There’s a new Chief Engineer in town… Kent Askren

The water supply in Kansas is frequently as unpredictable as our state landscape is picturesque.  With this in mind, our forefathers recognized a long time ago that water is too vital of a natural resource to be owned by any single individual or group hence state law dedicated its use to all Kansans subject to the control and regulation of the state. 

To carry out this responsibility, the legislature created the position of Chief Engineer, who is responsible for among other things the control, conservation, regulation, allotment and distribution of the water resources of the state of Kansas.  The position of Chief Engineer of the Division of Water Resources is housed within the Kansas Department of Agriculture under the supervision of the Secretary of Agriculture. 

For the past 24 years, the Chief Engineer has been David Pope.  Mr. Pope is one of only a handful of individuals who has served in this capacity.  The Chief Engineer represents the state on four interstate river compacts, the Missouri River Association of States and Tribes, as an ex-officio member for the Kansas Water Authority, as a member of the State Conservation Commission and in many other lesser know capacities.  But more than anything, the Chief Engineer decides who receives permits to use water and administers the laws regulating its use.  That is especially important to us in agriculture since we hold the vast majority of all water rights in the state.

Discussion of modifying how the Chief Engineer is selected and whether the position wields too much power has already begun.  There have been attempts in the past to move the Division of Water Resources out of the Department of Agriculture and create a Natural Resources agency.  KFB has policy which supports keeping the Chief Engineer and the Division of Water Resources within an autonomous Kansas Department of Agriculture.

One thing we need to clearly understand is that if the authority currently held by the Chief Engineer is transferred it won’t revert to the landowner; it will merely go to some other position or group.  Think about some of those possibilities for a minute.

We have been fortunate in the past that the position of Chief Engineer has remained generally set apart from the changing winds of politics.  We need to insure that future Chief Engineers are apolitical, whose main objective is carrying out his/her duties with respect to the water laws of our state while making independent decisions based upon sound science.

To do so, the Chief Engineer should remain a classified position under the immediate supervision of the Secretary of Agriculture.  This has proven to be an effective system which provides checks and balances without catering to political agendas.  To politicize water rights would negatively impact property right holders, landowners – Agriculture.