Oklahoma Water Resources Board

Oklahoma Water Resources Board
Water Resources Board logo
Agency overview
Formed	1957
Headquarters	3800 Classen Boulevard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Employees	76 classified 29 unclassified
Annual budget	$53 million
Ministers responsible	Gary Sherrer, Secretary of the Environment Jess Mark Nichols, Chair of the Board
Agency executive	J.D. Strong, Executive Director
Website
www.owrb.ok.gov

The Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) is an agency in the government of Oklahoma under the Governor of Oklahoma. OWRB is responsible for managing and protection the water resources of Oklahoma as well as for planning for the state's long-range water needs. The Board is composed of nine members appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate. The Board, in turn, appoints an Executive Director to administer the agency.

Leadership

The Water Resources Board is overseen by the Secretary of the Environment. Under Governor Mary Fallin, Gary Sherrer is serving as the Secretary.

History

Created in 1957, the nine-member Board is composed of one member from each of five congressional districts, with the remaining members-at-large. Members serve seven-year terms. Members represent recreational, industrial, irrigation, municipal, agricultural, soil conservation, and rural residential water uses. The Board administers financial assistance programs to fund eligible public water supply and wastewater treatment projects and improvements. The Board also administers water use permits, the water well drillers licensing program, dam safety, floodplain management programs, the Clean Lakes program, and promulgates state water quality standards.

Organization

• Water Resources Board
  • Executive Director
    • Executive Division - direct staff of the Executive Director, responsible for supporting the Board and other agency-wide services
      • General Counsel Section
      • Fiscal Services Section
      • Human Resources Section
    • Administrative Services Division - responsible for providing support to the agency
      • Legislative and Media Relations Section
      • Informantion Services Section
    • Financial Assistance Division - responsible for providing loan and emergency grant programs to local governments to fund the construction or rehabilitation of community water and wastewater projects
    • Planning and Management Division - responsible for issuing permits for the use of the surface waters and groundwaters
      • Permitting Section
      • Technical Studies Section
      • Planning Section
    • Water Quality Division - responsible for collecting physical, chemical and biological data to protect the public health and safety
      • Standards Section
      • Monitoring Section
      • Lakes and Special Studies Section

Staffing

The Water Resources Board, with an annual budget of about $20 million, is one of the smaller employers of the State. For fiscal year 2011, the Board was authorized 101 full time employees.^[1]

Division	Number of Employees
Administration Division	23
Water Quality Division	34
Financial Assistance Division	21
Planning and Management Division	23
Total	101

References

1. ^ FY 2011 State Budget, Oklahoma Office of State Finance

See also

• Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
• Oklahoma Water Resources Board website