TheThe ArkansasArkansas RiverRiver ShinerShiner ImpactsImpacts onon OklahomaOklahoma WaterWater ManagementManagement
Duane A. Smith, Executive Director Oklahoma Water Resources Board Oklahoma’s Water Agency Oklahoma’s Water Resources
Annual rainfall varies from less than 18 inches to more than 54 inches.
Q Oklahoma’s climate is widely variable from west to east. Oklahoma’s Water Resources
Q 3434 majormajor reservoirsreservoirs storestore 1313 millionmillion acreacre--feetfeet ofof waterwater
Lake Eufaula: Oklahoma’s largest lake in surface area (105,000 acres)
Lake Texoma: Oklahoma’s largest lake in storage (2.6 million acre-feet) Oklahoma’s Water Resources
Q 2323 majormajor groundwatergroundwater aquifersaquifers storestore 320320 millionmillion acreacre--feetfeet ofof waterwater
Ogallala Aquifer: •Oklahoma’s largest groundwater basin; •86.6 million acre-feet in storage (enough to cover the entire state 2 feet deep).
WaterWater WellWell LogLog DatabaseDatabase Oklahoma’s Water Resources
Q IrrigationIrrigation isis thethe #1#1 useuse ofof waterwater inin Oklahoma:Oklahoma: X accountsaccounts forfor 4949 percentpercent ofof totaltotal withdrawalswithdrawals:: ) water supply = 32 percent ) stock watering = 8 percent X accountsaccounts forfor 8080 percentpercent ofof groundwatergroundwater withdrawalswithdrawals..
During a peak irrigation day (assuming 1,000 wells pumping at 1,000 gallons per minute), Texas County uses as much water as New York City during an average day. Oklahoma’s Water Resources
Q 2,6002,600 streamstream waterwater useuse permitspermits onon filefile (OWRB):(OWRB): X appropriate 2.4 million ac-ft/year Q 9,5009,500 groundwatergroundwater permits:permits: X allocate 3.2 million ac-ft/year
Authorized Annual Use City of Tulsa = 324,778 ac-ft/yr 139,000 ac-ft City of Oklahoma City = 215,463 ac-ft/yr 136,000 ac-ft
Annual Withdrawals: Texas/Cimarron/Beaver Counties = 701,000 ac-ft State Municipal Water Supply = 637,000 ac-ft Overview Oklahoma Stream Water Law
Q StreamStream waterwater isis consideredconsidered toto bebe publiclypublicly--ownedowned andand subjectsubject toto appropriationappropriation byby thethe OWRB:OWRB: X “First in time, first in right”: first person to apply for the water right establishes a right superior to later appropriators. Overview Oklahoma Groundwater Law
Q GroundwaterGroundwater isis consideredconsidered privateprivate propertyproperty thatthat belongsbelongs toto thethe overlyingoverlying surfacesurface owner,owner, althoughalthough itit isis subjectsubject toto reasonablereasonable regulationregulation byby thethe OWRB:OWRB: X The amount of groundwater apportioned is based upon the amount of land owned, generally 2 acre-feet of water per acre of land. The Arkansas River Shiner (Notropis girardi)
Q SmallSmall minnowminnow (maximum(maximum lengthlength == 22 inches).inches). Q OnceOnce inhabitedinhabited wide,wide, sandysandy--bottomedbottomed rivers/streamsrivers/streams throughoutthroughout thethe ArkansasArkansas RiverRiver BasinBasin (Kansas,(Kansas, NewNew Mexico,Mexico, Oklahoma,Oklahoma, Texas,Texas, andand Arkansas).Arkansas). Q RequiresRequires atat leastleast 8080 consecutiveconsecutive riverriver milesmiles toto completecomplete itsits lifelife cycle.cycle. The Arkansas River Shiner
Q WithinWithin thethe lastlast 2020 years,years, thethe speciesspecies hashas disappeareddisappeared fromfrom overover 80%80% ofof itsits historichistoric range.range. Historical Occurrences: O collections before 1989 O current occurrences (1989-91) The Arkansas River Shiner
Q TimelineTimeline:: X November 1998--U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists ARS as “threatened” species. X April 2001--USFWS designates critical habitat for ARS:
) “specific geographic areas that are essential to the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and that may require special management considerations”.
) the designation prohibits federally-sponsored actions on those lands that are likely to adversely modify a listed species' critical habitat. The Arkansas River Shiner
Q TimelineTimeline:: X April 2002 -- Arkansas River Shiner Coalition (including five Oklahoma farm groups) files lawsuit against USFWS citing endangerment of private property rights. The Arkansas River Shiner
Q CriticalCritical HabitatHabitat:: X 1,148 river miles in four states (New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma). X Includes 300 feet of “riparian corridor” on either side of designated rivers/streams. X In Oklahoma: ) 721 total miles, most of which includes currently “unoccupied” miles (where species no longer found); ) impacts 22 of state’s 77 counties; ) 98 percent of critical habitat area held in private ownership. ArkansasArkansas RiverRiver ShinerShiner CriticalCritical HabitatHabitat inin OklahomaOklahoma ImpactedImpacted RiversRivers
Impacted Rivers/Segments: Cimarron (including Kansas portion) = 119 miles Beaver/North Canadian = 210 miles Canadian/South Canadian = 392 miles Total = 721 miles ArkansasArkansas RiverRiver ShinerShiner CriticalCritical HabitatHabitat inin OklahomaOklahoma CimarronCimarron RiverRiver ArkansasArkansas RiverRiver ShinerShiner CriticalCritical HabitatHabitat inin OklahomaOklahoma CimarronCimarron RiverRiver
Potentially Affected Permits: Q Surface Water = 30 permits (48 diversion points) 10,592 ac-ft/yr Q Groundwater = 29 permits (49 wells) 7,239 ac-ft/yr ArkansasArkansas RiverRiver ShinerShiner CriticalCritical HabitatHabitat inin OklahomaOklahoma Beaver/NorthBeaver/North CanadianCanadian RiverRiver ArkansasArkansas RiverRiver ShinerShiner CriticalCritical HabitatHabitat inin OklahomaOklahoma Beaver/NorthBeaver/North CanadianCanadian RiverRiver
Potentially Affected Permits: Q Surface Water = 37 permits (67 diversion points) 14,077 ac-ft/yr Q Groundwater = 154 permits (491 wells) 85,836 ac-ft/yr ArkansasArkansas RiverRiver ShinerShiner CriticalCritical HabitatHabitat inin OklahomaOklahoma Canadian/SouthCanadian/South CanadianCanadian RiverRiver ArkansasArkansas RiverRiver ShinerShiner CriticalCritical HabitatHabitat inin OklahomaOklahoma Canadian/SouthCanadian/South CanadianCanadian RiverRiver
Potentially Affected Permits: Q Surface Water = 102 permits (220 diversion points) 124,709 ac-ft/yr Q Groundwater = 145 permits (403 wells) 68,354 ac-ft/yr The Critical Habitat Designation Impacts on Water Management
Q PrivatePrivate propertyproperty rightsrights:: X useuse ofof groundwater;groundwater; X useuse ofof streamstream waterwater -- domesticdomestic riparianriparian andand vestedvested appropriation.appropriation.
·HowHow willwill thethe useuse ofof waterwater disturbdisturb oror negativelynegatively impactimpact thethe shiner’sshiner’s habitat?habitat? The Critical Habitat Designation Impacts on Water Management
Q ProblemsProblems:: X WaterWater inin alluviumalluvium outsideoutside cutcut banksbanks isis privatelyprivately ownedowned groundwater;groundwater; useuse ofof alluviumalluvium groundwatergroundwater cancan affectaffect streamstream flow.flow. X ActionsActions inin 300300--footfoot riparianriparian corridorcorridor includesincludes useuse ofof groundwatergroundwater fromfrom alluviumalluvium waterwater wellswells andand useuse ofof appropriationappropriation rightsrights toto divertdivert streamstream water.water. X “Takings”“Takings” issuesissues----groundwatergroundwater andand streamstream waterwater appropriations.appropriations. The Critical Habitat Designation Impacts on Water Management
Q ProblemsProblems:: X TakingsTakings issuesissues----potentialpotential restrictionsrestrictions onon groundwatergroundwater useuse andand streamstream waterwater appropriations.appropriations. X EstablishmentEstablishment ofof criteriacriteria toto determinedetermine actionsactions likelylikely toto modifymodify criticalcritical habitat.habitat. X ImpactsImpacts ofof alluvialalluvial groundwatergroundwater useuse versusversus streamstream waterwater use.use. X CRPCRP paymentspayments andand federalfederal fundingfunding toto municipalitiesmunicipalities relyingrelying onon groundwater.groundwater. Summary
Q BalanceBalance statestate waterwater useuse withwith requirementsrequirements forfor speciesspecies protection.protection. Q CriticalCritical habitathabitat designationsdesignations shouldshould involveinvolve comprehensivecomprehensive economiceconomic analysesanalyses ofof potentialpotential impactsimpacts onon waterwater management.management. www.owrb.state.ok.us