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Chief engineer expands boundaries of Pawnee Valley Intensive Gr
Kansas In his last day before officially retiring, Chief Engineer David Pope issued an order June 18 expanding the boundaries of the Pawnee Valley Intensive Groundwater Use Control Area to include parts of Hodgeman, Ness and Pawnee counties. The IGUCA now encompasses a larger portion of the drainage basin of the Pawnee River, Buckner Creek and Sawlog Creek located in Hodgeman, Ness and Pawnee counties. Previously its boundaries did not extend beyond Pawnee County. The order is based on testimony and evidence submitted at a hearing that took place over several days in March over which the chief engineer presided. The findings and conclusions from the hearing are spelled out in the order along with the bases for them. Based on testimony and evidence given, the chief engineer concluded that groundwater levels in the area have declined, that groundwater withdrawals have, at times, exceeded recharge, and that other conditions exist that require water regulation in the public interest. Also summarized in the order are the purposes for the next hearing, which is to decide what goals need to be accomplished by the IGUCA and the corrective control provisions needed to achieve them. A prehearing conference will be used to: --Define the schedule of events to accommodate briefings, relevant procedural matters and hearing dates. --Establish the process to determine whether the IGUCA boundaries should be expanded further to include the remainder of the Pawnee-Buckner-Sawlog drainage basin and whether the chief engineer should initiate proceedings to include the additional area. --Set the procedures for identifying IGUCA goals. --Ascertain the corrective control provisions that will be adopted to reach the IGUCA goals. The order may be viewed online at www.ksda.gov/includes/document_center/subbasin/Pawnee-Buckner/Phase1_IGUCA_HearingOrder_6-18-07.pdf. Date: 7/5/07
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