Aquifer Meeting Addresses Ground Water Rights

Representatives from the Ogallala Aquifer Advisory Committee met in Garden City to discuss proposed water policy legislation with local officials and residents.

The proposal includes amending the appropriation act of "use it or lose it" for groundwater rights in some areas. It also includes developing additional groundwater water banks for a market-based program to reallocate water use and provide conservation in water-short areas.

The Ogallala Aquifer, a vast underground resource for several states, has been declining for years.

The advisory committee’s chairman, Gary Harshberger, said at the meeting Tuesday that the proposal allows producers and communities to decide their own future while monitoring water conservation and working to improve the economy in southwest Kansas.

Gov. Sam Brownback released the proposed legislation Nov. 30.