Kansas groundwater districts begin drafting action plans under 2023 statute; chief engineer, local managers outline deadlines and public process

A statutory process created by the 2023 legislative package is moving groundwater management from study to planning across Kansas, officials told the Water Task Force on July 21 in Dodge City. The state’s chief engineer said districts were required to identify high‑priority areas by July 1, 2024, and must submit action plans for those areas by July 1, 2026.

Why it matters: the deadlines force local groundwater management districts (GMDs) to translate earlier assessments into concrete measures — from five‑year allocation schedules to longer conservation and recharge plans. State review of those plans will determine whether they meet legal standards, a step that can trigger revisions before any plan becomes effective.

Chief Engineer and director of the Division of Water Resources Earl Lewis said the statute (identified in testimony as “House Bill 22‑79” and cited in the meeting transcript as codified under a numeric reference) requires a two‑step process: initial identification of priority areas and later, district action plans. “By 07/01/2024, each board of the district had to identify high priority areas of concern and then submit those to the chief engineer,” Lewis told the task force. He added that districts have until mid‑2026 to develop concrete action programs for those areas and that the department will review plans within 90 days of submission for legal consistency.

Local districts…