Division of Water Resources
David W. Barfield, P.E. - Chief Engineer (Biography)
The Division of Water Resources administers 28 laws including the Kansas Water Appropriation Act which governs how water is allocated and used; statutes regulating the construction of dams, levees and other changes to streams; the state's four interstate river compacts; as well as coordinating the national flood insurance program in Kansas.
Updated: Draft IGUCA Regulations and Discussion
DWR is organized as follows:
- Water Appropriation - Manages the state's water supply through a system of permits, reviews and inspections.
- Water Structures - Regulates activities affecting streams by ensuring that they are properly planned, constructed, operated and maintained for their authorized purposes without adversely affecting the environment, public health and welfare, and public and private property.
- Water Management Services - Provides technical and data support to all agency water programs and includes the following sub-programs:
- Interstate Water Issues - Kansas is party to compacts that allocate water from the Arkansas, Big Blue, Missouri and Republican rivers.
- Subbasin Water Resource Management Program - Works with stakeholders to develop water management strategies within subbasins identified in the Kansas State Water Plan.
Links to Key DWR Web Pages
DWR Statutes and Regulations
DWR Forms
DWR Currents Newsletter
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