Kansas Water Dispute

For many years there has been a controversy between two states, Kansas and Nebraska. It initially started in 1999 and is continuing to this day. The water issue between the two states is a dispute concerning the water rights agreement that was signed back in 1943. This agreement was the Republican River compact agreement. Each state was agreed to receive a certain amount of the river water, 49 percent of the river’s water to Nebraska, 40 percent to Kansas, and 11 percent to Colorado (Rosales). The purpose of this compact is to 1). Provide for equitable division of such waters; 2). Remove all causes of controversy; 3). Promote interstate comity; 4). Promote joint action by the states and the United State in the efficient use of water and

Kansas Department of Agriculture, Colorado Division of Water Resources, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, and University of Nebraska College of Law are some of the main institutions. Kansas Department of Agriculture has the Division of Water Resources within the department and it governs the use of the state’s water, regulates the construction of dams, levees and other changes being made to the streams. Since the dispute has to deal with the stream that runs through Nebraska and Kansas they have to be involved. The Division of Water Resources is one of many different agencies managing the Kansas’ water resources. Colorado Division of Water Resources is within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and it has the same involvement as the Kansas Department of Agriculture. It is responsible for the development, protection, and enhancement of the natural resources that are in the state of Colorado. The Colorado Division of Water Resources administer water rights, issue well water permits, and also represents the state in the interstate compact water. Nebraska Association of Resources helps the state’s natural resources districts approach these issues in a coordinated effort…works hand-in-hand with districts on basin-wide issues… the Republican River lawsuit with Kansas (Nebraska Natural Resources

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Hendee, David. "Kansas' Accusation That Nebraska Violated Republican River Pact Lands at U.S. Supreme Court." Omaha.com. N.p., 13 Oct. 2014. Web. 7 May 2015.

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Parker, Glenn L. "Kansas-Nebraska-Colorado Republican River Compact 1943." Kansas Department of Agriculture. Department of Agriculture, 2012. Web. 7 May 2015.

Rosales, Daniel, and Rose N. Petoskey. "Kansas v. Nebraska and Colorado." Legal Information Institute. Cornell Law, n.d. Web. 07 May 2015.

Soronen, Lisa. "Supreme Court Resolves Water Rights Interstate Compact Dispute between Kansas and Nebraska." The Council of State Governments Knowledge Center. The Council of State Governments, 2013. Web. 7 May 2015.

Tart, Keith. "The Republican River Compact: Will Kansas and Nebraska Ever Co-Exist?"University of Denver Water Law Review at the Sturm College of Law Comments. University of Denver, 5 Jan. 2015. Web. 07 May