We're hearing a lot these days in the news about different commodities. Record oil prices have pinched everyone's pocketbooks and are having a dramatic effect on our economy. Farm commodities like wheat and corn are also in the news with a recent run of healthy prices.

I don't think you'll hear too many Kansans complain about high prices for wheat and corn, but unfortunately many Americans without knowledge of the farming economy are doing just that and the national media is paying attention.

Since these commodities have dominated the recent news cycle, most people have an opinion on the price of oil or farm commodities. However, one commodity hasn't been in the news recently, yet is more important than both oil and farm commodities.

As any western Kansan will tell you, water is the lifeblood of our economy, whether we're talking about the small amounts that come in the form of rain, the amount we pump from the aquifer, or the amount we get from surrounding reservoirs. Many people say our economy runs on oil, and that's true to a certain extent. Even more so, however, our economy, particularly in western Kansas, runs on water. We grow our crops with it, we use it to produce ethanol and biodiesel, our livestock industry relies heavily upon it, it's used to produce electricity from coal, and we even use it to pump oil out of the ground.

Without question, water is our most precious and vital commodity. That's why I want to call you attention to an event that probably flew under the radar screen for most folks. Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee sent a bill to the Senate floor that had $1,977,000 for the Corps of Engineers to work on Wilson Lake northeast of Hays. While there are several steps left to go before the money is spent, this is a great first step.

Of this $1.977 million, $400,000 is directed at a study for the reallocation of water in Wilson Lake at the request of Sen. Sam Brownback. As everyone in Hays knows, having adequate amounts of water is a major issue facing our community. The Corps of Engineers will study the feasibility of reallocating water from the lake for use as water storage and supply for much of north central Kansas, including the cities of Hays, Russell and many of the surrounding communities. Once this study is complete, these communities will be able to form a regional water supply system to better serve the citizens of this area.

I had the pleasure of working on this project during my time as chief of staff for Sen. Brownback. I commend the city of Hays and its city council for leading the charge in this effort. It's an innovative approach to solving a looming problem. Too often in Washington, I saw people running from problems and avoiding tough decisions. While it might be the easy thing to do in the short term, it only makes the problem more difficult to solve the problem in the future. The leadership in Hays decided to meet their problem head-on and I was happy to work with them in their efforts.

So, as the national media continues to talk about the price of oil or farm commodities, don't forget the importance of the commodity that makes those things possible. We need to have a sensible and sustainable water plan that will allow our economy in western Kansas to prosper for generations.

While we can't make it rain more often in western Kansas, we can take inventive approaches to solving our water problems like the Wilson Lake reallocation project.

Rob Wasinger is a Hays native and former chief of staff for Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.