|
Water use
restrictions lifted in Republican River
basin
June 26,
2007 - For the first time since 2002,
the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s
division of
water
resources today lifted pumping
restrictions on 177 water rights along
the Republican
River in
Clay, Cloud, Jewell, Republic and
Washington counties.
“Water flow
on the Republican River at Concordia and
Clay Center has been above the minimum
desirable
streamflow threshold since May 6, so
we’re finally able to lift the pumping
restrictions
put in place
May 9, 2002, due to drought,” said David
Barfield, acting chief engineer of the
division of
water resources.
Minimum
desirable streamflow requirements were
made part of the Kansas Water
Appropriation
Act by the
1984 Kansas Legislature to ensure base
flows in certain streams to protect
existing
water rights
and to meet in-stream water uses related
to water quality, fish and wildlife, and
recreation.
Kansas
monitors 23 streams and rivers for
minimum desirable streamflow. When flow
drops
below an
established threshold, pumping
restrictions are imposed on affected
water rights
granted
after the minimum desirable streamflow
provision was made into law in 1984.
Barfield
cautioned water users that lifting the
pumping restrictions may be temporary.
“While
streamflow conditions allow us to lift
water use restrictions today, without
adequate
precipitation in the coming weeks,
restrictions likely will be re-imposed,”
Barfield said. “Water
users need
to carefully assess their needs to make
the most of their water use in the
coming
weeks.”
|
