Lawton Joins Altus, Ardmore and Durant in Early Talks on a Cross-State Water Pipeline

Lawton leaders took a first, non-binding step Tuesday toward a water idea that’s been floating around Oklahoma since the late 1970s. The City Council approved a memorandum of understanding with Altus, Ardmore and Durant to keep exploring a public entity that would acquire water rights and build a pipeline carrying water from eastern Oklahoma into the southwest part of the state.

Altus City Manager Gary Jones told Southwest Oklahoma media the system could move 40 to 50 million gallons a day as supplemental water, not a replacement supply, for the four cities plus Fort Sill and Altus Air Force Base. Construction would be phased, with Durant first, then Ardmore, Lake Waurika, Fort Sill and Tom Steed Reservoir. Possible water sources include reused paper mill water in Valliant, Arkansas supplies and wells.

Two things to keep in mind: the MOU commits nobody to building anything, and major questions about cost, water rights held by the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, and what counts as surplus water are all still unanswered. A similar concept went through an Oklahoma Water Resources Board study from 1975 to 1980 and never became a project.

What would you want answered before Lawton signs on to something bigger than a study?