From left: Austin Area Office, Environmental Protection Specialist Jeremy Parish, , MB Deputy Regional Director Marlon Duke, Austin Area Office Civil Engineer Luis Cruzado, Deputy Commissioner Roque Sanchez, Principal Deputy Asst. Secretary for Water and Science Michael Brain, Director, Public Works & Utilities Gary Janzen, Wichita Mayor Lily Wu, MB Regional Director Brent Esplin, City Manager Robert Layton, Asst. Division Mgr, Production and Pumping Scott Macey, Asst. Public Works Director Don Henry
WICHITA, Kan. – The Department of the Interior today announced an investment of $9 million through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for groundwater recharge, storage and recovery, and a water rights transition program in Kansas. The funding comes from the Inflation Reduction Act – the largest ever climate investment.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Michael Brain made the announcement at the Kansas Equus Beds Aquifer Recharge, Storage and Recovery Project near Wichita, which will receive $7 million from today’s announcement. The project is a critical supplier for more than 20% of municipal, industrial and irrigation water users in Kansas. Additionally, the Kansas Voluntary Agreements Program will receive $2 million for the state implemented Kansas Water Transition Assistance Program in either the Prairie Dog Creek or Rattlesnake Creek Basins. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Brain was joined by Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner Roque Sanchez and Missouri Basin Regional Director Brent Esplin.
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda represents the largest investment in climate resilience in the nation’s history and provides much-needed resources to enhance communities’ resilience to drought and the effects of climate change. The Inflation Reduction Act includes an overall $550 million for domestic water supply projects and $4 billion for water conservation and management efforts in the Colorado River Basin and other areas experiencing similar levels of long-term drought. To date, Reclamation has announced 222 drought mitigation projects and 16 domestic water supply projects, totaling $2.5 billion.
“This investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will help Kansas address immediate needs due to drought,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Brain. “As the state works to slow declining surface and groundwater supplies, these resources will advance efforts to safeguard local water supplies, equipping families and communities for the future.”
When fully implemented, the Equus project will recharge the Equus Beds Aquifer providing water to the city of Wichita at a rate of up to 100 million gallons per day through injection and infiltration of Little Arkansas River diversions into the aquifer in south-central Kansas. The Kansas Water Right Transition Assistance Program will conserve approximately 10,000 acre-feet by rotating temporary land fallowing or permanently retiring water rights.
This announcement builds upon previous investments of almost $33 million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for aging infrastructure, water recycling and WaterSMART projects in Kansas.
