State officials are quietly embarking on a mammoth effort to ensure northeast Kansas has enough water to grow.

The Kansas Water Office has recommended the state buy 323,350 acre feet of water storage from federally constructed Perry and Milford lakes to meet future water needs for communities along the Kansas River, including Lawrence.

That’s a lot of water — enough to cover 10 square miles to a depth of 50 feet. If considered as a one-time supply, it would quench Lawrence’s thirst for 23 years.

The cost to purchase the storage in the two reservoirs could range upwards of $70 million, requiring a decades-long commitment from taxpayers, lawmakers and governors.

“It’s extremely important to take this kind of proactive step,” said Hank Ernst, communications director for the Kansas Water Office.

Exercising an option

At issue is whether the state should “call into service” the remaining storage it has under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Perry and Milford lakes.

The state essentially has an option to buy storage capacity at the lakes and is considering whether to exercise that option.

Under one proposal, the state would spend $1.3 million per year with the total cost reaching $65.1 million. Waiting to purchase the storage until the end of contracts with the corps would be more expensive, $72 million, according to the Kansas Water Office.

Bryan Bedigrew, of Nortonville, puts his boat into Perry Lake as Sarah Baker and Mike Tucker, both of Oskaloosa, fish off a dock. The Kansas Water Office is recommending the state purchase additional water from Perry and Milford Lakes to ensure adequate water supplies in the future for communities along the Kansas River.

Officials say there are different ways of coming up with the money, such as issuing bonds or increasing water rates, but the first step is deciding whether to go forward with the proposal.

Growing demand

There are several reasons to move on the storage-buying front, according to the Kansas Water Office.

The state must ensure it has enough water to meet future population projections along the Kansas River corridor, the fastest-growing area in the state.

In 2000, the population of the 10 counties that border the Kansas River was 1.1 million people, which represented 40 percent of the state’s population. By 2040, the population is projected to nearly double, to 2 million people, according to the Water Office report, which focused on growth in Douglas and Johnson counties.

¢ Half of state’s waterways remain below normal flow (9-8-03)¢Water Resources in Kansas¢Kansas Water Office

There are 117 public water suppliers serving the Kansas River region, and based on projections 57 of them will not have sufficient water supplies by 2040.

Earlier this year, drought conditions prompted Lawrence city officials to consider conservation measures. The city pulls water from the Kansas River and Clinton Lake and also pays as much as $35,000 per year to the Kansas River Water Assurance District for rights to water in Perry, Milford and Tuttle Creek reservoirs as a backup water supply.

Eye on the future

State Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, a member of the Kansas Water Authority, said, “We want to make sure that 20, 30, 40 years from now we control our destiny by owning the water that comes into our impoundments.”

Another reason to buy the storage is that it would give the state control over water now being drawn down by the federal government to keep the Missouri River navigable.

The drawdowns have been a long-standing dispute between Kansas and the corps, with the state arguing the releases hurt recreational opportunities on the lakes and could have a negative effect on wildlife.

“In the shorter term, we are fighting with the corps over releasing water to float barges at a time when Kansas was in a drought. So if we can acquire the water rights, then the corps has no ability to order the release,” Sloan said.

The proposal will be considered today and Thursday during a meeting in Salina of the Kansas Water Authority. Then the issues will be aired at public hearings on Oct. 27 in Salina, Oct. 28 in Garden City and Oct. 30 in Lawrence.