DWR Currents

March 8, 2010


Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week
This year Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 8 through 12.  A statewide tornado drill is scheduled March 9 with a March 11 backup date.

While tornados and high winds are among the most dramatic severe weather experienced in Kansas, floods continue to be the number one threat to human life and property.

Right: Flooding in Independence, Kansas, in 2007.

Here are some flood safety tips courtesy of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management:

• Floods, especially flash floods, kill more people each year than any other weather phenomenon.

• As little as 6 inches of fast moving water can sweep you off your feet.

• As little as 18 inches to 24 inches of water is enough to float a car and carry it away.

• If you see a flooded roadway…. TURN AROUND.  DON’T DROWN!

• Tune to the NOAA Weather Radio, or your favorite news source for all flood and any other weather related information.

• Leave areas subject to flooding, such as dips, low spots and underpasses.

• Do not attempt to cross flowing streams — you don’t know how deep the water could be.

• If your vehicle is suddenly caught in rising water, leave it immediately and seek higher ground.

• Report any flooding to your local authorities or to the National Weather Service.

The complete 2010 Kansas Severe Weather Awareness Week information packet is available on the National Weather Service web site.

For more information about the National Flood Insurance Program and steps being taken to reduce flood hazards in Kansas, visit DWR’s floodplain management web site.


Floodplain Model an Educational Tool
Many people not regularly involved in floodplain management have difficulty envisioning the way a floodplain responds to different flood events and development pressures.  A new, three-dimensional model floodplain helps build understanding through visualization.

DWR’s floodplain management team acquired a floodplain model in a clear acrylic tank several months ago.  The model has a fiberglass floodplain featuring a stream, hills and bypass channel.  It uses simple gravity feed, so when water is poured in at the upstream end, it collects at the lower end.  The model comes with inserts to simulate the effects of encroachments in the floodplain.  Trays with holes in them allow water to flow through at different rates to demonstrate a light rain or heavy rain event.

Right: Steve Samuelson demonstrates the floodplain model at a recent conference.

There is a wetland model made of sponges to demonstrate how open areas act as a natural sponge.  There is a storm water detention pond that inserts into the model.  One of the inserts looks like a parking lot and demonstrates what happens when there is an increase in the amount of impervious surface.  Modeling putty and toy houses can be used to show how levees work and why they sometimes fail.

The floodplain management staff is willing to loan this model to floodplain managers across Kansas.  This model would make an excellent display at a floodplain management booth at a county fair, open house, or school demonstration.  Outreach is key to gaining public support for floodplain management programs.

Anyone who borrows the model will be required to arrange for its transportation.  DWR’s floodplain management team can help with transportation of the model if one of its employees is traveling in that direction for another purpose.  The model is 48 inches long, 16 inches wide and 9 inches high, so it will fit in the back seat of most vehicles.  If you are interested in borrowing the floodplain model, please contact Steve Samuelson at (785) 296-4622, or steve.samuelson@kda.ks.gov.


Legislature Considering Water Issues
Some water resources bills saw activity last week, including legislation that would protect from abandonment unused water rights in closed areas if they are able to be pumped in a timely manner when necessary; a bill to establish conservation as a new beneficial use of water; a bill to amend the interstate water litigation fund law; and a bill that could affect the safety of people, homes and property below dams.  In addition, water appropriation rule changes were recently heard by the Legislature’s Rules and Regulations Committee.

• HSSB 316 (nonuse in closed areas) – House Substitute for Senate Bill 316 would amend K.S.A. 82a-718 to establish that “...a groundwater right, which has as its local supply an aquifer area that has been closed to new appropriations by rule, regulation or order of the chief engineer and where means of diversion are available to put water to a beneficial use within a reasonable time, shall be deemed to have due and sufficient cause for nonuse and shall not be deemed abandoned.”  It passed the House on February 25.  On March 2, the Senate signaled its disagreement with the House revisions and sent the bill to conference committee.

• SB 510 (establishing conservation use as a beneficial use of water) – There was no committee action on the bill last week.  The department and stakeholder groups have been negotiating language to address some specific issues.  Committee deliberation on the bill has not yet been scheduled.

• SB 558 (interstate water litigation fund) – Senate Bill 558 would amend K.S.A. 82a-1802 to delete references to the interstate water litigation reserve account of the state general fund; to declare that the interstate water litigation fund “shall remain intact and inviolate” and “shall be used for the purposes set forth in this section and for no other governmental purposes”; and to accrue interest in the interstate water litigation fund.  On March 4, the Senate Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on the bill.  The Attorney General’s Office and Kansas Farm Bureau testified in favor of the bill.  There were a number of letters of support for the bill, including one from Kansas Department of Agriculture.  The committee did not take action on the bill.

• HB 2283 (rural water district annexation) – House Bill 2283 originated in the 2009 session.  It would create new laws and change existing ones dealing with procedures for annexing rural water district service areas into cities.  As amended by the Senate last session, the bill also would have prohibited the chief engineer from initiating an intensive groundwater use control area in a groundwater management district unless the district requested the IGUCA.  Earlier this year the House signaled its disagreement with the amended bill and sent the matter to conference committee.  On February 18, the conference committee reached agreement on the bill language and among other changes struck the IGUCA language from the bill.  On March 3, the Senate adopted the conference committee recommendations.  If the House approves the amended language the bill will then go to the governor.

• HB 2493 (dam hazard classifications and inspections) – The original language of House Bill 2493 would repeal K.S.A. 82a-303b, which requires periodic inspections of high-hazard and significant-hazard dams and authorizes the chief engineer to inspect any dam or other stream obstruction.  The House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources also considered an alternate version of the bill apparently intended to exempt from regulation any dam impounding less than 100 acre-feet at the spillway and any watershed district dam regardless of the volume impounded.  On March 3, a subcommittee of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee met to discuss the bill.  The subcommittee did not reach consensus on moving forward with the legislation.  Chief Engineer David Barfield committed to work with stakeholders after the legislative session to address their concerns including a review of the 2007 dam safety regulations.

• Rules and Regulations – On February 26 the Joint Committee on Rules and Regulations held a hearing on several proposed regulations addressing impairment investigations, due and sufficient causes for nonuse, 15 acre-feet exemptions in groundwater management districts 2 and 5, and water flowmeter requirements.  The committee had few comments on the proposed rule changes.  The public hearings will be April 7.

More information is available under “News” on DWR’s home page, on KDA’s Government Relations web page and KDA’s Twitter postings at KSDeptofAg.

The text and status of bills are available on the Kansas Legislature website.


DWR Currents Survey Results
The results of our reader survey are in.  Most responses were positive, and there were a number of good suggestions for topics to cover in future issues of the newsletter.

On February 19, the Division of Water Resources sent the online survey to DWR Currents subscribers to solicit feedback on reader preferences and suggestions.  Of 331 subscribers at the time of the survey, 58 responded as of March 3—an 18 percent response rate.  Fifty-one of the 58 responses were from subscribers outside the agency.

The survey results indicate that most respondents (41 percent) prefer to receive the newsletter weekly while 33 percent would prefer it monthly and 7 percent quarterly.  Nineteen percent indicated no preference on the frequency of the newsletter.

Sixty-four percent of respondents read each edition of the weekly newsletter while 36 percent are more selective.

Twenty-six percent of respondents have used the “send to a friend” feature at least once.  Fourteen percent did not previously realize this was an option.

Twenty-six percent of respondents have looked up past issues of the newsletter on DWR’s website, and another 64 percent have not but indicated they appreciate this option.

Most respondents (81 percent) like the existing format for distributing the newsletter via email and most (59 percent) indicated the style of the newsletter is good, although 39 percent indicated more photographs and graphics would be preferable.

Ninety-six percent of respondents indicated the links to additional information are helpful.

Respondents ranked DWR activities and legislative issues as the type of content they are most interested in, followed by upcoming events, staff news, and web updates, in that order.

Fourteen respondents provided suggestions for future topics to cover, including:

• Speeches and presentations by Secretary Svaty and Chief Engineer Barfield
• Development of water resources in Kansas, past and future
• Declining water resources in Western Kansas and the “use it or lose it” paradigm
• Spotlight the work of programs within DWR
• Basin Team and field office activities
• Groundwater management districts
• Intensive groundwater use control areas
• Water conservation
• Water conflicts
• Information about water commissioners and other DWR staff
• Proposed regulations and reasons for the rule changes
• Emerging issues and activities being planned at the agency

We plan to cover many of these topics in future issues of the newsletter.

One individual suggested links to agency testimony on legislative matters.  Please note that we already provide links to agency testimony and other information, where available, in the articles on legislative issues.

Another suggestion is to provide a website listing current applications for permits.  We are exploring this possibility.

Yet another suggestion is to conduct the reader survey annually.  We will seek more feedback in the future to learn how we can improve the newsletter.  Please note that you can send suggestions or questions anytime using the comment form on our website.

There were a number of positive remarks about the DWR Currents newsletter:

• “You are doing a good job!!”
• “Helps me keep up on DWR issues, it’s great.”
• “I use the upcoming events section to see what’s going on in Kansas water issues.”
• “This has been a useful newsletter for me and I appreciate having it in digital format.”
• "I think it is great!!  Keep up the good work!!” [omitted extra exclamation points]

We appreciate the feedback from those who completed the survey.  The newsletter allows us to share information with partners and stakeholders, and we will continue to make it better.  


Upcoming Events

• March 9: GMD 2 board meeting (Halstead)
• March 10: GMD 3 annual meeting (Garden City)
• March 11: GMD 5 board meeting (Stafford)
• March 16: GMD 1 board meeting and annual meeting (Scott City).  Chief Engineer Barfield will attend.
• April 6: Basics of National Flood Insurance Program training (Belleville)
• April 7: Hearings on proposed amendments to water appropriation regulations (Topeka – with teleconference stations at Garden City, Halstead, Stafford and Stockton)
• April 20-23: Culvert, Drainage and Levee Maintenance workshops by Kansas University Transportation Center (Colby, Hays, McPherson and Junction City)
• April 21: Hearing on proposed water bank regulation amendment (Topeka)
• May 6: Substantial Damage Estimation class (Lyons)
• May 13: How to Read a Flood Map training (Bonner Springs)

For more information about these and other upcoming events, please check our online events listings.