Bill > HB1588

This bill creates the Spring Creek Watershed Study Act, which directs the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to conduct a comprehensive water quality study of the Spring Creek watershed, located in Cherokee, Delaware, and Mayes counties. The legislation recognizes that increasing agricultural and residential development, along with stream bank erosion, have negatively impacted the water quality of this Ozark stream. The bill requires the Commission to develop a watershed-based water quality plan focused on voluntary, incentive-based conservation practices, with a mandatory electronic report to be published by June 1, 2026. The Commission is authorized to collaborate with federal agencies like the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and may seek grants and other funding sources to support the study. Additionally, the bill establishes a new revolving fund in the state treasury called the "Spring Creek Watershed Study Cash Fund Revolving Fund" to support the study's implementation, which can receive legislative appropriations, gifts, and grants from public and private sources. The ultimate goal is to protect and improve the aquatic habitat and water quality in the Spring Creek watershed through cooperative, voluntary actions by local communities and stakeholders. The act is set to become effective on November 1, 2025.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb1588&Session=2600