ICYMI: Governor Kelly’s Proposal to Fully Fund State Water Plan for First Time in 15 Years Raises Hope

Connie Owen, director of Kansas Water Office, says Governor Laura Kelly’s recommendation to restore funding for water projects has given her organization momentum as it considers a wide range of needs.

Since 2008, Kansas legislators have not allocated the full $8 million that is supposed to go toward a State Water Plan which was established in 1989. During the past 14 years, Owen said, the state has shorted the plan by $80 million, jeopardizing efforts to address concerns with reservoirs, groundwater, and water quality across the state.
Producers in the Colby area who chose to voluntarily reduce water use, Owen said, have seen profitability increase because they are paying less for nutrients and power used for pumps. The water plan could help fund programs to help other producers make a similar transition, Owen said.

To learn more about Governor Kelly’s full budget plan, click here.

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