82a-1020. Legislative declaration. It is hereby recognized that a need exists for the creation of special districts for the proper management of the groundwater resources of the state; for the conservation of groundwater resources; for the prevention of economic deterioration; for associated endeavors within the state of Kansas through the stabilization of agriculture; and to […]
82a-1021. Definitions. (a) As used in this section: (1) “Aquifer” means any geological formation capable of yielding water in sufficient quantities that it can be extracted for beneficial purposes. (2) “Board” means the board of directors constituting the governing body of a groundwater management district. (3) “Chief engineer” means the chief engineer of the division […]
82a-1022. Organization of district; steering committee; declaration of intent filing; map of proposed district, submission and approval by chief engineer. Proceedings to organize a groundwater management district shall be commenced by filing with the chief engineer a declaration of intent to form a district, signed by not less than fifteen (15) eligible voters of the […]
82a-1023. Same; petition contents and signatures; filing with secretary of state. (a) Within 12 months after certification of the description of the lands to be included within the proposed district, and before any groundwater management district shall be organized, a petition shall be circulated by the steering committee and filed with the secretary of state […]
82a-1024. Same; determination of sufficiency of petition; approval by chief engineer; criteria for approval. (a) If the secretary of state finds the petition to be sufficient as to form and substance and executed in accordance with the requirements of this act he or she shall transmit a certified copy of the petition to the chief […]
82a-1025. Same; election for approval of organization of district; secretary of state to issue certificate of incorporation, when; action to attack legality. (a) Within ten (10) days after receipt of a certified copy of the chief engineer’s report approving the petition, or the petition as amended, the chairman of the steering committee shall call a […]
82a-1026. Annual meetings of eligible voters; organization meeting to elect initial board of directors. (a) Within not more than ninety (90) days after the recording of the certificate of incorporation, a meeting open to all eligible voters of the district shall be held by the steering committee for the election of the initial board of […]
82a-1027. Board of directors; terms of members; expenses; officers; quorum; vote for actions; filling vacancies. (a) All powers granted to a groundwater management district under the provisions of this act shall be exercised by an elected board of directors which shall be composed of the number of persons specified in the petition. Each director shall […]
82a-1028. District powers; home office. Every groundwater management district organized under this act shall be a body politic and corporate and shall have the power to: (a) Adopt a seal; (b) sue and be sued in its corporate name; (c) rent space, maintain and equip an office, and pay other administrative expenses; (d) employ such […]
82a-1029. Management program; board of directors’ and chief engineer’s functions and duties; hearings; approval and adoption; periodic review. Before undertaking active management of the district the board shall prepare a management program. Upon completion of the management program the board shall transmit a copy to the chief engineer with a request for his or her […]
82a-1030. Water user charges; annual assessment per acre against landowners; budget; collection by county officers; annual audit; no-fund warrants; limitation; protest petition; redemption of warrants. (a) In order to finance the operations of the district, the board may assess an annual water user charge against every person who withdraws groundwater from within the boundaries of […]
82a-1031. General improvement bonds; special assessment improvement bonds; combination improvement bonds; elections for approval of issuance of bonds. (a) If the board by resolution provides that all or any part of the capital cost of works of improvement within the district is to be paid by the issuance of general improvement bonds of the entire […]
82a-1032. Works paid from special assessments; determination of benefits and assessments; levy of assessments; collections by county officers; bonds for not to exceed 20 year term. If a resolution of the board provides that all or any part of the cost of the works contemplated is to be paid by special assessment against lands specially […]
82a-1033. Extension or reduction of district territory by chief engineer, upon petition; hearing; filing of order. (a) The chief engineer shall have the power, upon proper petition being presented by the board for that purpose, to extend or reduce the territory of any groundwater management district organized and incorporated under the provisions of this act. […]
82a-1034. District dissolution. (a) Whenever the board of a groundwater management district organized and incorporated under the provisions of this act finds reasons for the dissolution of the district, the board may, by resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of all members of the board at a special meeting of the board called for that […]
82a-1035. Payment of expenses of defeated proposed district organization. If the organization of a proposed district is defeated at the election or if the petition is disapproved by the secretary of state or the chief engineer, the steering committee named in the petition shall continue to function in a limited capacity for the purposes set […]
82a-1036. Initiation of proceedings for designation of intensive groundwater use control areas; duties of chief engineer; findings. Whenever a groundwater management district recommends the same or whenever a petition signed by not less than three hundred (300) or by not less than five percent (5%) of the eligible voters of a groundwater management district, whichever […]
82a-1037. Same; hearings. In any case where proceedings for the designation of an intensive groundwater use control area are initiated, the chief engineer shall hold and conduct a public hearing on the question of designating such an area as an intensive groundwater use control area. Written notice of the hearing shall be given to every […]
82a-1038. Designation of intensive groundwater use control area; orders; review. (a) In any case where the chief engineer finds that any one or more of the circumstances set forth in K.S.A. 82a-1036, and amendments thereto, exist and that the public interest requires that any one or more corrective controls be adopted, the chief engineer shall […]
82a-1039. No limitation of authority of chief engineer. Nothing in this act shall be construed as limiting or affecting any duty or power of the chief engineer granted pursuant to the Kansas water appropriation act. History: L. 1978, ch. 437, § 5; July 1.
