GMD 4 Ogallala Aquifer Sub-Unit Protocol Development

1. GMD 4 Ogallala Aquifer Sub-Unit Protocol Development Western States Water Council December 4, 2003 Amarillo, Texas By: Wayne Bossert NW KS GMD 4

2. The Beginning: • State of Kansas desired additional attention on the Ogallala Aquifer • Formed a state planning group called the Management Advisory Committee (MAC) • Made up of western Kansas stakeholders - 15 members w/ State Agency guidance. • Met 7 times over 9 months • Produced a report with 5 recommendations and 17 Guiding Principals - October 16, 2001 • This report is the roadmap for this process. It is available for review on the net at: http://www.kwo.org/Reports%20&%20Publications/ogallala_mgt__rpt_.htm

3. Tasks within the MAC report: • Develop a protocol to: a) define Aquifer subunits; b) establish preliminary water use goals for each subunit; and c) classify subunits as high, medium or low priority using existing data and tools. • Set timelines to achieve the following: • Establish criteria to identify aquifer subunits. (Consider factors such as decline rate, time to deplete, legal criteria, economic and socio-economic impacts of declines.) • Identify aquifer subunits per established protocol. • For high priority subunits, consider enhanced water management plans. • Analyze data needed to verify high priority conditions and for proposed management strategies. • Further refine enhanced management plans for high priority subunits after verification of enhanced data. • Develop assistance plans to transition to dryland farming.

4. GMD 4 Protocol: • The entire Ogallala is to be addressed - The GMD’s develop the protocols within GMD boundaries and Division of Water Resources develop protocols outside The rest of the presentation will focus on the NW Kansas GMD 4 protocol • The basis for the protocol is the section-level database maintained by KGS • Consists of sectionl-level data coverages with numerous attributes - including: • Bedrock elevation; water table elevations by year; recharge; various hydrologic parameters; appropriation values; landuse; decline data, etc., etc., etc. • GMD4 organized its protocol into 7 individual Tasks

5. GMD 4 Current Protocol • Task 1) - Cluster aquifer sub-units: • Use existing KGS section-level data which will be clustered based upon appropriate hydrologic parameters in order to show reasonable regions of similar hydrogeology. FOR EXAMPLE ONLY:

6. GMD 4 Current Protocol • Task 2) - Prioritize aquifer sub-units: • The board will set appropriate high, medium and low threshold parameters (triggers). The sub-units exceeding the top trigger will be the high priority aquifer sub-units. FOR EXAMPLE ONLY:

7. GMD 4 Current Protocol • Task 3) – Verify data for each high priority aquifer sub-unit: • The board will assess if the existing data adequately supports the high priority status of each aquifer sub-unit rendered by tasks 1-2. If the data is considered sufficient, the board will continue to task 4. If not, the board will work with others to obtain the data considered scientifically sufficient to identify and technically support the choice of sub-units. Note: The KGS section-level data layers are derived from point data using a TIN process. TIN layers result in some inaccuracy. The board wants a chance to compare what we know with what the data suggests.

8. GMD 4 Current Protocol • Task 4) - Establish preliminary water use goals and enhanced management actions for the high priority aquifer sub-units: • The board will conduct a public meeting within each high priority aquifer sub-unit in order to: • a) inform the land owners and water users of the district’s process and findings; • b) to discuss the area’s future outlook based on the district findings; • c) to request input about preferred future actions - specifically including preferences for a groundwater budget; and • d) what management policies/actions/strategies are preferred to achieve the water budget. • Following the public meetings, the board will decide what groundwater use goals (groundwater budgets) are appropriate for each high priority aquifer sub-unit and what management approaches should be implemented. (NOTE: In this step, the following methods for reducing water use will be discussed: 1) targeting funding for water use efficiency improvements, water right set asides, or water right buyouts; 2) mandatory metering; 3) stricter regulation of water rights ; 4) IGUCAs or other special management areas; and 5) any other ideas brought up.)

9. GMD 4 Current Protocol • Groundwater Conservation Foundation • Incorporated the NW Kansas Groundwater Conservation Foundation • Seeking IRS 501(c)(3) status • Developing a Grant Proposal for Private and Public funding • Pay willing participants an incentive to reduce or abandon existing water rights for aquifer restoration in high priority designated areas • Use 5 Tools: • Permanent forfeiture and dismissal of an existing water right. • Permanent reduction of an existing certified water right. • Temporary Set Aside - Water Rights Conservation Program (WRCP). Set aside a complete water right for 5 to 10 years. Could also compliment EQIP participants. • Temporary Set Aside - Multi-Year Flex Account (MFA). Temporarily set aside 10% of an existing certified water right for 5 years. • Temporary Set Aside - GMD4 Multi-Year Flex Account (MFA). Temporarily set aside an existing certified water right by more than 10% for 5 years. (This is a proposed rule at this time)

10. GMD 4 Current Protocol • Task 5) – Assess the management program per board decisions resulting from Task 4. • If management program changes are required, there will be no further implementation until the management program is appropriately revised through the prescribed process. • Task 6) - Develop assistance plans to transition to dryland farming. • This issue may or may not be addressed within tasks 4 and 5. If so, no further specifics need to be included here. If not, the board will work with the district members and others to develop a list of economically acceptable transition plans/ideas. All plans/ideas identified through this effort will next be presented to the district members at a public meeting or public meetings if the board decides to pursue such plan(s). • Task 7) - Review, evaluate and reiterate.