Topeka ? Gov. Sam Brownback is traveling to southwestern Kansas to sign two bills he initiated to prolong the life of the state’s water resources.

The Republican governor was scheduled to be in Garden City on Monday to sign two measures that change how water-rights holders use their water.

One bill would repeal a 1945 law that required use of a certain amount of water each year under a so-called use-it-or-lose-it doctrine.

The other bill gives rights holders more flexibility in how they use their water each year. Brownback says it will allow for more water usage in dry years, with an eye toward conservation in wet years.

Both measures were part of the agenda Brownback outlined in January for the 2012 legislative session.