On August 27, the cities of Hays and Russell filed a motion with the Kansas Water Transfer Panel asking that group to hold the hearing for the final approval of the R9 water transfer application. Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty announced the filing at the end of last week’s City Commission Meeting. He reminded commissioners that the R9 water transfer application was approved in February 2025; however, the Water Transfer Panel delayed the final step of approval, a statutorily required hearing. “They [the Water Transfer Panel] used the Supreme Court case as justification to hold off on their final hearing. We’ve pointed out in previous motions that these two cases are separate legal matters,” Dougherty said.
Read more: Hays Daily News
