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The Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan was first
published in 1980 and updated in 1997. The Oklahoma Legislature, in 2006,
appropriated funds for the latest update, which is a five-year study. The
program is being conducted by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB).
In addition, all 11 sub-state planning agencies in
Oklahoma, including INCOG, are assisting with
programmatic elements, particularly regional discussion groups. OSU’s
Oklahoma Water Institute (OWRI) is assisting the OWRB with many aspects of
regional planning.
The consulting
firm of Camp Dresser
and McGee (CDM) is responsible for obtaining and analysis of water supply-demand
data.
The Water Plan is a water supply-demand assessment
for a 50 year projection covering all of
Oklahoma. Water quality and environmental
issues will be considered, but this isn’t primarily a water quality
program. Instead, it focuses on the 50 year water supply and water
demand projections along with infrastructure needs for the future.
Many states are going through the water planning
process, and results are sobering. Serious decisions about the
future of clean water for all of Oklahoma’s water needs
and uses will be made once the study is completed in 2011. This
will likely change how water use is perceived, and important water
conservation and protection strategies will likely result from this
Statewide assessment. Visit the OWRI’s
Water
Plan website for more information and learn about how you can
become involved.
A total of 42 public meetings in all parts of
Oklahoma have been held. The meetings have
all had good turnout and generated wide-ranging comments. The reports
for the meetings are now on the OWRI
website. The goal of OWRI is to have meeting reports
available on the website within a week of each meeting.
The OWRI has developed a searchable database
on-line. You may search the comments in a variety of ways including by
county, category or key word. There also is a discussion forum.
The forum is a unique way for
citizens to stay involved, share opinions and ideas, and discuss water
issues.
Rev.
August 09, 2010
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