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Oct 25, 2008 1:23 pm US/Central
Dallas Joins Water Fight
TULSA, Okla. (AP) ―
The Dallas City Council has approved an agreement with other north Texas entities to pressure the state of Oklahoma into selling them water.
The council has joined forces with the Tarrant Regional Water District, which is suing Oklahoma over a moratorium passed by the Legislature that bars the sale of water until a comprehensive study assessing the state's long-term needs is completed.
The district, which includes Fort Worth, wants Oklahoma to build an extensive pipeline network and transport water from southeastern Oklahoma across the Red River.
"I'm not surprised that Dallas has joined this effort," Duane Smith of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board said Friday. Smith also said he didn't think the new agreement would affect the ban on out-of-state water sales.
According to the Texas agreement, the Tarrant district will be the lead agency in negotiating with Oklahoma officials. The North Texas Water District, representing several cities east of Dallas, also teamed with the Tarrant district.
"We think allowing the Metroplex to speak with one voice will be much more effective," said Wayne Owen, planning director for the Tarrant Regional Water District. "If Oklahoma recognizes the potential of marketing this resource, at some point Dallas would be a prospective client."
Texas officials would prefer that Oklahoma enter into an agreement to sell water to them instead of awaiting a resolution to the lawsuit, which could take years. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Oklahoma City is being appeal to the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.
Texas officials say that if they succeed through the courts, Oklahoma could be forced to give, rather than sell, water to Texas.
Currently, water is being piped from southern Oklahoma to Oklahoma City, which has provided the pipeline to transport the water but not paid for it.
If the Texas lawsuit is successful, it could force Oklahoma to treat out-of-state customers the same as it does in-state customers.
Texas would have to pay only for building a pipeline, which would cost tens of millions of dollars.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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