Water Research Projects of Interest to Conservation Efforts

The Oklahoma Conservation Commission helps fund ongoing research to yield information to improve the effective and efficient implementation of conservation efforts, including a recent research project by Oklahoma State University.  OCC, along with 23 representatives from other agencies and water professionals, also serves the Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute (OWRRI) in a consultative capacity regarding water research needs for the state, annually reviewing research proposals and hearing technical reports from previously-awarded grantees.

Recently OCC received the final report from OSU on Riparian Buffers, Floodplain Management, and Subsurface Phosphorus Transport in Alluvial Floodplains in the Ozark Plateau research study. Also, descriptions and findings of two OWRRI research projects of interest related to Oklahoma conservation work were published recently in the OWRRI 2010 Annual Report.

OCC-Commissioned Study on Subsurface Phosphorus Transport

Riparian Buffers, Floodplain Management and Subsurface Phosphorus in Alluvial Floodplains in the Ozark Plateau.

To protect and enhance the status of drinking water, aquatic ecosystems, and recreation activities, water managers need to identify critical nutrient sources and transport mechanisms within a watershed to develop strategies for reducing contaminant loads. For phosphorus, the primary transport mechanism from source areas into surface water systems is usually considered to be surface runoff, with subsurface transport considered to be negligible. However, unique local or regional conditions in some areas call for consideration of subsurface transport as a contributor to pollutant loading. (More)

Eastern Redcedar Water Use in Tallgrass Prairie

Eastern Redcedar and Water Cycle in Tallgrass Prairie

A new research study is underway to learn about eastern redcedar water usage. The project, Eastern Redcedar and Water Cycle in Tallgrass Prairie, is a three-year collaborative effort by Oklahoma State University and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Oklahoma Water Science Center. The study focuses on the invasion of eastern redcedar into the state’s tallgrass prairie. The study is seeking answers to how the spread of eastern redcedar in the state will affect stream flow and water supply in the Great Plains states where water shortages are increasing. (More)

Groundwater Pumping and Stream Depletion

Stream Depletion by Ground Water Pumping: A Stream Depletion Factor for the State of Oklahoma

Another research project reported on in the OWRRI 2010 Annual Report is titled Stream Depletion by Ground Water Pumping: A Stream Depletion Factor for the State of Oklahoma. The goal of this research is to develop a stream depletion factor for analyzing the impact of groundwater pumping on stream flow. Two major alluvial river systems in Oklahoma, the North Canadian and Washita Rivers, were selected as test subjects. (More)