DWR Currents

June 21, 2010


“Republican River Currents” on Public Radio
Chief Engineer David Barfield was among those interviewed for a Nebraska Public Radio series to air this week, June 21 through 24, at 6:35 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. during the “Morning Edition” segment.  The four-part series, titled “Republican River Currents,” explores the compact controversy.

Most of the people interviewed for this series are Nebraska officials or farmers, so it is possible the Nebraska perspective may receive more coverage in the series.

An audio link to each story will be available through the radio network’s website along with photos, maps, video and a timeline about the issue.

More information about the Republican River Compact, including the current arbitration and litigation, is available on DWR’s Republican River Compact website.


Kansas Calls for Release from John Martin Reservoir
DWR staff based in Garden City routinely monitor Arkansas River state line flows to track Colorado’s compliance with the compact and to distribute available water among the irrigation ditch companies in southwest Kansas.

This year, Arkansas River flows in southwest Kansas have been rather limited, with state line flows less than 150 cubic feet per second most days.

The six irrigation ditches that divert river flows above Garden City provide surface water to supplement groundwater irrigation.  The ditch companies tend to call for water deliveries at this time of year as crop demands are peaking.  Last week, they requested that water stored in John Martin Reservoir be released and distributed to them.

John Martin Reservoir is located on the Arkansas River near Hasty, Colorado, approximately 60 miles west of the Kansas-Colorado state line.  The reservoir can store up to 340,000 acre-feet of water in the conservation pool plus another 260,000 acre-feet of capacity for floodwaters.  Under the Arkansas River Compact, a portion of the water stored in the reservoir belongs to Kansas.

Right: Outlet channel at John Martin Reservoir (photo courtesy of Rich Eubank, DWR.)

Evaluating the current river conditions and the individual ditch demands, DWR staff determined that an additional 650 cfs was needed at the state line to deliver the requested diversions.  To ensure the needed amount would reach Kansas, the reservoir release included an additional 115 cfs to overcome the estimated “transit loss” (seepage) between the reservoir and state line.

It took about two days for the higher flows to reach Kansas.

The delivery is being measured by U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations located on the Frontier ditch and on the Arkansas River near Coolidge.  The U.S. Geological Survey measured the flow at Coolidge to assure the accuracy of the gage during this release.   This release can be tracked through information available on DWR’s Upper Arkansas River Data webpage.  

By agreement, Colorado and Kansas will evaluate the delivery to determine the amount actually delivered.  There are provisions to credit the Kansas reservoir “account” for water that did not reach Kansas.

At this time, Kansas has a total of supply of about 39,000 acre-feet in John Martin Reservoir.  If this total amount is called at a rate of 650 cfs plus 115 cfs for transit losses, then the release would last less than 30 days.  However, the release will be monitored and adjusted if necessary to accommodate changing hydrologic conditions and irrigation demands.


Meet the Staff: Jeff Lanterman
This month we interviewed Jeff Lanterman, acting water commissioner of the Stafford field office, which covers south-central Kansas.

Lanterman and his staff are responsible for inspecting water diversion works and places of use; compliance and enforcement of water appropriation permits and water rights; administering junior water rights that impair senior water rights; helping applicants and water right holders; and other duties under the Kansas Water Appropriation Act.

Lanterman has worked for the Division of Water Resources since 2000.

Jeff, please tell us about your background.

I am originally from Great Bend, so the Stafford field office is very close to home.  I have a bachelor’s degree in geology from Fort Hays State University, and I am licensed by the Board of Technical Professions to practice in Kansas.  My first job after college was as a field geologist with GMD #5.  Since then I have worked as a geologist with KDHE and as an environmental scientist with DWR.  I have been married for 15 years and have two boys who are 9 and 15 years old.

What led to your job at DWR?

I must confess that my hopes when entering college were to be an oilfield geologist.  One year before my graduation from college saw the crash in the oil market, and there were suddenly more out-of-work, experienced oilfield geologists than there were working.  I quickly changed my path to environmental geology, and my first job out of college was with the Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5.  I found that I liked to work with water, water users, water rights and staff from both DWR and the GMDs throughout the state.  When a job opened up with DWR, it was the next logical step.

What was it like when you started at DWR?  What are some noticeable changes since those days?

My DWR origins were with the Basin Team in Garden City.  This was toward the beginning of “Project Zeroed Out,” to address a backlog of water right certifications, which have since been completed.

One big difference since then is the thickness of the regulations book.  In those days, a lot of what are now in regulation form was covered by policies and procedures.

Another departure from those days is in the compliance and enforcement area.  A huge effort has been expended to get water users to comply with their permit conditions and the whole process has become somewhat streamlined.  Compliance and enforcement and legal staff deserve kudos for this.

In your own words describe your job.  What are some specific projects you’re working on?

Acting water commissioner is like no other job I have had within DWR.  The job keeps you hopping and it seems you never work on the same thing two days in a row.  Recently we have been working with the Pawnee Watershed District revising the operations plan for HorseThief Reservoir and doing more field office changes than normal.  Our North Stafford Meter Order, requiring meter installations, is well under way and I have to deal with compliance issues that are coming to my attention.  We are starting to get geared up for the irrigation field inspection season and will start testing meters regularly in July.

What do you like about your job?  What would you change if you could?

I really like the variety of issues and problems to solve.  I’m too new to suggest any changes at this point although I am always formulating some ideas.

How often do you interact with the public and in what ways?

It’s on a daily basis either on the phone, in person at the office or at meetings.

What are some frequently asked questions you hear and the answers to these questions?

With all of our meter orders, many inquiries have to do with flow meters and installation questions.  No two answers are alike, except “You have to have 5 and 2” [meters must be installed with at least five pipe diameters of straight pipe upstream and at least two diameters of straight pipe downstream of the sensor in order to ensure proper flow conditions for accurate measurements].

Do you have any humorous anecdotes about your job?

When I first started working at GMD 5, I drove an old pickup with the Dodge Ram hood ornament.  This was back in the early 90s.  The hood ornament disappeared and I didn’t think too much about it.  One day when I was out measuring water levels in the middle of nowhere, the well I was measuring had a note on it that said, “If you want your hood ornament back please put $20 down this well.”  Wish I could have seen my face!  No one ever confessed to the crime but I have my suspicions about who did it (retired DWR staff).  I never got my hood ornament back.

Tell us something unusual about yourself.

In 2006, I rode my mountain bike across Kansas, and I am a den leader in my youngest son’s Cub Scout pack.

Is there anything we didn’t ask that you think would be interesting and appropriate to note in the newsletter feature?

Many of you were aware of my youngest son’s bicycle accident last September.  He is the one in Cub Scouts.  He is doing much better and is really enjoying Scouting.


Upcoming Events

• July 1: GMD 4 Board Meeting (Colby)
• July 13: GMD 2 Board Meeting (Halstead)
• July 14: Basics of National Flood Insurance Program (Arkansas City)
• July 27-28: National Watershed Coalition Operations and Maintenance Workshop (Mayetta)
• July 28: Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Annual Meeting (Arkansas City)

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