 Arkansas River, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Reminder!
Round 4 Regional Meetings begin Oct. 24th!
Meeting details below.
We look forward to hearing your ideas!
In April and May 2024, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) hosted the third in a series of OCWP regional meetings across the state to engage with local officials, water utility suppliers, regulated industry, commercial agricultural producers, economic development entities, and other organizations to converse on local water challenges share opportunities and identify ways the OCWP can inform and support local water planning and management. A summary of the meeting is available on OWRB’s water planning webpage under Public Meetings link.
The meetings began with a welcome and team introduction by Owen Mills, OWRB's Planning Director, and a local success story. The OCWP team extends its appreciation to Oklahoma State University, Oka’ Institute, Oklahoma Rural Water Association, Bio X Designs, and the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group for sharing their stories.
During the Round 3 regional meetings (RM3), the OCWP Team presented draft baseline scenario data. These data illustrated the degree to which demands in each of the state’s 82 planning Basins are projected to change from baseline of 2020 to 50-yr projections to 2075. The draft figures presented at RM3 have been updated; the updated figures are included in this summary document.
To meet physical water supply surface water gaps and groundwater depletions, water management strategies can be implemented throughout Oklahoma. Discussion of the effectiveness of strategies specific to each OCWP Planning Region was held in breakout groups. Participants were asked to provide input on the strategies that would be most effective in their area to address water supply challenges. Participants also suggested other strategies, expressed reasons for their positions, and listed potential methods of implementing the strategies. Among the five regional meetings, the following key takeaways were established:
- Effective water management strategies should align locally and focus on the Region’s and/or Basin’s predominant demand.
- Demand Management was identified by participants as a likely highly effective water management strategy in each of the Regions.
- There is a lack of concurrence among meeting participants regarding the future role of large-scale water transfers in the state. However, meeting participants generally expressed support for intra-basin transfers between public supply water systems for the purpose of infrastructure cost-sharing, water supply redundancy/resiliency, or regionalization.
- Watershed Management (e.g., source water protection, eradication of invasive species, etc.) was independently suggested by participants. Suggested means of implementation varied.
Round 4 will get focus on:
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Potential water management strategies to address local water challenges
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Discuss specific policy implementation questions based on previous discussions had throughout the engagement process.
While anyone may attend, we request participation from local officials, water utility suppliers, regulated industry, commercial agricultural producers, economic development entities, and representing organizations.
Round 4 meetings will be held on the following dates and locations.
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October 24, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | NE – Rogers State University – Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center, 1701 W. Will Rogers Blvd., Claremore, OK | Middle Arkansas, Grand, Eufaula, and Lower Arkansas OCWP Planning Regions
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October 25, 9:00 a.m. – Noon | Central – Department of Public Safety Training Center, 3600 N. MLK Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK | Upper Arkansas and Central OCWP Planning Regions
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October 28, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | NW – High Plains Technology Center, 3921 34th St., Woodward, OK | Panhandle OCWP Planning Region
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October 29, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | SW – Quartz Mountain State Park Lodge, 22469 Lodge Rd., Lone Wolf, OK | West Central, Southwest, Beaver-Cache, and Lower Washita OCWP Planning Regions
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October 30, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | SE – Massey Building, 200 West Main Street, Durant, OK | Blue-Boggy and Southeast OCWP Planning Regions
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November 5, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. | Virtual – Click here to Join the meeting now
The City of Oklahoma City was awarded their first WaterSense Award for Excellence in Education and Outreach at the AWWA WaterSmart Innovations Conference in September 2024. With the development of their Squeeze Every Drop Conservation program, the utility focused on teaching residents how to save water and look for the WaterSense label on products. Learn more about their achievement by clicking here. Other utilities and organizations can partner with the U.S. EPA’s WaterSense Program to bring consistent, nationwide water conservation messaging to its customers. If you are an entity interested in becoming a partner, learn more by clicking here.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced the following funding opportunities.
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WaterSMART for Small Scale Water Efficiency Projects – Eligible projects include canal lining/piping, municipal metering, irrigation flow measurement, SCADA, landscape irrigation measures, high-efficiency indoor appliances and fixtures, and commercial cooling systems. Maximum award amount of $100,000. Application period 3 deadline is January 14, 2025 and the period 4 deadline is July 8, 2025. This notice of funding opportunity announcement is available at grants.gov by searching for funding opportunity R24AS00059 or by clicking here.
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WaterSMART for Water and Energy Efficiency - Projects should conserve and use water more efficiently (e.g., flow measurement, metering, delivery improvements, canal lining, etc.); increase production of renewable energy (e.g., hydropower, solar, wind energy, etc.); mitigate risks of water conflict; and/or accomplish other benefits that contribute to water supply reliability in the western United States. More details on eligible projects are outlined in Section C.4. of the funding opportunity. The second application period closes on October 30, 2024 at 5:00 pm. The funding opportunity announcement is available at www.grants.gov by searching for funding opportunity number R24AS00052 or by clicking here. Learn more about the Water and Energy Efficiency Grants by clicking here.
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WaterSMART for Environmental Water Resources Projects – Funding goes toward projects for water conservation and efficiency, water management and infrastructure improvements, river and watershed restoration, or in general, nature-based solutions that provide significant ecological benefits to help increase the reliability of water resources. The current application period closes on March 11, 2025 at 5 pm. Click here to view the funding opportunity announcement or navigate to grants.govthen search for funding opportunity R24AS00299. Learn more about the Environmental Water Resource Projects by clicking here.
- OWRB’s Dam Safety Program has set a December 31, 2024 deadline for all dam owners to have their dam inspections and Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) reviewed or completed. Payment for this service can be fulfilled online, or by checks sent to the OWRB (3800 North Classen Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73118). Contact the OWRB with questions through their online form.
 What has excited me most about our meetings across the state has been that people WANT to come and be a part of the conversation. That encourages us to keep going, keep trying, keep working at getting the many needs associated with water supply, quality, infrastructure, and those policies associated with them, in front of leaders across our great state.
The OCWP team is looking for a paradigm shift in water planning across our state; that rather than play whack-a-mole putting out fires, we should shift to focus on preventing them! We acknowledge that can be hard to do when so many of us are dealing with years of deferred maintenance, decreasing rural populations, new water quality issues, and so many other hurdles. My intent with this Water Plan is that we can bring a real spotlight to these challenges so many of you are facing every day.
I'm optimistic that with your help we'll have a fantastic set of ideas on how communities, industry, state agencies and others might work together to address Oklahoma's biggest water challenges. Please join us in Round 4 and help us to put together a great Comprehensive Water Plan!
Best regards,
Owen Mills
Director of Water Planning,
Oklahoma Water Resources Board
owen.mills@owrb.ok.gov |
