Sen. Roger Marshall requested $4.2 million to help more water flow into a wildlife refuge but did not mention it could also benefit his ranch

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall wanted to solve a water rights dispute in rural Kansas that pitted farmers against environmentalists and threatened the health of a cherished wildlife refuge. The avid outdoorsman requested a $4.2 million earmark, records show, to help finance improvements that would increase the flow of water into the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. He did not mention another interest that stood to benefit from the project: his own Rattlesnake Ranch, which borders the preserve. For decades, hunters have flocked to Quivira and its surroundings, drawn by hundreds of thousands of waterfowl that descend on the area every fall. As agriculture expanded in the area, however, the water supply…