Summary of Laws and Responsibilities
By Chapter 172 of the laws of 1917, the Legislature created a commission to be known as the Kansas Water Commission. By Chapter 218 of the laws of 1919, the legislature created a Division of Irrigation within the Board of Agriculture. In 1927, by Chapter 293, the Kansas Water Commission and the Division of Irrigation were specifically abolished and the Division of Water Resources was created within the State Board of Agriculture (K.S.A. 74-506 et. seq.). All of the authority, power and duties then conferred or imposed by law upon the Kansas Water Commission and the Division of Irrigation were conferred upon the Division of Water Resources. On May 4, 1995, the Kansas State Board of Agriculture became the Kansas Department of Agriculture. There have been many laws and delegated responsibilities conferred on the Division of Water Resources and the chief engineer thereof. A list of the active laws and associated regulations follows:
- Conservation measures under the conservation districts law
K.S.A. 2-1915 , 2-1919 , and 2-1930
- The construction of flood control works by cities
K.S.A. 12-635 through 12-638 and 12-1616b - The zoning of floodplains by cities and counties
K.S.A. 12-766;
K.A.R. 5-44-1 through 5-44-7 - The Levee Law
K.S.A. 24-105 and 24-126;
K.A.R. 5-45-1 through 5-45-23 - Drainage districts
K.S.A. 24-656 through 24-668 - Watershed District Act
K.S.A. 24-1201 through 24-1237 - Irrigation districts
K.S.A. 42-701 through 42-730 - Junkyard and Salvage Control Act
K.S.A. 68-2201 through 68-2215 - Irrigation Plants
K.S.A. 74-506b through 74-509 - Kansas Water Authority and Kansas Water Office
K.S.A. 74-2610, 74-2622 - Obstruction in Streams Act
K.S.A. 82a-301 through 82a-305a, 82a-328, and 68-1414;
K.A.R. 5-40-1 through 5-40-106, 5-41-1 through 5-41-6;
5-42-1 through 5-42-5;
5-43-1 through 5-43-5;
and 5-46-1 through 5-46-4 - Establishing of bank lines
K.S.A. 82a-307a through 82a-311 - Dams - Federal Agriculture Program
K.S.A. 82a-312 through 82a-314 - Water Projects Environmental Coordination Act
K.S.A. 82a-325 through 82a-327 - Water Storage Law
K.S.A. 79-201g and 82a-405 through 82a-410 - Kansas-Nebraska-Colorado Republican River Compact
K.S.A. 82a-518 - Kansas-Colorado Arkansas River Compact
K.S.A. 82a-520 - Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact
K.S.A. 82a-528 - Kansas-Nebraska Big Blue River Compact
K.S.A. 82a-529 - Rural Water Supply Districts
K.S.A. 82a-601 through 82a-611 - Rural Water Districts
K.S.A. 82a-612 through 82a-647 - Kansas Water Appropriation Act
K.S.A. 82a-701 through 82a-737 and 82a-740 and K.S.A. 42-303 and 42-313;
K.A.R. 5-1-1 through 5-10-6, 5-12-1 through 5-16-7, and 5-30-1 - Kansas Water Banking Act
K.S.A. 82a-761 through 82a-773;
K.A.R. 5-17-1 through 5-17-18 - Water Protection Fee
K.S.A. 82a-954 - Groundwater Management District Act
(Including Intensive Groundwater Use Control Areas)
K.S.A. 82a-1020 through 82a-1040;
K.A.R. 5-21-1 through 5-21-9,
K.A.R. 5-22-1 through 5-22-17,
K.A.R. 5-23-1 through 5-23-15,
K.A.R. 5-24-1 through 5-24-11,
K.A.R. 5-25-1 through 5-25-20 - State Water Plan Storage Act
K.S.A. 82a-1301 through 82a-1320 - Water Assurance Program Act
K.S.A. 82a-1330 through 82a-1348;
K.A.R. 5-11-1 through 5-11-2 - Water Transfer Act
K.S.A. 82a-1501 through 82a-1508;
K.A.R. 5-50-1 through 5-50-8 - Multipurpose Small Lakes Program Act
K.S.A. 82a-1601 through 82a-1609 - Water Litigation
K.S.A. 82a-1801 through 82a-1803 - Administrative Matters
K.S.A. 82a-1901 through 82a-1905