Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water And Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pratt County commissioners approve $98,348.51 CDBG repayment as federal agency spares additional water diversions
Summary
County staff told commissioners the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not call for additional water from the Rattlesnake Creek/Quivira basin this year after voluntary conservation; commissioners approved returning $98,348.51 to the Department of Commerce to close an 1980s CDBG revolving loan fund.
Pratt County commissioners on a routine meeting approved returning $98,348.51 to the U.S. Department of Commerce to close out a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) revolving loan account from the 1980s, and heard that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will not request additional water diversions from the Rattlesnake Creek/Quivira basin this year.
Heather (county staff) told the commission the Fish and Wildlife Service informed state and basin managers it would not call on the extra water after voluntary on-farm conservation exceeded the amount needing to be conserved. "So that is really good news," Heather said, while adding that the decision does not eliminate future risks.
Heather also said the State Water Plan Fund included appropriations for conservation efforts and technology in the basin to support continued voluntary reductions. She reported recent email correspondence with the Department of Commerce that confirmed the dollar amount the county must return as part of the CDBG closeout and recommended the county send the amount Commerce provided and seek a meeting during Commerce’s Dodge City closeout to discuss regranting or reallocation possibilities.
Commissioners discussed whether interest was included in the Commerce figure and directed staff to ensure timely delivery with proof of receipt. The commission moved and voted to approve repaying the CDBG balance; the presiding official declared the motion carried.
Next steps described by staff included tracking how recouped federal funds will be redistributed and whether Pratt County might be eligible for any regranting or reallocation of those monies.
Why it matters: The Fish and Wildlife Service decision reduces immediate regulatory pressure on basin water users and recognizes voluntary conservation efforts; the CDBG repayment resolves a decades-old federal closeout obligation and could affect the county’s eligibility for future reallocated funds.
