2008 Projects & Programs Update

This update of Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan projects and programs of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board demonstrates the unique and varied nature of state water resource management and protection. Through state, federal, and local partnerships, the OWRB and its cooperators strive to meet the present and future water needs of Oklahomans.

Public Participation

The last of 42 Local Input Meetings, or “listening sessions,” was held in November 2007. The meetings, which began in April 2007, were well-attended and drew a wide variety of comments on Oklahoma’s priority water issues and problems as well as suggestions on how the Water Plan should address them.
Regional input meetings, the second phase of the Water Plan’s public participation process, will be held during the second half of 2008 in each of the 11 Councils of Oklahoma Governments (COG) regions. The purpose of these meetings is to ensure that the full range of Oklahoma’s water issues--and eventual policy recommendations--are identified for inclusion in the final statewide plan. Regional teams, consisting of 30 representatives nominated by the public, will review findings from the listening sessions, validate regional issues and concerns, consolidate issues into categories based upon their similarity, and suggest priorities for further consideration in the planning process. The regional meetings will be open to the public.

Technical & Engineering Studies

Technical assessments and engineering studies supporting the Water Plan are being accomplished with assistance from various local, state and federal agencies and organizations, as well as consultants. As a part of a Planning Assistance to States grant from the US Army Corps of Engineers, efforts are underway to outline the fundamental work plan for the OCWP, including the delineation of Goals and Objectives, establishment of a common technical platform to evaluate water supply and demand, and development of a programmatic workplan that includes an outline of work to be performed.

In September 2007, the OWRB approved an agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation to fund a portion of these studies and related projects. The engineering firm of Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc. (CDM), has been contracted to help coordinate this effort as well as identify potential strategies to conduct a statewide assessment of the state’s community water systems and their ability to serve both the present and future needs of Oklahoma citizens.

Initial projects under the technical studies arm of the Water Plan include a Water Infrastructure Pilot Mapping Project and development of a Public Water Supply Water Use and Infrastructure Survey. Additional technical work that will soon commence includes a statewide Supply and Demand Analysis and initial Water Allocation Modeling in selected areas of the state.

Water Infrastructure Pilot Mapping Project

The Water Infrastructure Pilot Mapping Project will be conducted in Pontotoc County with the purpose of mapping and key infrastructure components for water systems in the county as a demonstration of the costs and benefits of similar mapping that could be developed statewide. Pontotoc County contains municipal and rural water systems, large and small systems, and includes systems connected to one another. The pilot study will help refine standards for mapping and data collection while providing an estimate of the cost for mapping all of Oklahoma. Infrastructure to be mapped includes water sources, main water lines, water system features, and approximate water system service area.

Public Water Supply Water Use and Infrastructure Survey

In addition to the mapping project, the Public Water Supply Water Use and Infrastructure Survey will be developed, distributed and analyzed. The purpose is to provide baseline information for characterizing existing conditions and future supply and infrastructure needs on an individual water provider basis. This will serve to update the 1995 Rural Water Survey, and augment that database with similar information for municipal suppliers. For each public water supplier, the survey will identify the current service area population and demands, current sources of supply, existing and planned water supply and treatment infrastructure, and plans for future water supply sources. Results of the survey will be used to develop municipal and rural water provider water supply assessments and planning.

Statewide Supply and Demand Analysis

The Statewide Supply and Demand Analysis will be performed to obtain accurate and reliable county-level demand forecasts and supply availability. Consumptive water demand projections for municipal & industrial (M&I), self-supplied industrial, and agricultural water use sectors will be calculated. M&I demands will be determined down to the provider level. Additionally, screening-level assessment of projected physical supplies will be developed and compared to projected demands at locations across the state in order to identify areas of potential surplus and shortfall (gap). Watersheds in which demands are expected to exceed physical supplies will be identified, indicating areas of potential shortages and a need to more closely examine demands, supplies, and potential water supply solutions.

Finally, for those areas identified as having gaps in supply vs. projected demands, initial Water Allocation Modeling will be performed to gain a better and more flexible understanding of the water management issues in a particular basin. Such a model will allow for various inputs (availability, current water rights, reservoirs, compacts, rainfall/runoff, interbasin transfers, instream flows, etc.) to reflect the current situation within a basin as well as the ability to accurately assess additional future demands on the basin or the effect of various water management policy changes.

Water Plan Research Studies (Water Resources Research Institute)

In an effort to address key issues for the next 50 years of water planning and management in Oklahoma, the OWRB, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute and state universities, is funding research projects that will answer important questions for the OCWP. Three projects will be funded annually for 5 years for a total of 15 projects during the OCWP process. Six projects have been funded thus far.

The first of these projects includes development of a Decision Support Model for Optimal Water Pricing Protocol for Oklahoma Water Planning. Utilizing Lake Tenkiller as a case study, the project will develop a water pricing model that can be used in various locations in Oklahoma. The model will include methods to estimate both monetary and opportunity costs of a representative surface water system under conditions of competing water uses and variable water supplies that can be later modified to include related groundwater supplies. The model can be used as an education tool for extension and outreach among the various stakeholders of major water resources in Oklahoma.

A second project involves the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer, a major source of drinking water for communities in south-central Oklahoma. This project, which complements the ongoing Arbuckle-Simpson Hydrology Study, will characterize the aquifer’s fractures and major faults utilizing Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and resistivity data. This information will be useful in gaining a better understanding of the discharge and recharge of this and other aquifers as well as better modeling of groundwater flow.

A third project will evaluate subsurface transport of phosphorus to streams. The environmental risk associated with excess phosphorus is the eutrophication of freshwater bodies, many of which are used as drinking water supplies. Also, taste and odor problems caused by excessive phosphorus lead to increased costs for drinking water treatment. This project will investigate the transport mechanisms for phosphorus in the subsurface, recognizing that subsurface transport of phosphorus is a key pathway for deposition into surface waters and that common best management practices are insufficient in alleviating the problem.

A fourth project will be an evaluation of water use monitoring using remote sensing methods and satellite imagery. Irrigation is a major water use in Oklahoma. Water used for irrigation generally returns to the hydrologic cycle through evapotranspiration. As demand for water increases, water managers need to know how much water is actually consumed through agriculture.

A fifth project will be an assessment of environmental or in-stream flows in Oklahoma. The OCWP is being updated to make water demand projections for the next 50 years. While past Water Plan projections have made provisions for consumptive water uses, there is a need to include non-consumptive uses, including environmental flows that sustain aquatic animals and plants. This project will assess environmental flows in Oklahoma’s perennial streams. Information derived from the analysis will be used to make environmental flow recommendations for incorporation into the OCWP.

The final project funded thus far will be the development of a Decision Support Model for evaluating alternative water supply infrastructure scenarios. Rural water systems often struggle to make decisions regarding their future, particularly when those decisions involve upgrading their infrastructure or consolidating/cooperating with other systems. The overall objective of this project is to develop a step-by-step methodology that provides assistance to rural water systems for planning and updating their water supply infrastructure.

Planning Assistance to the States Studies (US Army Corps of Engineers)

Through the Planning Assistance to the States (PAS) Program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is cooperating with the OWRB in its effort at early implementation of several Water Plan-related projects and studies.

Bartlesville Water Supply and Conveyance Study

The Tulsa District Corps of Engineers is conducting a water supply Planning Assistance to States study for the City of Bartlesville under Letter Agreement with the OWRB. Drought conditions in the spring of 2002 caused water levels to drop significantly at Hulah Lake, Bartlesville’s primary source of water supply. Sedimentation rates at both Hulah and Copan Lakes, Bartlesville’s other source of supply, also cause concern over the adequacy of future water supplies from current sources. The purpose of the study is to determine the least costly alternative of providing additional water supply to the City of Bartlesville and its customers in the region. This evaluation, which is nearing completion, shall determine the alternative project and investment costs and average annual costs of providing water supply for a 50-year planning horizon. Alternatives investigated include sediment protection measures above Hulah and Copan Lakes, reallocating additional water from Hulah and Copan Lakes, constructing a pipeline to Kaw Lake, and construction of the potential Sand Reservoir site.

Bristow Water System and Supply Study

The OWRB and Corps of Engineers have also signed a PAS agreement for the Corps to conduct a cost-shared regional water study of alternative water supply strategies for Bristow and the surrounding area. The Town of Bristow, located in Creek County, Oklahoma, currently relies on groundwater as its sole source of water supply. Uncertainty over future groundwater quality and quantity in the area warrants proactive planning for dependable sources of water to meet not only Bristow’s future needs, but the demands of other water suppliers in Creek County, as well. The study, scheduled for completion later this summer, will evaluate existing systems, project future water needs for a 50-year planning horizon, and develop water supply alternatives and preliminary cost estimates.

Mangum Reservoir Project , Phase VI

Substantial local interest and state legislative support led to a Mangum Reservoir Phase I PAS study between the OWRB and the Corps of Engineers, which began in 1992. Initial study results, released the following year, provided seven alternative dam configurations and cost estimates for local decision-makers to consider. Due to uncertainties related to the area’s geology, additional on-site geotechnical investigations were performed over the years to provide more reliable data on the suitability of the ground foundation for the project.

The most recently completed studies indicate that the potential Lower Mangum Damsite, located on the Salt Fork of the Red River about two miles upstream of Mangum, showed favorable geologic conditions for construction of the project if the pool level was maintained at elevation 1,550 feet. This elevation would provide a lake surface area of about 1,863 acres, a storage volume of 26,080 acre-feet and a water supply yield of 11.07 mgd. Phase VI geotechnical studies will consist of drilling an additional borehole along the proposed dam alignment and developing cost estimates for project construction, including pertinent data, features and layout.

Groundwater/Stream Water Interaction Study (US Geological Survey)

The OWRB is partnering with the USGS to conduct a statistical analysis of groundwater-stream water interaction. Through collection and study of various annual, monthly and seasonal flow data from selected streams and gages in Oklahoma, USGS researchers will determine information about a stream and how its flow changes over time. In addition to identifying trends, the data will also provide information on the contribution of groundwater to stream flow and the general interaction between the two.

Results from the study should assist the OWRB in future hydrologic investigations of stream systems in the state. Data will also prove valuable in gap analysis modeling that CDM will be performing as well as in the water allocation modeling that the OWRB and AMEC (formerly Hydrosphere) will be conducting.

Climate Change Study (Oklahoma Climatological Survey)

Given recent information about changing climate patterns, prudent water planning should include an evaluation of the impacts of climate change on water resources and its management. The OWRB is cooperating with the Oklahoma Climatological Survey to study such questions.

While overall statistics of global climate change are powerful, decisions will be based on regional, local and seasonal signals. Thus, the seasonality of climate change will be extremely important. Humanity and economies are driven by the calendar as much as anything, and the timing of when things change will have as much impact, perhaps even more, than the magnitude of the change itself. This project will characterize the impacts of climate change on a seasonal and regional scale for Oklahoma.

Water Rights Administration

Development of the Water Plan relies upon accurate assessment and efficient allocation of available surface and groundwater resources, supported by sound science and technology. Water rights administration, a cornerstone function of the OWRB, must be conducted in a fair, responsible, and defensible manner as safe and secure water rights are key to every community’s economic development and growth.

In 2007, OWRB Information Technology staff initiated development of a new water rights permitting data management program to replace the agency’s antiquated system, in place since the early 1990s. State funds and matching grant money from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are being used to underwrite the modernization project.

Because water rights administration is a “mission-critical” agency program, it has become essential that surface and groundwater permit data are maintained on a current, industry-supported hardware and software platform and that staff reevaluate the internal method through which permits are processed. As a result, the agency’s database and software applications and daily workflow procedures will be modified and automated. In addition, the OWRB will integrate its Geographic Information System (GIS) and document imaging technologies, which will greatly enhance the efficiency of water rights administration. GIS integration, especially, will allow for more accurate determinations of stream and groundwater availability. It is anticipated that this project will conclude by late 2008 or early 2009.

Arbuckle-Simpson Hydrology Study

With Senate Bill 288, passed in 2003, the State Legislature directed the OWRB to conduct a detailed hydrogeologic study of the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer. A multidisciplinary team of researchers from various agencies and universities is employing several methods to obtain information necessary to understand the hydrologic system and to assess the consequences of groundwater withdrawals on the environment.

The five-year investigation is scheduled for completion by the end of 2008. The first three years of the study were devoted to monitoring efforts and to conducting the field investigation in order to understand and characterize the hydrology of the area. The primary focus of the fourth year (2007) was on developing methods to assess the impacts of groundwater withdrawals on streamflow. These include hydroclimatic reconstructions using tree-ring analysis, instream flow assessments, and the development of computer models. The last year of the investigation will be devoted to writing reports, conducting computer simulations, evaluating various water management options, disseminating information, and soliciting input from stakeholders. After reviewing the study results and soliciting input from stakeholders, OWRB staff will submit management recommendations to OWRB members for determination of the allocation of water rights. As directed by SB 288, the Board must approve a maximum annual yield that will not reduce the natural flow of water from springs or streams emanating from the aquifer.

The proposed budget for the five-year study was $5.15 million, funded through a 50/50 state/federal cost-share agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation. A total of $3.9 million has been allocated to the Study through Federal FY 2008 by State and Federal funding sources.

(Please visit the Arbuckle-Simpson Hydrology Study Web page for more information.)

Red River Hydrologic Investigation

The OWRB is also conducting hydrologic investigations of stream systems associated with the Middle Red River Stream Systems. These systems include Mud Creek, Walnut Bayou, and the Main Stem of the Red River below Walnut Bayou. The updated data will be incorporated in a stream water allocation model, which will include existing stream water diversions while taking into account a water right’s priority in time and existing stream water management requirements. The model will be able to evaluate new water right applications to determine potential conflicts with existing water rights. In addition, the water allocation model will allow the evaluation of different flow conditions, such as drought, and proposed management options generated by the Water Plan.

Arkansas River Compact Commission Reporting

The OWRB represents Oklahoma in preparing the Arkansas-Oklahoma Compact report, a joint effort between the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas to document phosphorus loadings in the Illinois River basin. Each year loadings are calculated for stations on each side of the state line. Oklahoma stations monitored by the OWRB include the Illinois River at Watts, Illinois River at Tahlequah, Baron Fork, and Flint Creek near Kansas. The report is presented at the Arkansas-Oklahoma Compact Commission meeting held annually in September.

Grand River Basin Projects

The OWRB is currently assisting the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) research and development for Grand Lake. During 2008, the OWRB will include data collected through total phosphorus and total nitrogen sampling on Grand Lake along with sediment samples at in-lake sites. OWRB field staff will also work closely with Grand Lake Water Watch (GLWW) volunteers through this project to further educate them on professional sampling techniques and quality assurance. Volunteers will be invited to participate in data collection alongside professional OWRB staff as they familiarize themselves with intensive lake data collection techniques. Sample collection will occur monthly for four months to provide a consistent, large data set that could be applied in the TMDL process. Additionally, the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) and OWRB are developing a water quality education and outreach program with the GLWW Chapter and newly formed Lake Hudson Association Chapter.

As part of the GRDA Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) re-licensing process, the GRDA will implement a water quality improvement plan intended to achieve compliance with water quality standards in portions of Markham Ferry (Hudson) and Grand Lake reservoirs, including their tail waters. OWRB staff will establish monitoring stations near the lake intake structures and construct data collection platforms within or below the lake tailraces to monitor environmental impacts at both reservoirs and provide necessary data for the development of a resource management program. Measurements will include water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved oxygen percent saturation.

The OWRB also continues to provide services to assist the GRDA in establishing and maintaining native aquatic plant species along the shores of Grand Lake to mitigate impacts on fish and wildlife. These shoreline colonies will provide multiple ecological benefits such as habitat for fish and wildlife, improved water quality, and stabilization of the lake’s ecosystem. The success of this project, which began in 2004, has allowed work to expand into Lake Hudson.

Also at Lake Hudson, the OWRB is completing a bathymetric map and sedimentation survey for GRDA.

Illinois River Probabilistic Sampling Project

The OWRB is conducting a probabilistic sampling study in the Illinois River sub-basin. From 2007-2009, randomly chosen sites will be sampled to characterize the biological, chemical, and physical properties of the water. Specifically, OWRB staff will collect fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, habitat, algae, bacteria, and nutrient samples during a series of site visits. Data will be used to determine the biotic integrity of the watershed prior to full implementation of the OWRB’s scenic river total phosphorus criterion.

Red River Chloride Control Project

To augment water supplies in southwestern Oklahoma, including the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District, the OWRB is participating in the evaluation of a 115-acre detention reservoir to collect diverted brine water and remove about 80 percent of the estimated 510 tons of chlorides deposited each day into the Elm Fork of the Red River. OWRB staff currently maintain six data collection platforms in the North Fork of the Red River watershed, measuring conductivity and water temperature. Staff also visit the monitoring stations biweekly to collect chloride and selenium samples for analysis by the State Environmental Laboratory.

Spavinaw Creek Watershed Implementation Project

The OWRB’s Oklahoma Water Watch (OWW) program is utilizing volunteers to collect chlorophyll-a samples in addition to routine OWW parameters to assist in determining impacts from eutrophication in Eucha Lake. The OWW program is working to demonstrate the benefits of nonpoint source implementation on the water resources of the Spavinaw Creek Watershed. Objectives of the project are to promote protection and re-establishment of buffer zones and riparian areas, demonstrate practices necessary to achieve the nutrient control needed to protect Spavinaw Creek, and implement practices and programs identified by the Watershed Restoration Action Strategy and TMDL to improve water quality.

Stanley Draper Wetlands Project

The OWRB is partnering with Oklahoma City for the second year of a three-year federally funded wetland project introducing native aquatic plants to Stanley Draper Lake.

Lake Thunderbird Water Quality Project

The OWRB continues to provide environmental monitoring of Lake Thunderbird and recommend management practices to improve water quality. Adoption of OWRB recommendations has resulted in improved water quality at the lake, which supplies raw water for Norman, Del City, and Midwest City through the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District (COMCD). The project was initiated in 2000 due to numerous complaints by these municipalities of taste and odor problems.

Lake Wister Dissolved Oxygen Project

The OWRB is participating in a federal project with the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers and Poteau Valley Improvement Authority to restore the impaired fish and wildlife beneficial to Lake Wister due to low dissolved oxygen. Congressional authorization and funding will allow successful project completion.

Regional Environmental Assessment Program (REMAP)

To fulfill a federal Clean Water Act requirement, the OWRB is reporting on results of a statewide probabilistic sampling study to determine the condition of stream and rivers in Oklahoma. Randomly selected sites were sampled by the OWRB from 2005-2007 to characterize the biological, chemical and physical properties of state waters. Sampling included the collection of fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, habitat, algae, bacteria, nutrient, and minerals samples during a series of site visits. Oklahoma will continue work on this program through the National Flowing Waters Survey (NFWS) project and the OWRB’s ambient monitoring program.

Volunteer Monitoring HAB Assessment

The OWRB is currently establishing procedures for long-term monitoring of harmful algal blooms (HAB). These procedures will include the initial use of Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) kits by Oklahoma Water Watch (OWW) volunteers to determine if and in what concentration cyanobacteria are present in the water being monitored. Positive results from ELISA tests indicate the need for further investigation of the lake in question, which will include additional sample collection by volunteers or water quality staff for algal species identification and enumeration.

Nutrient Limited Watershed Impairment Study

The OWRB is currently developing a process to determine whether lakes with high algae growth are impaired due to excessive nutrients. Project results may be used to set water quality standards for nutrient impairment.

National Rivers and Streams Survey

The OWRB will sample 50-55 sites across the state as part of the National Flowing Waters Survey (NFWS) project. The purpose of the NFWS project is to provide a comprehensive “State of the Flowing Waters” assessment for wadeable and non-wadeable rivers and streams across the United States. To increase efficiency, study sites will supplement Oklahoma’s Statewide Probabilistic Program, which is entering a new five-year sampling frame. OWRB staff have actively participated on the NFWS steering committee, and have led and been members of study workgroups and round table meetings that have produced both the survey design and protocols required in the implementation of the survey.

Stream Gaging and USGS Cooperative Program

The OWRB works with the USGS to coordinate the USGS Cooperative Program. This involves conducting stream gaging as well as interpretive studies. The OWRB also maintains an in-house gaging program to supplement Beneficial Use Monitoring Program (BUMP) monitoring, capture real-time water quality data, and forecast flooding in the Cache Creek watershed (and potentially the Stillwater Creek watershed). Data are used for various reports, load calculations in TMDLs, and modeling by the National Weather Service.

Beneficial Use Monitoring Program

In 1998, the State Legislature directed the OWRB to implement and oversee a statewide water quality-monitoring program known as the Beneficial Use Monitoring Program (BUMP). The primary goals of BUMP are to document beneficial use impairments, identify impairment sources, detect water quality trends, collect information required for the Oklahoma Water Quality Standards, and provide critical information for the prioritization of pollution control activities by state and local entities. Results are submitted to the Oklahoma Legislature each spring in an annual report.

Through BUMP, the OWRB monitors 130 lakes across Oklahoma (40-45 lakes each year). A variety of physical, chemical, and biological data are collected from multiple locations and depths at each lake. The OWRB also collects data at approximately 100 river and stream sites each month. Sites are monitored every 35 days for 44 chemical and physical parameters; another 17 parameters (bacteria, metals, and pesticides) are assessed periodically. OWRB staff collect discharge measurements at a number of stations that are not monitored for discharge by the USGS.

(Please visit the Beneficial Use Monitoring Program Web page for more information.)

Oklahoma Water Watch

The Oklahoma Water Watch (OWW)volunteer water quality-monitoring program, coordinated by the OWRB, began in 1992 at Grand Lake when local citizens requested assistance to help them actively protect their lake. Statewide, OWW was established to assist the state in managing its surface water by allowing volunteers to collect important environmental information where limited resources prevent state agencies from collecting sufficient amounts of data on their own. Volunteer collected data is used to determine baseline water quality conditions, to identify water quality trends and to promote citizen participation in protecting, managing, and restoring our water resources. During the 2007 reporting period, OWW certified 64 new volunteers, bringing the total to 121 monitors for whom OWRB staff provide continuous training.

(Please visit the Oklahoma Water Watch Web page for more information.)

LMFO Well Monitoring

Since 2001, the OWRB has been conducting groundwater monitoring for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) as part of their oversight of Licensed Managed Feeding Operations (LMFOs) in the state. At least annually, OWRB monitoring staff collect groundwater samples from LMFO monitoring wells identified by the ODAFF. Samples are then submitted to the ODAFF’s laboratory for analysis of potential contamination of groundwater, signaled through high nitrate-nitrogen concentrations, high ammonium-nitrogen concentrations, or sample analyses containing three or more fecal coliform colonies. The OWRB submits quarterly and annual reports of its findings.

Water Well Level Mass Measurement Program

Groundwater level information collected in the state’s water well measurement program, conducted jointly by the OWRB and USGS since 1950, is used to predict water use trends and future availability of Oklahoma’s groundwater supplies. Each year, primarily during the winter months, OWRB staff measure depth-to-water in wells throughout Oklahoma. While a primary purpose of data collection is to determine the maximum annual yields of state groundwater basins, the program also helps track water level changes and identify areas experiencing groundwater depletion.

Water Quality Standards

In 2007, the OWRB promulgated several amendments to the Oklahoma Water Quality Standards, including the Sediment Assessment Protocol, new site-specific criteria for phosphorus for Lakes Eucha and Spavinaw, new options for site-specific criteria, and addition of waterbody identification numbers to the streams list in Appendix A.

Proposals for amendments in 2008 include the addition of over 90 lakes, including over 70 with the Public and Private Water Supply beneficial use. Other proposed revisions include site specific criteria for the City of Poteau on the Poteau River and for American Electric Power on Ninemile Creek and its tributary, revising the beneficial uses of Great Salt Plains Reservoir, and creating subcategories for the Agriculture beneficial use.

The OWRB is also currently working on the development of a protocol to assign beneficial uses to wetlands within the existing Standards framework. This requires an ability to analyze the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of a wetland and determine which beneficial uses are attainable for that wetland. Each beneficial use carries with it certain narrative and numeric criteria designed to protect that use. Current Water Quality Standards do not address wetlands separately, and therefore the wetlands are assumed to support wildlife communities and activities that may not be supported naturally.

Well Drillers Program

To ensure the integrity of water well construction, and thus prevent potential pollution of groundwater, the OWRB administers a licensing program of pump installers and drillers of water supply, geothermal, observation, and monitoring wells. Guided by comprehensive standards developed in cooperation with the Water Well Drillers Advisory Committee, the OWRB licensed 28 new drilling/pump installation firms and 56 new operators in 2007, and processed license renewals for 180 existing firms. Approximately 7,700 new well reports were entered into the OWRB well log database, which includes about 110,000 entries that can be accessed by the public through the OWRB’s Web-based Water Information Mapping System (WIMS).

(Please visit the Water Well Drilling & Pump Installation Web page for more information.)

Drought Monitoring Program

Oklahoma experienced one its most severe and prolonged droughts from early 2005 and into 2007. The drought drained farm ponds, left water supplies critically low, triggered wildfires and decimated Oklahoma’s agricultural economy. At its peak, the entire state of Oklahoma was designated as being in severe to exceptional drought.

As the state’s lead drought monitoring agency, the OWRB works in tandem with the Oklahoma Climatological Survey and other state and federal partners to communicate regular state drought assessments that help trigger mitigation efforts. In addition, the OWRB has assisted in funding Mesonet sites and instruments to provide real-time groundwater level data that are used to evaluate drought conditions as well as assist in hydrologic studies.

Dam Safety Program

As is often the case in Oklahoma, the state’s recent drought was broken by devastating flooding, which occurred during the spring and early summer of 2007, leading to four separate flood disaster declarations and damage to several dams. Some dams suffered damage to the earthen embankment and spillways, whereas other dams collapsed. OWRB Dam Safety Program staff travelled to numerous sites to offer assistance and advice.

One of the affected dams was SCS-Sugar Creek Site L44, a high hazard dam in Caddo County. When floodwaters began to overtop the dam causing a collapse of the downstream portion of the earthen embankment, Natural Resources Conservation Service personnel forced a controlled breach of the dam in an effort to save it from a total collapse. Area residents downstream from the dam were alerted and evacuated in order to alleviate possible flooding and loss of life.

The OWRB coordinates the Oklahoma Dam Safety Program to ensure the safety of more than 4,500 dams in the state, especially the 234 high-hazard structures that could impact downstream life and property should failure occur.

Floodplain Management Program

Ottawa County and the City of Miami were arguably the hardest hit by the record rainfall impacting Oklahoma in 2007. More than 800 homes sustained flood damage in Ottawa County with over 600 of those in Miami alone. With help from federal and state officials, including OWRB floodplain managers, local leaders assessed damages and mitigated many of the structures located in the floodplain. The OWRB continues to educate local Floodplain Administrators through its Accreditation and Training Program. With 378 Oklahoma communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the state’s training cadre works diligently to assure all FPAs are accredited on an annual basis. Currently, there are 377 certified Floodplain Managers in Oklahoma.

Financial Assistance Program

The OWRB’s Financial Assistance Program (FAP), backed by the Statewide Water Development Revolving Fund (SWDRF), awards low-interest loans and grants for the construction and improvement of water and sewer facilities. In all, the OWRB has provided the financing for more than $1.7 billion in water and sewer projects in Oklahoma over the past 25 years with a total estimated savings of more than $530 million to Oklahoma communities.

Currently, the OWRB provides approximately 65 percent of the state’s total water/wastewater financing needs. It is estimated that the FAP has been directly responsible for the creation of almost 68,000 jobs in Oklahoma with a $41-dollar direct return on investment for every dollar appropriated to the program.

The OWRB’s Bond Loan Program is the highest rated, uninsured state bond program in Oklahoma. In turn, this enables the OWRB to provide an extremely competitive interest rate on loans for community water and wastewater projects, leading to even more savings for citizens who rely so much upon dependable water supply and treatment.

The OWRB’s Emergency Grant Program, which is funded by interest earnings on the Revolving Fund, has stimulated many millions of dollars in local projects. In addition, in response to Oklahoma’s severe drought situation during 2006 and 2007, the OWRB diverted $300,000 from existing grant funds to establish a Drought Response Grant Program, thereby assisting three communities (Lone Chimney Water Association, Noble County Rural Water District No. 2, and the City of Konawa) in locating essential alternate water sources.

The Board also provides loans through the Clean Water (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Programs for various wastewater and water treatment/distribution projects, respectively, which are often required to bring borrowers into compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements. The CWSRF Loan Program provides funds for the construction of new wastewater facilities or the replacement or rehabilitation of existing facilities. To further assist the state in protecting water quality, the CWSRF has been expanded to identify priority river basins and fund eligible projects that would reduce the polluted runoff from urban and agricultural land, including, but not limited to, urban stormwater control, agricultural best practices implementation, forest and stream bank erosion control, wetland construction, land acquisition for source water protection and maintenance, and abandoned industrial site assessment and clean-up.

During FY 07, Oklahoma’s CWSRF program accomplished the following:

• Committed approximately $40.1 million in financial assistance in direct loans for projects to address enforcement orders issued by the ODEQ or EPA to eliminate contaminants.
• Made $24.1 million in direct loans to communities discharging treated effluent into priority stream segments identified as threatened or impaired in Oklahoma’s Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report.
• Provided $11.8 million in affordable financing to small communities.
• Completed construction on more than $50 million in projects for the communities of Anadarko, Morris, Oologah, Tulsa, Vinita, Ardmore, Sands Springs, and Stroud.
• Reached a cumulative federal return on investments of approximately $2.32 for every federal dollar expended.
• Maintained a historical 60% of “market rate” lending capacity by continued leveraging of federal capitalization dollars with AAA-rated state-issued bonds.

The DWSRF, a cooperative program administered jointly by the OWRB and ODEQ, was created to assist municipalities and rural water districts in constructing drinking water treatment and distribution system improvements required to comply with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). During FY 07, Oklahoma’s DWSRF program accomplished the following:

• Committed $73.7 million in eight construction loans to correct deficiencies or otherwise further the public health protection objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
• Completed construction on 10 projects totaling $82.6 million.
• Initiated five construction projects for communities with a population of 10,000 or less.
• Conducted four demonstrations and 19 training sessions to assist water systems in maintaining SDWA health objectives.

The Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) Grant Program is a point-based water and sewer grant program funded through state appropriations. In general, priority is afforded to communities with populations less than 7,000, systems with less than 525 non-pasture taps, and school districts with less than 525 students. However, as directed by the legislature, special consideration is given to communities with a population of less than 1,750.

(Please visit the Financial Assistance Program Web page for more information.)