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U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe and other state and local dignitaries attended a ceremony on a rainy Friday morning at the Tower Center at Unity Square that marks the next step in securing a long-term potable water supply for Bartlesville and the surrounding area.

Mayor Dale Copeland said the City of Bartlesville’s Water Supply Signing Ceremony marks the conclusion of a process that took nearly two decades to complete. Copeland said Sen. Inhofe has been a constant supporter and advocate for Bartlesville's desire to obtain reliable, dependable and affordable water access.

Pictured to the right is Mayor Copeland signing the official documents with Colonel Scott Preston with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They are also pictured below, shaking hands once the final paperwork in the agreement was signed.

The agreement between the City of Bartlesville and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which allows the city to purchase water rights at Copan Lake at a reasonable cost, is possible thanks to a provision Sen. Inhofe authored in America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. As soon as the contract was executed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Friday, the City of Bartlesville received immediate access to this water through their existing infrastructure, and for the first time since they began pursuing this avenue in 2007, the City of Bartlesville will have another water source to combat a drought emergency.

The City of Bartlesville Water Resources Committee was formed in 2003 to seek new avenues for water supply sources after severe drought conditions hit the area in 2001-02. In 2006 the City contracted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a study to determine the most economical water supply. The Corps completed the report and recommendations in December 2007, and at that time the City began petitioning the Corps of Engineers for a reduction in the cost of water supply at the lake. Prior to the implementation of Inhofe’s provision, water rights at Copan Lake were set at a cost of nearly $2,000 per acre-foot. Today, Bartlesville is able to purchase water storage at the lake for approximately $70 per acre-foot.

Former Mayor Ted Lockin and other former mayors (pictured below with Sen. Inhofe) that made the agreement possible were in attendance. Mayor Copeland said Mayor Lockin was there in the beginning when the City of Bartlesville's main water source - Hulah Lake - was almost dried up; you could almost walk across the lake at the time. He said Bartlesville was in danger of severe water rationing limits, and the decision was made to look for alternate supplies of dependable water that could serve the community in the years to come.

Lockin started the Water Resources Committee. Former Mayor (and current State Senator) Julie Daniels and former mayor Tom Gorman followed in Lockin's steps to make this agreement possible. Ed Gordan, former city manager of Bartlesville, was also in attendance and recognized during the ceremony.

It was decided over the years that Copan Lake would be the closest and best water source that could provide Bartlesville with the resource it needs. Mayor Copeland said initial pricing made it prohibitive in the beginning, and the City of Bartlesville did not think that they could not go to the citizens and request the kind of costs that would be incurred for that source of water. He said many years, many hours, many false starts, and  many dead ends made the process long and arduous, but they had a lot of dedicated and thoughtful people that made the water rights possible. Those people were commended for their hard work and their heavy lifting that led them to complete a loft goal.

Mayor Copeland presented Sen. Inhofe a token of appreciation on Friday. A plaque with a key on it was given to Inhofe, because he played a "key role" in making the agreement possible, too.

Bartlesville Senator Julie Daniels introduced Sen. Inhofe during the ceremony. Sen. Daniels said Sen. Inhofe has done right by Bartlesville and the 50,000 water customers in the area. She said Bartlesville would not be where it was on Friday if Sen. Inhofe did not dedicate his time and his staff's talents to make sure Bartlesville would have an affordable water supply in perpetuity.

Bartlesville and northeast Oklahoma can grow because of Sen. Inhofe. Sen. Daniels said they appreciate Sen. Inhofe for staying true to Bartlesville to get the deal done.

Sen. Inhofe addressed a crowd of approximately 50 people during the event. Sen. Inhofe said Bartlesville has led the way when it comes to securing water rights at a resonable cost. The City of Enid is in the same situation today, and the same framework that was used for the City of Bartlesville is being used in Enid.

Sen. Inhofe said he was honored to be in Bartlesville on Friday and that he was happy to see something that had been in the works for so long come to a conclusion.

Pictured below is Sen. Inhofe, Mayor Copeland, and Sen. Daniels addressing the public. More scenes from the Water Supply Signing Ceremony can be found below as well.