Executive Summary

Project: The Federal action described in this environmental assessment is to convert two irrigation districts' long-term water service contracts to repayment contracts. The Project in north-central Kansas would be accomplished in an environmentally sound manner and with an appropriate balance of water uses.

Purpose and Need: This Federal action is to provide for the continued beneficial use of federally developed water supplies in light of the expiration of existing water service contracts with Kirwin Irrigation District No. 1 and Webster Irrigation District No. 4 in the Solomon River Basin (Basin).

Alternatives: Alternative plans to meet the project's purpose and need are as follows:

No Action Alternative (Full Irrigation) - This alternative is a projected future condition which, under environmental law, serves as the basis for comparing other plans. It represents renewal of existing water supply contracts for the Kirwin and Webster Irrigation Districts with no change in the current and projected future operation of reservoirs in the Basin.

Irrigation Alternative - This alternative would continue the storage of water in Kirwin and Webster Reservoirs for irrigation. No minimum pools for fisheries and/or recreation would be established.

Fish, Wildlife, and Recreation Alternative (FWR Alternative) - This alternative would provide higher minimum pool elevations at Kirwin and Webster Reservoirs for greater recreation and boating access and for benefit to the fishery and reservoir riparian vegetation. Water would be released from Waconda Lake to maintain minimum desirable streamflows.

Negotiated Alternative (Preferred Alternative) - This alternative combines features of the Irrigation and FWR Alternatives. It would maintain capacity for irrigation storage in Kirwin and Webster Reservoirs while establishing minimum pool elevations for greater recreation and boating access and to improve reservoir conditions for fisheries and riparian vegetation.

Environmental Impacts: The Bureau of Reclamation evaluated potential impacts on resources such as water supply, water quality, wildlife management, endangered species, reservoir wetland and riparian vegetation, migrating birds, and biodiversity. No significant adverse effects are anticipated from any of the alternatives considered in this analysis. A summary of the impacts associated with each of the alternatives is illustrated in table II-1.