Hays ? Financing issues have led federal officials to halt a study aimed at determining if Wilson Lake in central Kansas could provide a long-term water supply for the cities of Hays and Russell.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it was seeking $300,000 for the current fiscal year to continue the project. Christina Ostrander, the project manager, said it will be put on hold indefinitely until more federal money becomes available.

The funding shortfall also will halt any future public meetings by the Corps. The last public meeting was in February 2010.

Ostrander said last week that the information already collected will be used for a draft report, to be completed in September. That report will then be available on the Corps’ website, according to The Hays Daily News.

Even with the funding, the project was expected to take an additional three to five years to complete, and that’s only to see if enough water even exists in the 9,000-acre lake to provide a reliable supply for Hays and Russell to help meet growing demand.

It could take about $100 million to set up a distribution system to actually pull water from the lake. There are also concerns about water levels at the lake, which has been low for the last few years.

Russell City Manager Ralph Wise said he has been frustrated by the delay, and that Hays and Russell officials were told they couldn’t do anything to keep the project going.

“Even when you want to help, you can’t,” Wise said.

Although there was no promise Hays and Russell could come up with the money to support the research, it wouldn’t make any difference. The Corps said it needs to do its own research and use its own money, he said.

The Corps also said last week that it is keeping close tabs on the Wilson Lake dam. A 2009 study found several problems with the dam, including higher than expected seepage at each end. The dam was built and is managed by the Corps.