Published: August 19, 2008 11:20 am            

Fifty year plan on tap at water meeting

Members of Oklahoma State University’s Water Research Institute are traveling back to McAlester this week to seek more public input on water issues.

A public Regional Input Meeting is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Southeast Expo Center about three miles west of McAlester on U.S. Highway 270.

The Thursday meeting is the second step in a five-pronged process to come up with a statewide water plan.

McAlester is the site of the Regional 11 meetings. The Water Research Institute traveled to McAlester last November to hold its initial local input meeting.

While 42 Local Input Meetings were held across the state last year, only 11 Regional Input meetings are planned.

During the meeting, a discussion will be held so that area residents can discuss issues that deserve priority in the planning process for the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan.

Barbara Gilbertson, of Eastern Oklahoma State College, has been named as a member to the local board discussing the water issues.

She noted that one of the main issues which came up at the last meeting concerned moving water from Southeastern Oklahoma to Texas or to metropolitan areas.

“We’ve got to make sure we have the water we need for the next 50 years,” she said, noting how closely water can be tied to economic development.

On Thursday night, members of the OSU Water Research Institute are also expected to bring those in attendance up to date on what’s transpired since the meeting held last November.

Other meetings expected to be held as part of the process are a planning workshop meeting in 2009, a three-day town hall meeting in 2010 and a regional feedback meeting expected to be set in early 2011.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.

        

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