Senator Marshall Releases Statement on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Announcement to Not Issue Call For Water in Quivira Wildlife Refuge

Stafford, KS – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s announcement that it would not be issuing a call for water for Quivira Wildlife Refuge in 2025:

“Once again, Kansas farmers and ranchers have come together to resolve issues, putting water reduction strategies and conservation practices in place to reduce water while maintaining their family-owned farms and ranches,” Senator Marshall said. “Our agriculture community continues to work together to find solutions to systemic issues impacting our state. I am optimistic that they will continue to find ways to meet Fish and Wildlife Services demands and avoid mandatory and dramatic cuts to water use in the Rattlesnake Creek basin.”

Background:

Citing a lack of water in Quivira Wildlife Refuge, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services previously announced a call for water, citing an impairment of Quivira Wildlife Refuge’s senior water right. That call triggered action by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources to begin curtailment of junior water right holders in the Rattlesnake Creek basin.

Through collective actions and regular meetings of stakeholders and landowners, promised reductions in water usage in 2025 was enough to satisfy FWS and led the agency to notify landowners it would not be making a call for water in 2025.