Some state lawmakers have characterized water as the biggest issue facing the state in 2013. And StateImpact Oklahoma’s reporting indicates it’s an issue that won’t be going anywhere for decades to come, even if drought conditions improve.
Four stays have been issued in the case — the last in mid-February — and it looks like both sides still need more time to come to an agreement.
“Extreme” and “exceptional” drought persists throughout much of the state, especially in southwestern Oklahoma. Low reservoir levels have forced city officials in Altus to issue emergency water restrictions, and Oklahomans throughout the region are worried about the future. Associated Press reporter Sharon Cohen interviewed Kent Walker, a farmer and rancher who lives near Frederick. Last [...]
Emergency conservation orders have been issued in Altus, a drought-ravaged city in southwestern Oklahoma. While spring rains have improved statewide drought conditions, many parts of the state are still suffering, data from the U.S. Drought Monitor show. To put the geographic disparity into perspective: Oklahoma City had more rain in April than Altus has received [...]
Balancing the state’s water needs isn’t just about permits and pipelines. It’s political. And Oklahoma City is a case study in how local water policy can have unintended consequences at the state capitol. The city, state and tribes are wrestling over the $80 million needed to complete the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum, a $150 million project that [...]
Spring rains have started to fill rivers and reservoirs, and helped bring relief to parts of drought-stricken Oklahoma. But what falls from the sky is only part of the equation. In Oklahoma, droughts are meteorological — and agricultural. And researchers at Oklahoma State University say soil data is key to understanding drought and its impact [...]
Oklahoma’s drought has lessened a bit, data from the U.S. Drought Monitor show. Drought conditions remain in 72 percent of the state, an improvement from the 82 percent recorded in mid-April, the latest data show. Much of the drought improvement is concentrated in eastern Oklahoma counties. Areas of “extreme” and “exceptional” drought persist in the [...]
Attorneys representing Oklahoma and Texas argued Tarrant v. Herrmann at the U.S. Supreme Court. The case concerns water in the Red River, and experts say it’s a regional water fight that could impact national water-sharing agreements. The Supreme Court has released a transcript of today’s arguments. The above transcript is preliminary. The court’s disclaimer: “Same-day [...]
The final battle in the Oklahoma-Texas water war will be fought Tuesday in the U.S. Supreme Court. Texas says the three decades-old Red River Compact entitles it to some of Oklahoma’s water resources. Oklahoma says it doesn’t have to let Texas tap its supply. The ripples of this regional fight could affect water policy across the [...]
Tulsa’s water system is one of the largest in the state, and as StateImpact has reported, serves rural water districts and communities well beyond the city limits. And it’s been lucky. The recent drought hasn’t been as severe for the Tulsa area, and it’s in the eastern half of the state, where most of the [...]
OKC Water Utilities Trust says it’s getting more serious about enforcing conservation measures, and will propose some tough changes at a public hearing on Tuesday.
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