Oklahoma Update

1
Oklahoma Update

• Lou Klaver, Chief
• Planning Management Division
• Oklahoma Water Resources Board

2
Oklahoma experienced all-time record rainfall
totals during the summer of 2007

• February 1--severe winter storms
• June 6--severe storms, flooding and tornado
• July 7--severe storms, floods and tornado
• August 24--severe storms, floods and tornado
• August 31--severe storms, floods and tornado

3

• Tropical Storm ErinAugust 18
• settled into central Oklahoma, increasing in size
  and caused widespread flooding, including dam
  failures.

4
Carnegie Road Disappeared
5

Carnegie Bridge Out
6
Chickasha
7
Kingfisher
8
Kingfisher Downtown
9
Kingfisher Hwy 33
10
McLoud
11
Norman
12

Norman
13
Piedmont
14
Seminole
15

Shawnee FireLake Grocery
16
Yukon
17
Private Lake (Caddo Co.)
18
Private Lake (Caddo Co.)
19
Sugar Creek (Caddo Co.)
20
Sugar Creek (Caddo Co.)
21
Sugar Creek (Caddo Co.)
22
Private Lake South of Blanchard
23
American Horse Lake
24
American Horse Lake
25
American Horse Lake
26
American Horse Lake
27
Arbuckle-Simpson Hydrology Study

• The most comprehensive study of water resources
  ever undertaken in Oklahoma.

28
Arbuckle-Simpson Hydrology Study

• Scheduled for completion in 2008.
• Results will be used to determine the amount of
  water that can be withdrawn from the aquifer
  while protecting the regions springs and
  streams.
• This will be the first groundwater basin for
  which the impact on surface water will be
  considered in the allocation of groundwater
  rights.

29
Major Aquifers in Oklahoma
30
(No Transcript)
31
Senate Bill 288

• Moratorium
• Conducts and completes a hydrological study
• Approves a maximum annual yield that will not
  reduce the natural flow of water from springs or
  streams emanating from the basin

32
Putting the pieces together

• Surface Water
• 3 USGS gages
• 12 monitoring stations
• Synoptic measurements
• Rainfall-runoff modeling
• Instream flow study

• Geology
• Petroleum information
• Fracture properties
• Geophysics
• Deep test well
• 3-D geologic modeling

• Ground Water
• Water-level monitoring
• Water chemistry
• Age-dating
• Aquifer tests
• Water use
• Modeling

• Climate
• Fittstown Mesonet station
• Tree-ring analysis
• Hydrologic budget

33
26 ft
5.84 in rain 19 ft
5.06 in rain 2 ft
5.84 in rain 19 ft
5.06 in rain 2 ft
-24 ft
34
Plans for Year 5

• Complete instream flow study
• Conduct model simulations
• Solicit input from stakeholders
• Evaluate management options
• Submit results to the Board for consideration

35
Update of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan

• Oklahomas long-range water management strategy
• Last update in 1997
• A more aggressive strategy to address future
  water supply challenges
• Scheduled for completion in 2011

36
Update of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan

• Goals
• Provide safe and dependable water supply for all
  Oklahomans while improving the economy and
  protecting the environment.
• Provide information so that water providers,
  policy-makers, and water users can make informed
  decisions concerning the use and management of
  Oklahomas water resources.

37
(No Transcript)
38
Update of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan

• Recent Developments
• At its September meeting, the OWRB approved an
  agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation to fund
  a portion of Water Plan-related projects
• The OWRB and its lead engineering firm (CDM) are
  working to develop a plan and method to conduct
  Water Plan technical studies through agreements
  with the Corps of Engineers
• The last of 42 public input meetings was held on
  November 15 in Idabel, Oklahoma
• Wide array of comments on water-related issues

39
OCWP Local Input Meetings
AprilNovember 2007 42 meetings
40
Update of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan

• Current/Future Issues
• Review of Oklahoma Water Law
• Revisit current water rights administration
  procedures
• Conjunctive Use of Groundwater and Stream Water
• Protection of Instream Flows
• Optimization of Reservoir Operations
• Threatened/Endangered Species
• Utilization of Scientific/Technical Resources to
  Enhance Water Management
• Data Collection/Management Modeling

41
(No Transcript)