The Water Resource Management Office develops subprojects that protect consumptive and non-consumptive water uses, monitors all water resources to avoid long-term degradation, and implementation of the Water Settlement provisions focusing on long-term sustainability of Choctaw Nation Reservation water resources. By facilitating numerous types of sustainable water solutions in a variety of sectors from infrastructural improvements, water supply analysis, and the development of water conservation and drought contingency plans, the Water Resource Management Office upholds the cultural values and environmental spirit and stewardship of the Choctaw Nation.
To effectively combat threats to our water resources and aquatic ecosystems we collaborate with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, in addition to internal departments to pursue the best sustainable water solutions for our reservation.
Urban, town, and rural community needs; industrial and agricultural community needs; and tourism needs for sustained and reliable water resources within the Choctaw Nation reservation.
Services
- Water-related infrastructural evaluations for water providers
- Assists Choctaw Nation Reservation rural water districts and local municipalities with water-related infrastructure planning and assessment needs to help provide clean, safe, and reliable drinking water to Reservation citizens.
- Drought contingency and emergency planning for regional water providers
- Partners with sister tribes and water providers within the reservation to proactively mitigate drought impacts that may affect aspects of cultural, economic, environmental, wildlife, and human health.
- Holistic hydrologic modeling of Choctaw Nation reservation watersheds
- Partners with the State of Oklahoma, universities, and sister tribes to develop hydrologic models for proper water management accounting of water resources within the Choctaw Nation Reservation.
- Clean Water Act 106 sampling and analysis of regional watersheds
- The Office of Water Resource Management conducts surface water quality sampling to identify water quality impairments and develop potential solutions to those impairments, while collecting baseline water quality datasets throughout the Choctaw Nation Reservation.
- Assist community leaders and water providers with evaluations of vulnerabilities to water resources and water-related infrastructure due to climate change impacts and develop adaptation measures
- Assist water providers in locating state and federal dollars to improve water infrastructural needs
- Choctaw Nation Water Resource Management Office partners with the State of Oklahoma and sister tribes to develop economic reports of the value of all waters within the Choctaw Nation Reservation.
- Non-Point Source Pollution Assessment & Strategic Watershed Planning
- Choctaw Nation Water Resource Management Office conducts watershed management planning activities to identify, address, and resolve non-point source pollution sources, while strategically planning the implementation of best management practices to increase watershed health and economic value.