Notice2026-08504
Record of Decision on Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Final Plan-Environmental Impact Statement, Stafford County, Kansas
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 1, 2026
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentNatural Resources Conservation Service
Abstract
NRCS announces the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final Plan-EIS) in Stafford County, Kansas. NRCS has selected the "Augmentation Wellfield and Groundwater Use Reduction Alternative" as the preferred alternative. This alternative includes constructing an augmentation wellfield, retiring 2,500 acre-feet of water rights, and implementing an adaptive management strategy to improve water availability for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge while supporting long-term agricultural water management in the watershed.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 84 (Friday, May 1, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 84 (Friday, May 1, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 23391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08504]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 84 / Friday, May 1, 2026 / Notices
[[Page 23391]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Record of Decision on Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Final Plan-
Environmental Impact Statement, Stafford County, Kansas
AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of availability; record of decision.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NRCS announces the availability of the Record of Decision
(ROD) for the Rattlesnake Creek Watershed Plan and Final Environmental
Impact Statement (Final Plan-EIS) in Stafford County, Kansas. NRCS has
selected the ``Augmentation Wellfield and Groundwater Use Reduction
Alternative'' as the preferred alternative. This alternative includes
constructing an augmentation wellfield, retiring 2,500 acre-feet of
water rights, and implementing an adaptive management strategy to
improve water availability for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
while supporting long-term agricultural water management in the
watershed.
ADDRESSES: The ROD and Final Plan-EIS are available on the NRCS project
website at: <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kansas/rattlesnake-creek-watershed">https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/kansas/rattlesnake-creek-watershed</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean Krehbiel, (785) 832-4500,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b9dddcd8d797d2cbdcd1dbd0dcd5f9cccaddd897ded6cf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="395d5c585717524b5c515b505c55794c4a5d58175e564f">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication should contact the USDA Target
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text telephone (TTY mode)) or dial
711 for Telecommunications Relay Service (both voice and text telephone
users can initiate this call from any telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ROD identifies NRCS's selected
alternative for the Rattlesnake Creek Watershed project, as described
in the December 2025 Final Plan-EIS for Stafford County, Kansas. NRCS
reached its decision after reviewing the Final Plan-EIS, which is
available on the NRCS project website listed in the Addresses section
of this notice and was announced on January 23, 2026, through a notice
of availability (91 FR 2930). The Final Plan-EIS evaluated the proposed
action, the no-action alternative, and other alternatives. NRCS has
selected the proposed action alternative, titled ``Augmentation
Wellfield and Groundwater Use Reduction Alternative.'' This alternative
includes constructing an augmentation wellfield, retiring 2,500 acre-
feet of water rights, and implementing an adaptive management strategy
to improve water availability for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
while supporting long-term agricultural water management in the
watershed.
The ROD documents the basis for NRCS's decision on the selected
alternative, including the mitigation measures that will be implemented
and the environmental, social, and economic factors considered under
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NRCS concludes that the
selected alternative provides the most balanced approach to meeting
project objectives while minimizing adverse effects.
NRCS reviewed and considered all substantive comments received on
the Final Plan-EIS following publication of the notice of availability
on January 23, 2026 (91 FR 2930). While the comments did not require
changes to the Final Plan-EIS, a summary of the comments and NRCS's
responses, along with supporting materials, is available on the NRCS
project website listed in the Addresses section above.
This notice is issued in accordance with the polices set forth
under NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4332).
Chad Volkman,
Acting Kansas State Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation
Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-08504 Filed 4-30-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-16-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 1, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.