Sen. Roger Marshall sought funding to address a water shortage. The project could benefit his ranch

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall sought a $4.2 million earmark to help resolve a water dispute in rural Kansas, where farmers and environmentalists have clashed over flows into Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The project, supported through federal spending legislation Marshall backed last year, would pump water from a separate watershed via a pipeline into Rattlesnake Creek next to his Rattlesnake Ranch, then into the refuge. Records show Marshall requested the funding in 2024 to balance refuge needs and those of farmers, but experts cited by the report said the plan could increase the value of his property and raised a conflict of interest. Marshall has repeatedly voted to eliminate earmarks, yet his requested measure was approved. The race ahead of his November reelection has tightened.