Kansas

Buying Land in McPherson County, Kansas

McPherson County runs real, active zoning through its Planning, Zoning & Environment Department, covering everything from building permits to well permits under one roof. The county sits within GMD2, the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District, and a 56-square-mile area in and around the City of McPherson has been under a still-active state Intensive Groundwater Use Control Area since 1980 -- closed to most new water-right applications and requiring flow meters on wells, most recently reviewed and amended by the state's Chief Engineer in February 2020.

Real, Active County Zoning Under One Combined Department

Generally favorable

McPherson County's unincorporated area is genuinely zoned, administered by the county's Planning, Zoning & Environment Department (1115 W Avenue A, McPherson; 620-241-2288). The department handles zoning district confirmation, subdivision review, floodplain administration, agricultural exceptions, well permits, and wastewater/septic permits under one office, with a Board of Planning Zoning and Appeals (BOPZA) meeting monthly to hear zoning amendments, variances, and appeals. Cities within McPherson County (including McPherson itself) run their own separate zoning offices for property inside city limits -- confirm which jurisdiction actually governs a specific parcel before relying on either office's rules.

In GMD2 (Equus Beds)

Case-by-case / verify locally

McPherson County is one of GMD2's four member counties (with Harvey, Reno, and Sedgwick), formed in 1975 to manage the Equus Beds aquifer -- the principal source of fresh water for a large part of south-central Kansas, underlying about 1.1 million acres across the four-county district, including the geologically distinctive 'McPherson Channel' where aquifer deposits reach roughly 300 feet thick in parts of the county. GMD2 (headquartered in Halstead, 316-835-2224) reviews well permits and groundwater allocation applications before they reach the state's Chief Engineer. Verify any existing water right's status and priority directly with GMD2 for a McPherson County parcel.

The McPherson IGUCA: Still Active, Closed to Most New Water Rights Around the City

Could not confirm

A roughly 56-square-mile area in and around the City of McPherson has been under a real, still-active Intensive Groundwater Use Control Area (IGUCA) since March 1980 -- established after GMD2 asked the Chief Engineer to intervene in February 1979 over excessive groundwater-level decline in the area (a water-quantity problem, distinct from the contamination-driven Burrton IGUCA in neighboring Harvey County). The order closes the area to new water-right appropriations except domestic, temporary, and short-term permits, and requires flow meters on groundwater wells other than domestic and temporary ones. This is not settled history: the Chief Engineer formally reviewed the IGUCA and issued an amended order on February 26, 2020, confirming it remains in force. If a parcel sits in or near the McPherson IGUCA boundary, verify directly with GMD2 and the Division of Water Resources whether a new well or expanded water use would even be permitted there before assuming it will be.

Zoning: one department for zoning, wells, and septic

McPherson County's unincorporated area operates under a real, actively administered zoning code, run through the county's Planning, Zoning & Environment Department. Unlike some Kansas counties that split these functions across separate offices, McPherson County combines zoning, subdivision, and floodplain administration with well-permitting and onsite wastewater (septic) permitting under one department -- meaning a single office can typically field a parcel's zoning district, buildable status, and well/septic feasibility questions together. A Board of Planning Zoning and Appeals meets monthly at the department's offices to hear zoning amendments, conditional-use requests, and variance appeals.

As with most Kansas counties, the City of McPherson and other incorporated cities within the county run their own separate zoning departments for property inside their limits, distinct from the county's regulations for unincorporated land. Before assuming which rules apply, confirm whether a specific parcel sits inside an incorporated city or in the unincorporated county.

GMD2 membership and a still-active groundwater control area around the city

McPherson County sits within GMD2, the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District, formed in 1975 to manage groundwater across Harvey, McPherson, Reno, and Sedgwick counties. The Equus Beds aquifer underlies roughly 1.1 million acres across the four-county district and is the principal source of fresh water for a large share of south-central Kansas; within McPherson County, the aquifer includes the geologically notable 'McPherson Channel,' where saturated deposits reach on the order of 300 feet in thickness in places -- a genuinely thick, productive section of the aquifer relative to much of the surrounding area.

The genuinely distinct and still-live regulatory story specific to McPherson County is the McPherson Intensive Groundwater Use Control Area (IGUCA), covering roughly 56 square miles in and around the City of McPherson. Unlike Harvey County's Burrton IGUCA (created over legacy oil-field brine contamination), the McPherson IGUCA addresses a water-quantity problem: excessive groundwater-level decline in the area around the city. GMD2's board asked the Chief Engineer to initiate the IGUCA process in February 1979; after a public hearing in September 1979, the Chief Engineer issued the original order in March 1980, closing the area to new water-right appropriations except domestic, temporary, and short-term permits, and requiring flow meters on groundwater wells other than domestic and temporary ones. This isn't merely historical: the Chief Engineer conducted a formal review of the IGUCA and issued Findings and Conclusions along with an amended order on February 26, 2020 (which, among other changes, removed a prior requirement for annual water-use reporting to the Division of Water Resources), confirming the control area remains active today. For a buyer considering a McPherson County parcel near the city, this means new water-right applications in the affected area face real, currently enforced restrictions -- verify directly with GMD2 and the Division of Water Resources whether a specific parcel falls within the McPherson IGUCA boundary and what that means for any planned well or expanded water use.

What we could and couldn't confirm

McPherson County's zoning department structure, combined well/septic permitting, and BOPZA meeting schedule are drawn from the county's own Planning, Zoning & Environment Department pages. GMD2's 1975 founding, four-county membership, and the Equus Beds aquifer's extent (including the McPherson Channel's thickness) are drawn from GMD2's own 'About' page and the Kansas Department of Agriculture. The McPherson IGUCA's 1979 petition, 1979 public hearing, March 1980 order, its water-quantity (not contamination) basis, its 56-square-mile extent around the City of McPherson, and its February 26, 2020 review and amendment are drawn from the Kansas Department of Agriculture's own McPherson IGUCA page and the Chief Engineer's published IGUCA review document.

Verify directly with: McPherson County Planning, Zoning & Environment for current zoning status on a specific parcel, GMD2 for water-right verification and McPherson IGUCA status, and the Register of Deeds for title and easement history

Who to Call Before Buying Land in McPherson County

We could not confirm direct emails for the Planning, Zoning & Environment Department, the Appraiser, the Register of Deeds, or GMD2 beyond their listed phone numbers and general department websites.

Planning & Zoning

McPherson County Planning, Zoning & Environment Department

Zoning district confirmation, building permits, floodplain administration, well permits, and septic/wastewater permits for unincorporated McPherson County.

Phone: (620) 241-2288Official website →

Wells / Private Water

Equus Beds Groundwater Management District No. 2 (GMD2)

Well permits, groundwater allocation status, and McPherson IGUCA questions for a specific McPherson County parcel.

Phone: (316) 835-2224Official website →

Assessor / Property Tax

McPherson County Appraiser

Assessed value and property tax questions for a specific parcel.

Phone: (620) 241-5870Official website →

Recorder / Clerk / Land Records

McPherson County Register of Deeds

Recorded deed, easement, and plat history for a specific parcel.

Phone: (620) 241-5050Official website →

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Sources

Planning, Zoning & Environment — McPherson County, Kansas Government (accessed 2026-09)
About the Department — McPherson County, Kansas Government (accessed 2026-09)
McPherson County — McPherson County, Kansas Government (Planning, Zoning & Environment portal) (accessed 2026-09)
ABOUT | GMD2 — Equus Beds Groundwater Management District No. 2 (accessed 2026-09)
G.M.D. No. 2 — Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources (accessed 2026-09)
McPherson IGUCA — Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources (accessed 2026-09)
McPherson IGUCA Review — Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources (accessed 2026-09)
Appraiser | McPherson County Official Website — McPherson County, Kansas Government (accessed 2026-09)
Register of Deeds | McPherson County Official Website — McPherson County, Kansas Government (accessed 2026-09)

Last reviewed 2026-09