Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Draft Plan Environmental Impact Statement

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Kansas prepared a Draft Plan-Environmental Impact Statement (Draft Plan-EIS) titled “Rattlesnake Creek Watershed” in partnership with Big Bend Groundwater Management District #5 (GMD#5), Stafford County, Kansas. The purpose of a Plan-EIS is to ensure agencies consider the environmental impacts of their actions in decision making. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to local project sponsors under the authority of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, Public Law 83-566, in accordance with Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Public Law 91-190, as amended (42 USC 43221 et seq.). Following publication of a press release in the project locality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish a Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register (https://www.federalregister.gov/), and the Draft Plan-EIS will be available for download from the EPA’s Central Data Exchange.  The Draft Plan-EIS is also available for download from the link below. 

Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Draft Plan-EIS

NRCS is requesting that the public review and provide their comments on the Draft Plan-EIS. 

The public review comment period for the Draft Plan-EIS is 45 calendar days, beginning on the date that EPA publishes the NOA in the Federal Register, and ending on June 2, 2025. 

The Rattlesnake Creek Plan-EIS proposed action consists of the construction of an augmentation wellfield and implementation of a water right retirement program. In addition, the proposed project includes implementation of a multistakeholder adaptive management approach that would evaluate the success of the wellfield and water right retirements on an annual basis. The purpose of the Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Plan–EIS is to provide for long-term, sustainable agricultural water management within the Rattlesnake Creek subbasin of GMD#5. The need for developing the Plan – EIS is twofold: Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) water supply needs and the importance of groundwater to the agricultural economy.  For further information relating to the project action, please refer to the Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Draft Plan- EIS.

To receive full consideration prior to the agency decision, comments on the Draft Plan-EIS must be provided to dean.krehbiel@usda.gov or received in writing at the address shown below by June 2, 2025.  For more information, contact Dean Krehbiel, Assistant State Conservationist for Easements and Water Resources, at 785-309-6093 or dean.krehbiel@usda.gov.

USDA - NRCS

760 S Broadway Blvd.

Salina, Kansas 67401

NRCS and GMD#5 will hold a public meeting from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on May 8, 2025, at the Stafford County Annex (210 E 3rd Ave, St John, KS 67576).  The public meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to prepare and submit written and oral comments on the Draft Plan-EIS.

More Information

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.  Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today. 

For nearly 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat.  NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov. 

###

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.