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SENATE FLOOR VERSION
March 5, 2025
AS AMENDED
SENATE BILL NO. 91 By: Woods
[ water quality study - advisory groups - reporting
requirement - fund - codification - effective date ]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3 -7-111 of Title 27A, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Spring
Creek Watershed Study Act”.
B. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission, in partnership with
other local, state, and federal agencies and non -governmental
organizations shall undertake a comprehensive water quality study of
the Spring Creek Watershed located in Cherokee, Delaware, and Mayes
counties near Kansas, Oklahoma. The study shall examine methods to
protect and improve the health of the aquatic habitat in the
watershed. The findings of the study shall be used to implement
voluntary, incentive -based conservation practices by the Commission
in partnership with other local, state, and federal agencies .
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Implementation of study findings shall be subject to availability of
resources.
C. There is hereby created th e Spring Creek Watershed Water
Quality Advisory Group , organized by the Commission and the local
conservation districts in the watershed. The advisory group shall
consist of the following members:
1. Three members representing the local conservation dist ricts
in the watershed, appointed by the Commission ;
2. Three local landowners, appointed by the local conservation
districts in the watershed, who predominantly reside in the
watershed full time and who represent major types o f land management
in the watershed including, but not limited to , poultry production,
livestock grazing, and forest ry land management;
3. One landowner, appointed by the local conservation districts
in the watershed, who predominantly resides outside the watershed;
4. One member representing the municipal government of Kansas,
Oklahoma, appointed by the Commission ;
5. One member representing the municipal government of Oaks,
Oklahoma, appointed by the Commission ; and
6. Any other members deemed necessar y for inclusion by the
Advisory Group, to be appointed by the Commission .
D. In addition to the advisory group described in subsection C
of this section, a technical advisory group shall be established to
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support the efforts of the study. Membership of the technical
advisory group shall consist of:
1. The Secretary of Agriculture or his or her designee;
2. The Executive Director of the Department of Environmental
Quality or his or her designee;
3. One member representing the Natural Resources Conservat ion
Service of the United St ates Department of Agriculture (USDA NRCS);
4. One member representing the Farm Service Agency of the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA FSA);
5. One member representing the Grand River Dam Authority;
6. One member representing the Department of Wildlife
Conservation;
7. One member representing the National Watershed Coalition;
and
8. One member representing the Cherokee Nation.
E. Members of the advisory groups described in subsections C
and D of this section shall serve without compensati on. The
Commission shall provide the physical space for meetings of the
advisory groups and administrative support as needed. Upon
appointment of all members to the advisory groups, the Commission
shall schedule their first meetings. At the first meetin g, the
advisory groups shall elect a chair and a vice chair. Any vacancies
on the advisory groups shall be filled in the same manner as
provided for in this section.
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F. The advisory group , with support from the technical advis ory
group, shall:
1. Assist the Commission in developing the report required by
subsection G of this section ;
2. Recommend policies or programs to incentivize participation
in voluntary efforts to protect the water quality and aquatic
habitat of the region. Such recommendations sh all take into account
optimization of existing state and federal resources and
initiatives, including the state water quality program, the USDA FSA
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), the USDA NRCS
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQI P), the USDA Small
Watershed Program, the USDA NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program
(CSP), the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, the USDA NRCS
Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and any other
appropriate state or federal voluntary pro gram identified by the
advisory group; and
3. Identify and recommend strategies for implementation of the
reported recommendations and findings .
G. On or before June 1, 2026, the Commission shall publish an
electronic report of the Spring Creek Watershed Study findings on a
publicly available website . The Commission may, from time to time,
update such findings as conditions change and pertinent information
becomes available.
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H. The Commission may contract and cooperate with the Natural
Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of
Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct
activities provided for in this section.
I. The Commission may apply for and accept grants, gifts, or
other sources of public and private funds to carry out the purposes
of the Spring Creek Watershed Study Act.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3-7-112 of Title 27A, unless
there is created a duplication in numbe ring, reads as follows:
There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
for the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to be designated the
“Spring Creek Watershed Study Revolving Fund ”. The fund shall be a
continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall
consist of all monies received by the Commission from appropriations
by the Legislature to the fund, and any money received as gifts,
grants, or other contributions from public or private sources
provided for the purpose of impl ementing the Spring Creek Watershed
Study Act. All monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby
appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the Commission for
the purpose provided for in the Spring Creek Watershed Study Act.
Expenditures from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the
State Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the
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Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for
approval and payment.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
March 5, 2025 - DO PASS