Water right owners in Kansas soon will be expecting a familiar letter in the mail, requiring them to submit a complete and accurate water use report to the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources. This year’s mailing will look different, because starting with the 2018 water use reporting period KDA–DWR is implementing a $20 per water right paper filing fee on each water use report (except for domestic use) when that report is submitted in paper form. This $20 fee can be avoided by reporting water use online, which is recommended by KDA–DWR.

This is the fifth year that online water use reporting has been available, and many water right owners have already taken advantage of that option. Online reporting allows water right holders to enter official annual water use reports online and receive immediate feedback to help ensure that the report is accurate. It also provides access to other features such as previous reports submitted online. KDA has supported the cost of the transition to online reporting as it will help the agency achieve long-term cost savings. Instead of implementing online "convenience fees," KDA has taken an entirely different approach and instead will charge a paper filing fee for water use reports beginning with this 2018 water use reporting period.

Complete your online water use report at www.kswaterusereport.org from January 2–March 1. If you need help completing your report, visit or call any of the KDA–DWR field offices or watch the online video tutorials available soon. You can find contact information and a link to the videos at agriculture.ks.gov/wateruse or call the water use team at 785-564-6638. If you choose not to take advantage of the online water use report option, you can send in your report by mail along with the paper filing fee.

Water use data is essential for management of the state’s resources.  Each owner of a water right or permit to appropriate water is required by law to submit a complete and accurate water use report every year. This process ensures that the people of Kansas — and officials responsible for managing or monitoring water resources — have access to complete information about how water is used.  The information collected is used by many agencies including the Kansas Water Office, U.S. Geological Survey, Kansas Geological Survey, groundwater management districts, Kansas Department of Revenue, county appraisers and others.