Mike Dealy
Energy & Environment
Energy & Environment contains the interviews of individuals who were involved with the development and implementation of state energy and environmental policy from the 1970s through the early decades of the 2000s. The interviews elicit insights about the policy-making process, the assignment of priorities, and the give-and-take involved in reaching final policy decisions. Of special interest are instances in which Kansas developed singular solutions and means for implementing them. To explore this collection and others, visit the Kansas Oral History Project home page: https://ksoralhistory.org/
Mike Dealy is a graduate of Wichita State and Fort Hays State universities. He is a professional geologist licensed to practice in Kansas. Mike began his career in groundwater management in 1979 as staff hydrologist for the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 3 in Garden City. From 1984 to 2006, he served as Manager of the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District No. 2 in Halstead. Mike was the Manager of the Wichita Well Sample Library of the Kansas Geological Survey from 2006 to 2021.
In this 2020 oral history interview, Mike Dealy discusses his observations of Kansas water policy implementation during his career as the Manager of a Groundwater Management District (GMD). He reflects on the degree to which water policy permeates all aspects of society and politics. He recalls how the GMD Board's interest in water quality added a dimension to water management that didn't exist in all GMDs. He also notes that changes in the composition of the GMD Board of Directors had an impact on policy development and reflects on the importance of broad representation in the elected Board of Directors. That broad representation ideally can result in cooperation among all water users in a GMD, irrigators, municipalities, and industries, which is key to a successful management plan.
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