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Kansas water office urges project pipeline, highlights grant wins and novel dredging trial
Summary
Officials from the governor's office and the Kansas Water Office described recent HB23‑02 grants ($64M awarded across 148 grants), regional water planning kickoff and experimental dredging at Tuttle Creek as part of a push to build a statewide project pipeline capable of leveraging federal funds.
Carolyn McGinn, special assistant to the governor on water, opened the task‑force presentations by pressing the legislature to think beyond annual budgeting and “elevate” water planning to a longer horizon.
“We need a 10‑year funding plan,” McGinn told the task force, arguing that a steady funding stream would enable long‑term project pipelines and better regional coordination rather than repeated short‑term fixes. She urged local consults this summer where local officials, regional advisory committees (RACs) and state policymakers can meet face to face and align priorities.
Matt Under, assistant director of the Kansas Water Office, said the office has used HB 23‑02 funding to build both planning capacity and on‑the‑ground investments. “In totality, for the 3 fiscal years that awards have been provided through these 2 grant funds, we have basically awarded $64,000,000 in funding to 148 individual grant awards,” Under said, summarizing the Water Office’s technical assistance and water‑project grant programs.
Under described several linked elements of the office’s strategy: aquifer characterization using airborne electromagnetic surveys (AEM) over portions of the Ogallala; regional water planning aligned to 14 planning areas; grant programs for both planning and construction; and a proposed project pipeline to identify shovel‑ready — or “mud‑ready” — projects so funds can be deployed when opportunities arise. He said regional planning is underway in the Upper Republican and Verdigris areas and contracts are close for the Equus‑Walnut region.
The presenters highlighted the Tuttle Creek water‑injection dredging (WID) demonstration as an experimental technique to address reservoir sedimentation. Under said preliminary monitoring shows material is moving downstream and that the technology “holds a lot of promise,” but emphasized extensive monitoring is needed to judge overall effectiveness and any downstream impacts.
Lawmakers pressed agencies on timelines, the need for project cost estimates and methods to prioritize investments. Several members asked for written, scalable cost ranges and for the Water Office to produce handouts showing what additional staff or resources would be required to expand programs.
What’s next: Office staff said they will publish guidance and continue regional planning work this summer; the task force asked agencies to return with funding detail and handouts to support budget decisions ahead of the next legislative session.
