Last week, five Kansas counties held a special coordination meeting with the agencies deciding whether to restrict the agricultural use of water in favor of a federal wildlife refuge. They questioned why the refuge was not maintaining the property in compliance with their comprehensive plan, and why the water was being measured well inside the refuge instead of at the property boundary line.
Last month, Liberty Matters published an op-ed on this issue by Tracey Barton, executive director of the Kansas Natural Resource Coalition, which facilitated the meeting. And last week the,”As a Man THINKETH” podcast released a good explanation of the water grab.
At the July 10th meeting in St. John, Kansas, County commissioners from across central Kansas hosted state and federal officials to address longstanding concerns regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) water impairment claims at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The meeting was held under the legal coordination process required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and marked the first time FWS officials responded to a formal request by counties to participate in a public discussion. Commissioners used the opportunity to raise key questions and assert their role in decisions impacting local water use and private property rights.
Commissioners voiced serious concerns that the refuge is not being managed in accordance with its 2013 Comprehensive Conservation Plan. Deferred infrastructure maintenance, unmanaged vegetation growth, and failure to follow internal water management protocols have likely contributed to reduced water availability within the refuge. Commissioners urged FWS to address these internal deficiencies before making impairment claims that would unfairly burden local farmers and landowners.
One of the most pressing issues raised was the location of the state’s measurement gauge—positioned well inside the refuge boundary and downstream from key wetland areas. This calls into question whether water delivery shortfalls are due to actual upstream deficits or losses occurring within the refuge itself. Commissioners emphasized that local water users should not be penalized for federal mismanagement and that FWS must be held to the same operational standards as private landowners.
Despite repeated requests beginning in January 2025, the counties received no response from the regional office to initiate coordination. Thursday’s meeting was a first step toward correcting that oversight. Commissioners made clear that the lack of engagement thus far has delayed meaningful accountability, and that future decisions must involve the voices of the communities most directly impacted. These findings raise fundamental questions about assumptions underpinning ongoing federal planning efforts, including the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed augmentation project.
“Coordination is not optional—it’s a legal requirement under NEPA,” said Commissioner Bob Rein, Pawnee County and President of the Kansas Natural Resource Coalition (KNRC). “We’re here to ensure the federal government follows its own rules while protecting private property rights and the rural livelihoods that depend on them. That’s the balance Congress intended.”
The counties will continue to engage with FWS in the coming weeks, and a follow-up list of requested records and reports will be submitted to the agency. Commissioners expressed gratitude to the agency for attending and committed to working toward solutions that support both conservation and local agriculture.
