Lawmakers Share Concerns over Possible
Sale of
Oklahoma Water to Texas
The Water Resources Board should
not have sole authority in determining whether
Oklahoma water should be sold to Texas. That’s
according state lawmakers concerned about a
proposal expected to come before the legislature
in the final days of the session.
“Attorneys for the Water Resources Board
claim we’ll be on the losing end in federal
court should our water moratorium continue.
A federal court has already struck down a similar
moratorium in New Mexico. The agency is supporting
language that would remove the legislature from
the process allowing them to decide whether
or not to sell our water,” said Sen. Jim
Wilson, D-Tahlequah.
The proposed measure calls for a review by the
Water Resources Board at least every ten years
after the issuance of a permit to sell water.
It also allows the Board to make a subjective
judgment as to the availability of water for
sale. Wilson said there should be more objective
standards.
“The problem with that is once we’ve
committed to sell the water, we’re locked
in,” Wilson said. “This proposed
legislation is supposed to help Oklahoma protect
our water rights in federal court, but there’s
a lot of financial pressure from entities in
our own state who want these sales to go through
without regard to Oklahoma’s future water
needs.”
When the issue was first debated during the
Keating administration, the amount of compensation
offered for the sale of water to Texas was deemed
far too low. Lawmakers opposing the sale argued
the compensation was simply not enough to justify
an agreement with Texas.
Senator Wilson, along with Senators Jerry Ellis,
Richard Lerblance and others are instead proposing
language that will discourage potential purchasers.
One possibility may be a gross receipt tax on
water sales.
“We simply do not want Oklahoma to get
locked into an agreement without knowing what
the long-term effect on our water supplies will
be,” Wilson said.
For more information
contact:
Sen. Wilson's Office - 405-521-5574