Published: March 30, 2007 09:05 am      

Series of water meetings set

The Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) and the Water Research Institute (WRI) at Oklahoma State University are conducting 42 pubic meetings across the state to receive citizen input on revising the state-wide Water Plan.

“These meetings are an opportunity for residents in the state to come to the meetings with their suggestions or concerns,” said Jeri Fleming, WRI Stakeholder Communications Specialist.

Types of issues that citizens may express concern over could include water quality, water quantity, or policy issues.

The meetings are not limited to any certain type of water customer. Those with private wells and those on rural and city water alike may attend the meetings and express concerns or give suggestions.

The first meeting will be held in Beaver on April 12 at the Beaver County Fairgrounds Pavilion at 6:30 p.m.

There will also be a meeting in Goodwell April 19 and in Woodward April 26.

The meetings are the beginning of a four-year plan to revise Oklahoma’s Water Plan.

After the 42 local input meetings 11 regional meetings will be held. The regional meetings are also open to the public.

After the regional meetings have been held there will be one Town Hall meeting in which a draft Water Plan will be devised.

After the draft is devised there will be 11 more regional meetings for public input and from the draft and the input the official Water Plan will be drawn.

Reports of all meetings will be available for viewing at the WRI website http://okwaterplan.info which also has a complete list of meetings in the state.

Anyone with questions may e-mail the WRI at waterplan@okstate.edu or call Jeri Fleming at (405) 744-9994.