Hays Daily News
Opponents of Hays and Russell developing their 7,000-acre R9 Ranch as a municipal water source are guilty of a double standard, according to Hays city manager Toby Dougherty.
Speaking to the Hays City Commission at its regular work session last Thursday evening, Dougherty said attacks by Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5 and WaterPACK, a nonprofit agriculture irrigation lobby, show the state’s water rights rules aren’t being applied fairly.
The $80-million R9 project has been in the works for more than 25 years, with Hays and Russell navigating the state’s complicated legal and regulatory process to develop the groundwater source. The project will pipe water 67 miles from the R9 Ranch in Edwards County to Ellis and Russell counties.