By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The city of Hays is in talks with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism about public recreation uses for the R9 Ranch.
City Manager Toby Dougherty said the KDWPT initially expressed interest in the land for public walk-in hunting.
However, the department has also mentioned public hiking or horse trails. Dougherty said there are not a lot of public-use areas in that part of the state.
The Hays City Commission on Dec. 12 agreed to allow Dougherty to continue talks with the state.
The ranch was decommissioned two years ago and has been planted back to native grass. Limited cattle grazing is ongoing on a portion of the ranch.
Commissioner Shaun Musil said he hoped the city could show Edward County residents the ranch could have a positive economic impact on the surrounding community.
"We want to be good neighbors, as I think we are," Musil said.
Dougherty told the commission the city's first priority will always be maintaining the ranch for its water use.
This 75-plus year water supply at the R9 would be used by Hays and Russell. The water rights have been owned by Hays and Russell since 1995. Discussion is ongoing about including the cities of Ellis and Victoria in the water-use plan.
A final master order was issued March 27 by David Barfield, chief engineer at the Kansas Department of Agricultureās Division of Water Resources, approving change applications to convert the irrigation rights of the R9 Ranch to municipal use for the cities.
However, The Water Protection Association of Central Kansas is opposed to triggering the state's Water Transfer Act in connection with the R9 Ranch.
The city of Hays has asked the IRS to check into the nonprofit status of WaterPACK, the "only active opponent" in the long-term water supply project for Hays.