Lake funding still big concern

By Loné Beasley

August 22, 2007 11:49 am

— Consultants studying the feasibility of constructing a lake for the Ada area said Tuesday their geological research indicated no reason the project, including building a dam at the site, could not be completed successfully.
Larry Roach, Guernsey consultants' spokesman, said the proposed Scissortail Reservoir could be counted on to provide a safe and dependable water supply, enhance economic development, and improve quality of life for a growing population 100 years after completion. He said it would also protect against a once in 10,000-year flood created by over 15 inches of rain in one hour or 40 inches in 72 hours. Roach presented his firm's findings to an Ada city advisory group appointed to provide local resident feedback to the proposal.
Most of the discussion that followed did not question the viability of the proposed lake but paying its estimated $90 million to $185 million-price tag. One option is to finance it with a penny sales tax and increased water rates.
“I want to be clear that you are recommending an increase in Ada's sales tax by one penny, as well as increasing Ada water rates,” said Tom Bolitho, citizen advisory member. Bolitho said he thinks Scissortail Lake is worth pursuing and that he had received many comments from residents interested in the lake as a recreation destination point and as an economic development driver, but that alternative forms of financing should be investigated.
“I don't know many communities that are higher than 9.18 cents (in sales tax),” said Ray James, Ada resident. “I would hope that a penny will come off before we add another.”
David Hendricks, Ada city engineer, said it is up to Ada residents whether or not a lake will be built. “It's up to you,” Hendricks said. “You have to decide. If citizens want the lake, they're going to have to vote for it. It's going to have to come from the public what they want to do.”
Barbara Young, Ada city councilor, agreed the decision is up to residents. “I think the public must answer the question of whether they want a clean water supply or recreation or both,” Young said. “These are two separate questions. If you're looking for tourism and water supply, what do you want and what do you want to pay for?”
Dick Scalf, Ada city councilor, said options should not be limited to building or not building a lake. “We must not just limit it to a lake or nothing, but look at all the options,” Scalf said. “Another option is buying additional water rights. We may have to buy another 30,000 acres of groundwater rights, which would provide about six million gallons a day,” he said.
“We should also examine the possibility of building a recharge structure over the aquifer,” Young said.
Roach said financing options will be more fully explored in his company's phase three presentation. Other funding, he said, might come from an Oklahoma Water Resources Board bond loan, municipal bonds, Oklahoma Tourism Development Act, and others.
Guernsey officials said projected costs of the project include construction of a dam and a water treatment plant, Highway 19 relocation, and land acquisition.
Guernsey's research predicts Ada will grow from its current population of just under 16,000 to 18,650 by the year 2040. County population is expected to increase from 35,000 to 41,800.
Roach said current water usage is 5.8 million gallons a day. Scissortail lake is expected to provide 11.9 million gallons of water daily up to 19 million gallons daily 100 years after completion.
Water rights across Oklahoma are under scrutiny. Oklahoma Water Resources Board has commissioned a number of listening conferences in communities across the state, including Ada. Mike Mathis, Guernsey consultant, said the listening conferences were producing citizen comments that pointed to more conservative water policies and a change in Oklahoma water philosophy.
Mathis has said previously that he anticipates OWRB will eventually restrict the ”mining” of water through the water rights structure. Currently, Oklahoma landowners who also own mineral rights are granted two acre-feet of water rights for every acre of land they own. Under new guidelines being discussed, Mathis said water rights could conceivably be reduced to as little as one-quarter acre-foot of water per acre of land owned. An acre-foot of water is about 325,000 gallons. Mathis said this anticipated change in Oklahoma water rights calculation will affect municipalities as well as individual landowners.