Members Report – Lake Level Petition

At last week’s GRDA board meeting, I was on the agenda and presented nearly 3,000 signatures supporting the restoration of a minimum lake level of 742’. I asked the board to direct the GRDA staff to explore the alternative options which might replace the existing program to benefit the migrating water fowl. During my presentation, I commented on two possible alternatives. One was to replace the seeding of 1100 acres that become exposed when the lake level is dropped prior to Labor Day with Japanese Millet with an off project program. The second possibility was to explore the seeding program only be utilized above the 742’ elevation. I endorsed neither of these two options and left the analysis to the experts.

I felt like our comments were well received and Director Frost pointed out to the other members of the board  the significance of 3,000 signatures along with the endorsement of the South Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the Grand Lake Association. He pointed out to the others that this board had considered as few as twenty concerned stakeholders as significant in the past and this initiative dwarfed anything they had seen before.

CEO Kevin Easley addressed the board at the conclusion of my comments and suggested it was time the authority look at solving this problem. He suggested that I attend the next meeting of their Technological Committee which is scheduled to meet in January. That group is made up of both federal and state wildlife, the Department of Interior, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, GRDA, two OSU professors and some others. As Easley pointed out, if we could get this group to support this movement, it would stand a lot better chance of being accepted at the federal level.

We’re still a ways from impacting this issue, but we’re light years closer than we were a short six months ago. One of the spin-offs from this project is we’ve developed a large data base to mobilize with respect to future issues… especially the SMP. Have a great holiday in Grand fashion!

Cheers