The City of Bartlesville Water Supply Signing ceremony set for 11 a.m. March 18 has been postponed.
The event was planned to help mark an agreement between the City of Bartlesville and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that allows the City to purchase water rights at Copan Lake at a reasonable cost, which is now possible thanks to a provision in America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.
The author of the provision, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), was the scheduled feature speaker for the ceremony but has returned to Washington D.C. in light of recent events involving the coronavirus Covid-19 in the U.S.
“The ability to purchase water rights at Copan Lake has been a long and difficult process, taking more than a decade to secure — and Senator Inhofe is largely to thank for that,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “So we want to choose a time for this ceremony when he is available, and we want the public to feel comfortable to attend as well. Due to this, we have decided to postpone this event to a later date.”