Water concerns in Southeastern Oklahoma are gaining momentum as Sen. George Burns convenes with state agencies and locals. The recent meeting, highlighted by Oklahoma State Senate's press release, has pointed to serious apprehensions regarding environmental and public health impacts due to water permits issued for a poultry farm and a marijuana grow operation near Garvin, Oklahoma.
Community members are not standing down; their strong opposition is against the potential for groundwater depletion and environmental degradation that these permits could cause, in particular with a landmark 65 poultry houses surrounding the town, where only one is owned by a local. While the presence of such operations speaks to economic interest, it has also sparked formal protests with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB), seeking to foreground the balance between commerce and preservation "Protecting our water resources is a priority, especially when it comes to safeguarding the rights and livelihoods of our local communities," Burns argued, emphasizing the necessity of a calculated approach in permit issuance, in a statement obtained by the Oklahoma State Senate.
According to the current Oklahoma statutes, landowners can apply for groundwater permits for commercial ventures like the aforementioned farms, these applications must be publicized through local media and landowners must be notified - which opens the door for the kind of formal objections seen in Garvin. Concerns that have been raised encompass fears of insufficient spacing between proposed and existing wells, prospects of depleted water supplies, lowered property values and a general decline in environmental quality.
Addressing the protests, OWRB Executive Director Julie Cunningham announced in the press release, "The water rights permitting process includes a public notice phase and OWRB has received many protests to these applications" and while no hearing has been scheduled yet, they "will receive evidence and comment regarding the applications" at the upcoming session. The OWRB is also collaborating with the USGS to update the water availability study on the Antlers groundwater basin, with results expected to roll out in the summer of 2025, which could potentially inform the long-term management strategies for the area's water resources.
