Kansas water experts are warning that farmers and ranchers in the state's western half must stop pumping more water out of a vast aquifer than nature puts back each year or risk an economic collapse there
“We are told that the future, due to climate change, is going to get warmer and drier in western Kansas,” said Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office, which oversees long-term plans for preserving water. “That is making things worse, which is all the more reason that we have to deal with this now.”
In a pre-session interview, Kelly promised only to get affected parties together to negotiate a comprehensive solution. She added that following her narrow reelection in November, “I’ve got some political capital to spend to deal with what will be a very contentious issue.” The new Water Committee chair, Republican Rep. Jim Minnix, a southwestern Kansas farmer, said he hopes to work on incentives for local officials to be more aggressive about water conservation.
If local officials allow the water dry up, she said, “They are going to kill the economy in the state of Kansas,” Kenyon said.
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