Kansas Infrastructure Hub Announces $1M Investment for Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District #3

TOPEKA – The Kansas Infrastructure Hub announced today that the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District #3 has secured $1 million to convert more than 59,000 feet of earthen canal to 13,200 linear feet of pipeline in Kearny County, Kansas.

“Leveraging federal dollars to supplement our state and local investments into critical infrastructure is vital to protecting and extending our state’s water supply,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These investments ensure our communities have the resources to build, operate, and maintain critical infrastructure.”

The groundwater management district is receiving $500,000 in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants Program and $500,000 in matching funds from the Kanas Infrastructure Hub and Build Kansas Fund.

The canal, known as the South Side Ditch, diverts water from the Arkansas River just south of the City of Lakin. The project will improve water use efficiency, eliminate infiltration and evaporation losses, and reduce the spread of uranium contamination into the underlying High Plains/Ogallala Aquifer.

The support provided through the Kansas Infrastructure Hub gives communities the financial means necessary to pursue and maximize BIL funding opportunities.

“Rural Kansas communities do not always have the money needed to meet the match requirements of large federal grants,” said Matthew Volz, P.E., executive director of the Kansas Infrastructure Hub. “Having the Build Kansas Fund available can make all the difference in whether or not they can apply for these lucrative federal funding opportunities.”

“Without this crucial state match from the Build Kansas Fund, there is no way we would have been able to secure the $500,000 in federal funding for this project,” said Trevor Ahring, civil engineer for the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District #3.