LEMA Awards presented by 'Water +Energy Progress'

    With a busy year coming to a close for Groundwater Management District No. 4, so does an equally busy year for the producers of the Sheridan-6 LEMA.  As many of you may know, a LEMA, or Locally Enhanced Management Area is crafted on the community level, giving producers and community members an opportunity to discuss ways in which they may hope to extend the life of the Ogallala Aquifer by reducing their water usage over a set period of time.  For the Sheridan-6 LEMA, this time period consisted of 5 years and an approximate 20% water reduction.  Many years of hard work and dedication went into this LEMA, from the initial idea, to working with both the Kansas Legislature and local Ag producers, and finally to the implementation of the first LEMA in the Sheridan-6 High Priority Area.  GMD4’s now retired Manager Wayne Bossert, Assistant Manager Ray Luhman, and countless others, contributed so very much in to making this incredible dream a reality.  The kind people at the Water + Energy Progress organization, which is in association with CEP(the Climate and Energy Project) have decided to honor the efforts of these SD-6 Producers by featuring their efforts on the organization’s website in an extensive article featuring two of the producers from the SD-6 LEMA.  Recognizing such a forward thinking tool, which has so successfully brought people together to discuss future water concerns and hopes is truly Inspiring.  I encourage anyone to visit the link below in order to read further information provided by the Water+ Energy Progress organization.  The appreciation of this recognition is, I am sure very great by many.

 http://www.waterandenergyprogress.org/case_studies.php?id=9