER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER <br /> <br />SOUTHWEST KANSAS GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (GMD3) <br />A GOVERNING BODY CONTROLLED BY LOCAL PEOPLE <br /> <br />Volume 4, Issue 4 <br />EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR <br /> <br />HANK HANSEN <br />hhansen@gmd3.org <br />ASSISTANT MANAGER <br />JANET L. KING <br />jking@gmd3.org <br />CONSERVATIONIST <br />KENT SHAW <br />kshaw@gmd3.org <br />CONSERVATIONIST <br />JASON NORQUEST <br />norquest@gmd3.org <br /> <br />CLERK <br /> <br />SHARON SCHIFFELBEIN <br />sschiffe@gmd3.org <br />BOARD PRESIDENT <br />BRANT PETERSON <br />Stanton County <br />VICE PRESIDENT <br />KENT DUNN <br />Seward County <br />SECRETARY <br />CLAY SCOTT <br />Grant County <br />TREASURER <br />MIKE O'BRATE <br />Gray County <br />BOARD MEMBERS <br /> <br />DAVID BRENN Surface <br />TOM BOGNER Ford <br />WARREN Fox Meade <br />JAY HOUTSMA Hamilton <br />WAYNE BREEDING Morton <br />KIRK A. MADDUX Keamy <br />ALAN SCHWEITZER Municipal <br />PETE YORK Haskell <br />STEVE STONE Finney <br />THOMAS FORD Industrial <br /> <br />SHANNON CRAWFORD <br />Stevens <br />PHONE (620) 275-7147 <br />FAX (620) 275-1431 <br />MEETINGS: <br />2ND WED. EACH MONTH <br />9:00 A.M. - DISTRICT OFFICE <br />409 CAMPUS DR., SUITE 106 <br />GARDEN CITY, KS 67846 <br />http://www.gmd3.org <br /> <br />OFFICERS ELECTED TO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE <br />Brant Peterson, representing Stanton County, was elected on March 10, 2004 <br />to serve a 4th consecutive term as President of the Board of Directors. Kent <br />Dunn, representing Seward County, was then nominated and elected to serve <br />his 4th consecutive term as Vice President. Clay Scott, representing Grant <br />County, was elected to serve his first term as Secretary. Michael O'Brate, <br />representing Gray County, was elected to serve his 5th term as Treasurer. <br /> <br />DR. GARY HECOX INVITED TO PROPOSE HYDROLOGIC MODEL <br />Dr. Hecox of Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc., Knoxville, Tennessee, <br />presented some examples of hydrologic modeling scenarios to the Board of <br />Directors on March 10, 2004. Dr. Hecox recently produced a comprehensive <br />hydrologic model for GMD4 of Colby, Kansas that helps predict the impact of <br />water consumption on the aquifer. The Board of Directors invited Dr. Hecox to <br />prepare a cost-proposal of developing an interactive model for GMD3 that can <br />be adaptable for future use as the conditions change. <br /> <br />GMD5 OFFERS TO BUY CIRCLE K RANCH FROM HAYS <br />In an interesting turn of events the Big Bend Groundwater Management District <br />(GMD5), headquarters at Stafford, Kansas, elected on March 10, 2004 to buy <br />the Circle K Ranch from the city of Hays. The Circle K Ranch is located near <br />the city of Kinsley, in Edwards County, which is about 30 miles east of Dodge <br />City. The city of Hays seems to have abandoned their plan to divert water <br />from the ranch to Hays, which is more than 60 miles away. It's been estimated <br />that the ranch has over 6,000 acre-feet of irrigation water rights. In response <br />to declining stream flow in the Arkansas River near Kinsley, the Kansas <br />Division of Water Resources (DWR) recently established a tentative plan to <br />reduce approximately 41,000 acre-feet of irrigation water rights. The <br />reductions are to apply within an area designated as the Middle Arkansas <br />River Sub-basin. The Circle K Ranch is part of this basin area and its water <br />rights could be impacted by this plan to reduce irrigation. Prior to GMD5's <br />decision to purchase the ranch, the Kansas Water Office held numerous public <br />meetings on the prospect of the State of Kansas purchasing the ranch. The <br />Water Office plan was to dismiss most of the water rights and then establish a <br />state-managed recreation park. <br /> <br />COLORADO RUN-OFF CAUSES PROBLEM FOR KANSAS <br />Past and ongoing studies indicate unwanted naturally occurring elements <br />washed away from topsoil in Colorado by irrigation and storm run-off water <br />contaminate the Arkansas River flowing into Kansas. The concentrations of <br />Selenium, Sulfate, and other unwanted dissolved solids are present in <br />unacceptable levels in the river water. This puts our stretch of the Arkansas <br />River on the EPA's list of impaired waters because the concentrations exceed <br />the government's allowable tolerances. Tom Stiles, Kansas Department of <br />Health & Environment, will present information on this and other river water <br />quality issues during the April 14, 2004 GMD3 Board meeting. <br />