Topeka ? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Monday that next week it will stop water releases for downstream navigation purposes from Perry, Tuttle Creek and Milford lakes.

“I am pleased the Corps recognizes our critical need to preserve this water here at home where our farmers, ranchers and municipalities must use this critical resource to battle the drought,” said. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.

Roberts and Gov. Sam Brownback also said that the Corps had pledged not to release water in October.

Officials at the Corps’ Kansas City office said the decision was made last week to stop releases from the three Kansas reservoirs in the Aug. 7-8 timeframe. The releases were being made to support navigation needs on the Missouri River.

The Corps officials in Kansas City said they didn’t know about a pledge to not release waters in October and forwarded inquires on that issue to the agency’s Missouri River Water Management Division in Omaha, Neb. A call to that office was not immediately returned.

Last week, Roberts and Brownback had brought together state, local and federal officials last week to talk about the effects of the drought.