DWR Currents

June 1, 2010


Floodplain Team Developing Strategic Plan
DWR’s Floodplain Management Team is participating in a voluntary pilot program to create a strategic five-year floodplain management plan.  The overall objective is to reduce flood impacts to public safety and property through more coordinated and targeted activities.

Strategic planning is a structured approach to consider the purpose of a program and how to accomplish its purposes.  It provides a basis for prioritizing activities and services and the allocation of resources and people.

Right: Flooding at Independence, Kansas, in June 2007 (photo courtesy of indykansas.com).

This process will be used to increase coordination and integration of DWR’s floodplain management activities with other state programs that deal with related aspects of floodplains and flooding, such as hazard planning and mitigation, emergency response, environmental protection and habitat protection.

The process started in April 2010, when DWR’s Tom Morey – who serves as Kansas’ state National Flood Insurance Program coordinator – and his staff met with representatives from the Association of State Floodplain Managers, Federal Emergency Management Agency and a consultant specializing in strategic planning.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how to create a suitable plan that will guide floodplain management activities across the state.  A vision statement and achievable long-term goals are essential elements of the plan.

Because the strategic plan will take into account floodplain management related activities performed by all state agencies, and not just those performed by the floodplain management team within DWR, it is important to gather input from other entities.  This was accomplished through a questionnaire sent to a group of stakeholders and partners including state and federal agencies and associations.  The answers were compiled and evaluated to give additional direction to the plan.

Additional information used in compiling the plan came from the “CAP GAP” tool developed by FEMA as part of the Community Assistance Program-State Support Services Element (CAP-SSSE) cooperative agreement.  DWR staff completed the worksheets provided in the document “Building Effective State Floodplain Management Programs.”  Information was also taken from the ASFPM publication “Effective State Floodplain Management Programs 2003” and from the existing business plan and CAP-SSSE five-year plan.

All of the information will be evaluated and compared to the vision and mission statements.  The plan will then be written following an outline developed by ASFPM.  The completed plan will be provided to FEMA as part of upcoming CAP-SSSE applications, and the process for developing the plan will be documented and provided to other state floodplain management affiliated programs.

Click here for more information about floodplain management in Kansas.


Staff News: Katie Tietsort Named Employee of the Quarter
Katie Tietsort, water commissioner for the Division of Water Resources Topeka field office, was recently named Kansas Department of Agriculture employee of the quarter for the quarter ending September 30, 2009.

Tietsort was nominated by Katie Howard, director of environmental and lab issues.

“I worked with Katie on the move of the Topeka field office from the Mills building in downtown Topeka to office space in our Forbes Field location that was undergoing renovation,” Howard said.  “Moving to a new building is a big change for employees, and Katie did an excellent job making the experience as positive as possible.”

What helped make the move a positive experience, Howard said, was that Tietsort understood the project timelines, she’s very organized, and her work is always professional and complete.   

“Katie thinks outside of the box and came up with new options to improve the space where her team works,” Howard said.

As an example, Howard said that she had developed tunnel vision while trying to configure employee work stations in the new office space, but Tietsort came forward with a plan to change the walls that were being removed.

“The change not only resulted in a better work space for employees, it also reduced the amount of demolition and rebuilding the contractors had to do,” Howard said.

In addition, Howard said Tietsort helped her find a treasure trove of cubicle parts that saved the agency hundreds of dollars.

As water commissioner of DWR’s Topeka field office, Tietsort is responsible for fulfilling the regulatory aspects of the Kansas Water Appropriation Act in the eastern third of Kansas, which covers 44 counties and 25 water basins.  Some of her responsibilities involve:

• administering available water supplies
• processing water right changes
• conducting field inspections and investigations
• determining water right compliance
• collecting data
• responding to public inquiries

“My staff and I work to complete core mission work that is regulatory in nature, often by working directly with customers,” Tietsort said.  “We help them understand Kansas water law and how to get and keep themselves in compliance with all aspects of their water rights.  Whether it’s helping prepare applications or other paperwork, providing guidance on installing equipment, or meeting with them onsite, we help our customers understand the regulations and how to achieve compliance.”

Tietsort said what helps her most on the job are her organizational abilities and determination.

“I like the variety of each day and the challenges each day brings,” she said.  “I find it immensely satisfying working with our customers, and each new problem they bring is an interesting puzzle to solve.  I also like my team; they are a great group.”

Tietsort says that DWR employees who work in the field are dedicated, have years of service and knowledge that help them solve problems, educate the public and work hand-in-hand with water right owners to help them comply the with Kansas Water Appropriation Act.

“They are out there in the cold, heat, rain and snow to get the job done,” she said.

Tietsort has worked for DWR for seven years.  She started as an intern with the Water Appropriation program, moved to the permits unit and then became water commissioner in 2004.

Before working for DWR, she was district manager of a retail shoe company in New England.  

She then learned drywall, paint and other construction skills and supervised a work crew with a nonmilitary base contractor while moving around the country with her husband.

Tietsort has lived in 11 states and has visited more than 100 national parks, monuments, historic sites, refuges and forests.  When she’s not working, she likes to explore parks and to hike with her dog.

Click here to learn about other KDA employees of the quarter over the past couple years.


Upcoming Events

• June 3: GMD 4 Board Meeting (Colby)
• June 8: GMD 2 Board Meeting (Halstead)
• June 10: GMD 3 Board Meeting (Garden City)
• June 10: GMD 5 Board Meeting (Stafford) - Canceled
• June 15: GMD 1 Board Meeting (Scott City)

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