Big Blue River Compact

Kansas and Nebraska entered the Big Blue River Compact in 1971 to promote interstate comity, achieve equitable apportionment of the waters of the Big Blue River Basin and promote its orderly development, and to encourage an active pollution-abatement program of the Big Blue and Little Blue rivers.

The compact administration is composed of a federally appointed compact chairman, currently Gary Mitchell of Solomon, Kansas, and two state-appointed representatives, David Barfield, Chief Engineer of the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources, and Brian Dunnigan, Chief Engineer of the Nebraska Department of Water Resources. There are also two resident representatives, Representative Sharon Schwartz of Washington, Kansas, and Kenneth Regier of Aurora, Nebraska. Kansas Department of Agriculture staff who provide support to the administration are legal committee representative Burke Griggs and engineering and budget committee representative Bob Lytle, who is also the compact secretary.

The compact provides for minimum target flows to reach the state line of Kansas on both the Big Blue and Little Blue rivers during the spring and summer months. These target flows begin in May and end in October. This ensures that Kansas receives adequate usable state line flows. If the flow falls below the target, Nebraska is required to administer water rights in an effort to achieve the state line target. Currently, the compact administration is pursuing water quality programs. Also monitored is the flow of the rivers, as well as adjacent alluvial groundwater levels. A listing of all wells within the regulatory reaches of both rivers that can be administered during times of low flow is maintained.

The compact sets forth the following stream flow targets:

Page last updated May 21, 2010.