 Bricktown, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
December is a time for reflection as well as planning for the new year! In this newsletter, we hope you will join the OCWP team as we take time to reflect upon the Water Plan process:
- Key Accomplishments
- Developing Policy recommendations
- Look Ahead on upcoming OCWP activities.
Announcing:
- Ogallala Summit Summary Report released!!
- Today!! 50-yr Anniversary of Safe Drinking Water Act!
- OU's DEEP DIVE into OK's opinion poll on water policy and more!
The OCWP is a multi-year project that defines water supply challenges and charts a course to addressing them. In recognition of the incredible diversity in water supplies and uses across the state, we complete our analysis at the basin and regional level. We seek input from stakeholders across all water sectors to support technical and policy work. The following is a summary of OCWP activities so far:
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Compiled a database of local plans for infrastructure projects and programs identified by water/wastewater systems as necessary to replace often 40+ year-old infrastructure and/or meet current treatment standards, with a combined price tag of ~$24B and counting – most of which is targeted for the near term (within 10 years). Although these projects are critically needed infrastructure, if past experience is any guide, it is likely that most of those projects will continue to be deferred indefinitely for a myriad of reasons. A common thread for small systems is the challenge of financing 10's of millions of $$ to be paid by only a few hundred rate-payers. Such a database demonstrates to state leaders the terrific need that is out there and emphasizes that additional strategies need to be employed.
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Formed interagency coordination workgroups to focus on critical topics – including water workforce, source water protection collaboratives, the nation’s first state-level water reuse action plan, and a crop irrigation exploratory workgroup to identify, document and shed light on the multifaceted challenges faced by producers and local industry using a finite resource and potential water management strategies.
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Facilitated multiple meetings with water and wastewater technical assistance programs including Tribal Nations, Strategic Alliance partners, Communities Unlimited and others regarding how to meet the enormous gap in infrastructure funding needs and increased assistance to systems across our state for managerial and technical training.
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Projected water demands and anticipated supply shortages for each basin in each decade from now through 2075, then systematically identified the water management strategies that would be most effective in each of the OCWP’s 82 planning basins to avoid these shortages. This helps local water users plan their futures and helps OWRB identify the strategies that would benefit the most from state-level implementation support, such as water reuse and demand management.
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Held two rounds of “Focus Basin” meetings to help chart a course for addressing a diverse set of water management challenges in four areas around the state – such as dramatic growth and significant growth potential, resource constraints and concerns over diminishing groundwater levels, and competition for limited resources.
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Held four rounds of regional stakeholder meetings, engaging with over 800 participants, to identify local challenges and contemplate policy recommendations to address them, unique to each region of Oklahoma.
- And loosely modeled from the Ogallala Summit, we held an interactive roundtable discussion at the 2024 Oklahoma Governor’s Water Conference focused on generating new ideas for funding long-term sustainable water supplies, wastewater, and stormwater projects. Look for a summary of this session soon on OWRB’s Water Planning Public Meetings
As the Comprehensive Water Plan team has traveled the state listening to citizens, towns, utilities, producers, businesses, industry, and a wide range of organizations, many water issues have risen to the surface. Among these are the need for better water reporting, data, and enforcement, regional planning and management, water monitoring, accounting for nonconsumptive water needs, and others. None has been as common across the state as the desire to fully address our aging water infrastructure and develop a workforce that is capable of managing and operating advanced treatment systems, often with decades of deferred maintenance, while addressing complex contaminants, more stringent standards, and other issues.
The Plan is focusing on issues that are urgent, pervasive, and actionable, including:
- Securing substantial additional funding for technical, managerial, and financial assistance, especially to small water systems.
- Seeking substantial state funding of cost-share/grants to address an ever-increasing number of shortfalls in water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure operations, and incentivizing improved operations, planning, and proper treatment and distribution.
- Increasing regional planning and cooperation to address water quality and distribution challenges in coordination with agriculture, industry, and other local water interests.
- Developing policy workgroups to address nonconsumptive water use, interaction of surface water and groundwater in our water management systems, and other important topics.
Throughout the coming year, the OCWP team will roll out more technical data, continue workgroups addressing hot topics such as building a long-term water workforce, prepare and present draft and final recommendations, and many other outputs. We anticipate the next round of Regional Meetings will be held in late February or March 2025. Follow the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan on Facebook and sign up for email notifications to stay informed.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has announced the following funding opportunities.
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Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Fiscal Year 2004 Flood Mitigation Assistance Swift Current grant program is accepting applications for flood hazard risk mitigation projects that enhance community flood resilience. This program aims to reduce or eliminate the flood risk to National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)-participating communities and NFIP-insured structures by enhancing community flood resilience and decreasing the risk of repetitive flood damage. Applications must be submitted by January 15, 2026.
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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 funding opportunity announcement is available at grants.gov by searching for funding opportunity R24AS00059 or by clicking here.
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 Central Time. Click here to view the funding opportunity announcement or navigate to www.grants.gov then search for funding opportunity R24AS00299. Learn more about the Environmental Water Resource Projects by clicking here
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2025 Oklahoma Groundwater Association Conference and Trade Show – The OGWA Conference & Trade Show will be held January 9-10 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
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2025 Master Irrigator Program - The Master Irrigator Program from OSU Extension provides advanced training on irrigation water management, irrigation system and equipment maintenance, energy conservation, water conservation and quality, and economics of irrigated agriculture. The 2025 program will be offered on January 22, January 29, February 5 and February 12 at the Caddo Kiowa Technology Center in Fort Cobb. Learn more and register here.
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Oklahoma Water Resources Board offers Floodplain Administrator Training throughout the year. Check our website for more details.
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Oklahoma Rural Water Association events are available on their website. First offering of New Board Member training is January 6 and D&C Water Certification course is January 13-14.
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Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality offers a variety of in person and online courses as part of their Operator Certification program.
 I continue to be encouraged by the many great individuals I meet across the state and the energy and passion they have for addressing our many water challenges. As Oklahomans, we need to substantially grow our focus on water such that everyone holds water as a top priority, critically necessary for improving public health, our economic growth, recreational opportunities, and just to maintain or hopefully improve our way of life for the generations to come. We've seen enormous strides in investment by the states of Kansas, Texas and others who are actively moving to solve their most pressing needs for now and planning for their future. I'm confident Oklahomans will recognize the benefits of planning and prioritizing water and follow suit.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season with family and friends and goodwill for our neighbors all!
Owen Mills
Water Planning Director
owen.mills@owrb.ok.gov |
