Kansas delegation to U.S. House backs $41 million savings on reservoir water contracts

TOPEKA — The Kansas delegation to the U.S. House came together to support passage of legislation saving the state an estimated $41 million by recalibrating interest on water storage contracts at Milford and Perry lakes.

The action mirrored steps taken in 2022 to amend the interest calculations for El Dorado Lake. The switch from compound interest to simple interest would reduce interest obligations and costs for municipalities, industries and water supply districts relying on the federal reservoirs.

Gov. Laura Kelly and the Kansas Water Office asked the Kansas congressional delegation to include the interest calculation relative to Perry and Milford lakes in the 2024 Water Resources Development Act. The House was reluctant to add the earmark, but U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, intervened on the Senate side to make certain it was included in the compromise version of the bill.

“This is a big win for Kansas taxpayers and our future water security,” said U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the 3rd District Democrat who pressed for the Kansas recalculation in the House. “It will not only save our state $41 million, money that can be reinvested into our communities, but also helps ensure farmers and ranchers have the resources needed to be successful.”

U.S. Reps. Tracey Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner, all Kansas Republicans, voted for the bill that cleared the House 399-18. The bill must receive final approval of the U.S. Senate before sent to President Joe Biden.

Mann, who serves the 1st District in Kansas and urged House colleagues to support the reservoir provision, said the measure further benefited the state because it included authorization of a study on replenishing the Ogallala Aquifer and to support a levee project in Manhattan.

“It improves our communities by putting taxpayer dollars in places where we can see a return in our own backyards,” he said.

Estes, who represents the 4th District in and around Wichita, said altering the interest calculation for water storage at Perry and Milford reservoirs was a reasonable financial step.

“This is a fiscally responsible move that will benefit the communities that rely on the water in these reservoirs and ensure sufficient resources are available to meet the state’s water needs,” he said.