Water Research Institute Receives $1.3M for Support of State's Water Plan

Monday, February 12, 2007

Stillwater, Okla.—The Oklahoma Water Resources Board has awarded a contract valued at $1.3M to the Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute (known as the Water Research Institute, WRI) at OSU in support of the revision of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan (OCWP).

The OCWP is Oklahoma’s official strategy for managing and protecting the State’s water resources.  While the existing Water Plan, published in 1980 and updated in 1997, includes long-range projections of statewide water use and has triggered important water policy initiatives, this new effort will result in a much more detailed strategy to meet the many new challenges posed by increased water usage and competition for available supplies.

The WRI contract includes two primary components: research and stakeholder participation.  OWRB selected WRI for this effort because of its reputation for competent and unbiased water research over four decades, as well as the experience of WRI Director Will Focht in managing stakeholder involvement efforts in watershed planning.  Through the cooperative agreement, approved by the Water Board in December, the WRI will contribute more than $1.5M of in-kind services and funds to this effort.  Combined with the OWRB’s $1.3M contribution, project funding will exceed $2.8M.

Research will focus on various priority technical issues to support water plan initiatives.  OWRB will contribute $300K to the research component; WRI will contribute $698K.  WRI will work with its Water Research Advisory Board, comprised of managers and policy leaders of 19 water resource agencies and organizations in Oklahoma, each winter to identify research priorities.  WRI will solicit research proposals each fall and award research contracts each spring in a peer-reviewed competition.  The results of these research projects will be presented at WRI’s annual water research symposium in conjunction with the Governor’s Water Conference in the fall of each year.

Extensive stakeholder participation will ensure that the planning process addresses the issues, concerns and suggestions that Oklahomans have about long-term water resource management in the state, thus increasing public support and minimizing potential controversy.  This effort will be the most ambitious and intensive stakeholder participation effort undertaken by any state in water planning.

“WRI is excited to be leading the stakeholder participation portion of this planning process.  WRI and its partners have developed a unique approach that we expect will result in a plan that is both well informed and enjoys broad public support,” said Focht.

WRI will lead the project, but will work with the OWRB, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma Association of Regional Councils of Government, Oklahoma Municipal League, Oklahoma Academy for State Goals, Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, and several other organizations to ensure that the stakeholder participation process is inclusive, transparent and fair.  OWRB will contribute $1.03M to this component of the project; WRI will contribute $627K.

“Our team is looking forward to facilitating the listening sessions throughout the state.  This is a great opportunity for the people of Oklahoma to come together and discuss an issue of great importance to the future of our state,” said Mike Langston, WRI assistant director.

The participation process will be conducted in five phases.  In phase one, WRI will lead 40 listening sessions across the state in 2007 to define the agenda for the planning process.  In phase two, eleven regional meetings will be held in 2008 to consolidate local issues into categories and discuss priorities for consideration in the planning process.  Phase three, held in late 2008 and early 2009, will include 36 planning workshops organized into 12 themes at which participants will work together with external experts to formulate alternative strategies for water management over the next 50 years.

Phase four consists of a three-day town hall meeting held in 2009 to further discuss issues and strategies aimed at reaching a consensus on a series of recommendations for the water plan.  WRI will then prepare a draft water plan and, in phase five, conduct a series of eleven regional meetings in late 2009 to obtain feedback on the draft and suggestions for plan implementation.  Stakeholder reactions and suggestions will then be communicated to the OWRB for consideration in preparing the final water plan due in 2010.

All reports, records of discussion, meeting schedules and agendas will be posted on the WRI website at http://okwaterplan.info.


About WRI:

WRI is one of 54 state and territorial water research institutes in the United States, all of which are located at land grant universities.  These institutes were created under the authority of the Federal Water Resources Research Act of 1964.  WRI has been hosted by OSU since its creation in 1965.  Though WRI is located at OSU, it serves the entire state and has funded water research projects led by investigators located at four universities.  WRI receives federal funding each year through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct water resources research that meets the needs of Oklahomans.

Federal funding varies from year to year but has averaged $92,000 annually over the last three years.  Grants awarded using USGS funds must be matched with $2 of non-federal funds for each $1 of federal funds granted.  In its 41-year history, WRI has awarded $9M (including matching funds) to support 180 water research projects.  Focht has served as director of the WRI since August 2002.