Monday, December 20, 2010

SE OK Water: tussling with OKC (intrastate), or Texas, or commercial interests and ecological concerns, water's the word

(Richardson, Texas, blog)

Whiskey's for drinkin and water's for fightin.

Here is a video about one of southeast Oklahoma's major water sources, the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer, narrated by Dennis Weaver before he passed away in 2006. Even if you are not interested in water (but you should be), it is a relaxing lunch time or whenever time nature type video to watch if you have twelve minutes.

A few things in the courts and lege have happened over the last five years in regards to SE OK water but some of the most hotly contested items are in the pending stage. It's worth a watch for anyone interested in water resources.

I had posted a link earlier in the year about Tarrant (Texas) Regional Water District (TRWD) and its try at getting ahold of OK Water. (In that case, trying to get Red River bound water before it crosses from OK into Texas. It picks up salt once it crosses over or into the Red River making it more expensive to prepare for use so grabbing it further north is one plan still at hand. The SE OK/Sardis Lake to OKC municipal water contract battle comes into play because TRWD here is opposing the language in the intra Oklahoma transfer of water rights contract because their contract inside of Oklahoma says out of state water sales are prohibited, which TRWD (who is out of state) argues is unconstitutional when it comes to a reservoir that was federally funded (similar "federal/this water is our water too" argument OKC used in the first place to get the water contract between the Oklahoma locations in the works, to get the Corp-built Sardis Lake water. Most residents around Sardis Lake are opposed to the water from their location going to Oklahoma City area because it threatens their poor (unwealthy) county's economy and environment. OKC is set to have 90% rights to the Sardis Lake water).

Some accuse that TRWD itself wants Sardis Lake water too, not only OKC, no matter who TRWD can buy it from, but wanting it for the Barnett Shale operations in Texas, not for mere thirsty Texans, a claim denied. OK is working on its state water plan, as should some other states be).

SE OK sources like Sardis and Hugo ( see, Irving Texas) and Arbuckle-Simpson are eyed for use beyond SE OK, so it's like a case of, "You too? Get in line." That reminds me, I have a clip I will share soon about the documentary called, Gasland (directed by Josh Fox).