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Water in Kansas
The state’s role in water is primarily managed by three major agencies:
- Kansas Water Office
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Division of Environment
- Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources
Kansas Water Office (KWO)
The Kansas Water Office (KWO) is the state’s primary water planning, policy, coordination, and marketing agency for the state. The KWO develops and implements the Kansas Water Plan, a comprehensive strategy for managing and conserving the state's water resources. The KWO works with the Kansas Water Authority (KWA) to advise the Governor and Legislature on water policy. In partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the KWO also actively manages the state’s federal reservoirs, which supply drinking water for two-thirds of the state's population.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Division of Environment
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Division of Environment is responsible for protecting water quality, regulating public water supplies, regulating construction, reconstruction, and plugging of water wells, wastewater treatment systems, addressing orphan contamination sites, and the disposal of sewage to ensure safe drinking water and prevent water pollution.
Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources
The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources regulates water quantity by administering laws related to water appropriation, dam construction, and other changes to streams. They also manage water right records to ensure fair allocation of water.
Additional Agencies
There are also several other agencies that manage other programs and services related to water. For example, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks protects the state's rivers and lakes from invasive species and supports aquatic species recovery, while the Kansas Department of Commerce supports communities in developing regional water infrastructure projects.
Find an organizational chart of each agency's role below:
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