From The Yuma Pioneer (Tony Rayl):
In a letter to Aaron Thompson, area manager for the Bureau of Reclamation based in Grand Island, Nebraka, Wolfe ordered that the release begin as soon as practicable, and in an amount that is the maximum safe and practicable flow through Bonny Dam…
While Colorado is building a pipeline to send water down the North Fork of the Republican River for compact compliance, Kansas has insisted it also meet the compact requirements along the South Fork, which flows from Bonny through the northwest corner of Kansas into Nebraska. The Republican River Water Conservation District has determined the only way Colorado can get into compliance on the South Fork is to drain Bonny Reservoir to eliminate the evaporation that counts against Colorado in computing compact allocations.