The Norman Transcript

Editorials

Discussion

March 16, 2013

Supreme Court gets look at dispute

The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — Long before the Midwest became parched from three years of drought, thirsty communities in north Texas had their eyes on water in southeastern Oklahoma.

Oklahoma officials slow played the offers and a Texas water district in 2007 took the state to court to force the issue. Oklahoma water managers have won at the federal District Court and appellate level but the issue will be heard before the U.S. Supreme Court next month.

The head of Oklahoma’s Water Resource Board J.D. Strong told a business group this week that oral arguments in the Texas case will be heard April 23 in the U.S. Supreme Court. The court’s ruling in Oklahoma’s favor could be a major step for the state in advancing its long-range water plan.

Strong said lawsuits from Native American tribes claiming rights to water are progressing through mediation. It’ll take some concessions on all sides to solve the state’s water issues.

The state’s 2060 water plan projects water demand, like our population, will grow by a third over the next 50 years. A goal set by the governor was to use no more fresh water in 2060 than is used today.

That’s an ambitious goal that will require use of reclaimed water, drought-resistant landscaping and other innovative ways to reuse water. The water board also projected $82 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 50 years.

For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Editorials
  • A short drought reprieve

    Oklahoma’s current respite from the drought may be short-lived. We’ve yet to reach 100-degree days where water use hits the peak and Norman turns the valve to buy water from Oklahoma City....

    June 18, 2013

  • Summertime warnings

    State and local health departments are sending out summer activity warnings. In recent weeks, we’ve received rabies, mosquito and teen driver warnings....

    June 18, 2013

  • Norman by the numbers

    Quick. What’s Norman’s current population? As of this week, city officials set the mark at 114,450. It seems like only months ago, we were passing 100,000 residents, including University of Oklahoma students....

    June 14, 2013

  • Court’s ruling ensures state has water access

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday, denying Texas access to Oklahoma water flowing within our state will help ensure the state’s water supply for generations to come....

    June 14, 2013

  • Live, die by sales tax

    Norman’s on-again, off-again love affair with the municipal sales tax has taken a hiatus. The numbers are up only slightly and less than what was projected in the city’s fiscal budget....

    June 13, 2013

  • A needed extension

    Gov. Mary Fallin took another walking tour of damaged Moore neighborhoods Wednesday. It comes as the governor requested and was approved for an extension of the federal major disaster declaration....

    June 13, 2013

  • Heat arrived suddenly

    The heat, which had stayed away from Oklahoma for most of May, has caught us by surprise this week....

    June 12, 2013

  • Meth addicts getting notice about law

    Oklahoma was one of the leaders in limiting sales of over-the-counter medicine containing pseudoephedrine. Meth cooks learned long ago that they could manufacture methamphetamine with cold pills and a few other ingredients....

    June 12, 2013

  • NSA spy case begs review

    The disclosure of widespread surveillance of Americans’ phone records and of Internet data on foreigners and some Americans has created strange bedfellows among critics and defenders....

    June 12, 2013

  • Storm chasers, safety

    The death of four storm chasers in Oklahoma last month has raised new questions about the practice that became popular with the movie “Twister.” Three scientists and one amateur tornado chaser died in the tornado that came through El Reno ...

    June 11, 2013