U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and other state and local dignitaries attended a ceremony on Friday that will help mark the City’s next step in securing long-term potable water supply for Bartlesville and the surrounding area.
The City of Bartlesville Water Supply Signing Ceremony was held June 19 at the Tower Center at Unity Square, which was recently completed thanks to voter approved 2018 General Obligation Bond funding.
The ceremony marked 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 Inhofe authored in America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. The agreement has been sought since studies following the 2001-02 Bartlesville drought indicated obtaining potable water from Copan Lake was the City’s most feasible option for drought management into the foreseeable future.
“Throughout these years Sen. Inhofe has been a constant supporter and advocate for our desire to obtain access to Copan Lake water rights at an affordable cost,” Mayor Dale Copeland said before presenting Inhofe with a plaque expressing appreciation on behalf of the City. “Through the many twists and turns of those years he was always ready and willing to aid and
advance our efforts. He was a critical and a key part of the success we celebrate today. Thank you, senator, for all you do for this city, this state and our nation.”
For more information, see:
Inhofe to attend water signing ceremony
City of Bartlesville: Water, then and now
City gets OK for water reuse system grant
