Oklahoma groundwater strategy

              P 2200.8 G882s 1988 c.3
<J<LAlD"f,\ ffiOlNJNATER SlRATEGY
PREPARED F(R 1HE
<J<LAlD"f,\ POLLlITIGl aNIROL a:xJIDINATI~ BOARD
BY 1HE
<J<LAlD"f,\ DEPARTh£NT OF POLLlITIGl CONTROL
At.XJUST, 1988
1
OKLAI-IM<\ 's ffiOlNJNATER RESOLRCES
Background
Groundwater is a valuable resource to the State of Oklahoma.
According to records maintained by the Oklahoma Water Resources
Board, groundwater wel Is and springs supplied approximately 48% of
the total water used in the state during 1987. In addition,
groundwater supplied more than 85% of the state's irrigation water
and provided municipal drinking water supplies to more than 600
cities, towns and rural water districts.
Because of its semi-arid climate, Oklahoma has historically
relied upon groundwater for drinking, as well as agricultural and
commercial purposes. During the early history of our state,
groundwater supplies were relatively abundant and easy to reach.
Because of these factors, groundwater was often taken for granted.
Later, this attitude was complicated by the construction of large
man-made reservoirs in the 1940's and 1950's. These lakes
provided an abundant supply of water to many areas of the state
and temporari ly reduced groundwater demand. However, as popula-tion
and economic growth pressures increased the demand for
water, more wells were drilled, tapping deeper aquifers and
placing additional strains on shallow, vulnerable sources of
sup ply. Eve n wit h the s e i n c rea sin g dema n d son the g r 0 u n dwa t e r
res 0 u r c e , r e p 0 r t e din c ide n t s 0 f pol I uti 0 n h a v e r ema i n e d i sol ate d
and infrequent.
This absence of widespread problems, compounded by the
c omp I ex n at u reo f g r 0 u n dwa t e r be h a v i 0 r, has c rea t e d an" 0 u t 0 f
s i g h t - 0 u t 0 f mi n d " a t tit u deb y the g e n era I pub I i c • Co n s e -
quently, while conducting active surface water quality protection
activities, state and federal environmental programs have devoted
less effort and only minimal resources to groundwater. In recent
years, however, recognition of the important role groundwater
must play in Oklahoma's future has led to a greater awareness of
the state's need to manage groundwater resources. This strategy
document is an effort to assess the status of groundwater manage-ment
programs in Oklahoma, to identify areas of need and to
describe the steps being taken to fulfill those needs.
2
Inventory of Groundwater Resources
The majority of the state's groundwater reserves are found in
11 bedrock aquifers and 10 alluvial or terrace deposits. However,
many small, shallow aquifers and minor water producing areas also
provide groundwater reserves of local significance. Attachment 1
provides detailed maps of primary Oklahoma's groundwater resour-ce
s • Ma pIa de pic ts the p r inc Ipa I bed roc k aqui fer san d rech a rge
z0ne s, wh ileMa p 1b de pic tsun con sol idate d a IIuv iurn and terr ace
deposits that serve as major water sources. These maps were
prepared in 1983 by the Oklahoma Geological Survey, using compila-t
ions of many earl ier groundwater reports and studies. In
comb ina tion, the serna p s pro v ide an accur ate inven tor y 0 f g r0und -
water basins that have an average yield of 50 gpm or more. Maps
and descriptive information for the state's minor water producing
areas are not yet available.
Attachment 2 provides a description of the major bedrock
aquifers identified in Map la. Derived from the explanatory
notes included with the map, this attachment provides the general
characteristics of each major aquifer, including thickness,
ty pic a I y ie Ids, recha rgear easan d ge0 log ica I in forma t ion. Th e
first twelve aquifers on this listing constitute the state's
principal groundwater reservoirs and contain an estimated 320
mil Iion ac re -fee t 0 f fres h wa te r • 0f that amo unt, appro x ima tel y
50% is recoverable for beneficial uses.
Beneficial Use Classification
The current Oklahoma Water Quality Standards recognize seven
beneficial uses for groundwater protection purposes. These are:
Irrigation
Municipal and Domestic
Industrial
Recreation
Corrmercial
fish and Wildlife
Agriculture (non-irrigated)
Existing beneficial uses have been identified for the 21 major
groundwater basins and were utilized as the basis for each basin's
water qual ity standards. (Table 1 provides these uses as listed
in the 1985 Oklahoma Water Quality Standards.) Identification of
the uses in the state's remaining aquifers and water producing
areas is being accomplished as a part of the ongoing groundwater
quality standards development process.
3
x - Designated Beneficial Use
GROUNDWATER BASINS
AlIuviim and Terrace Deposi t.s of the-Salt
Fork of the Arkansas River X X X X X
Alluvium and Terrace Deposi.t.s of the
Arkansas River X X X X X
Enid Isolated Terrace Deposi.t.s X X X X
Al.Iuvi.imand Terrace Deposi ta of the
C.i.mmronRiver X X X X X X X
Alluvil..l1land Terrace ~posits of the
Beaver-t'brth canadian River X X X X 1< X ~
Alluvil..l1land Terrace ~posits of the f;;
canadian River X X X X X X •....
Alluvil..l1land Terrace Deposi.t.s of the
Gerty Sand X X
Alluvil..l1land Terrace Deposi.t.s of the
washita River X X X X X
Alluvil..l1land Terrace Deposi ts of the
tbrth Fbrk of the Red River X X X X X X
Alluvil..l1land Terrace Deposi t.s of the
led River X X X
Ogallala Fbrmation X X XX X X X
Antlers Sandstore X X XX X
Elk City Sandstone X X X X
RushSprings Sandstore X X X X X- X X
Blaine Formation X X X X X
Garber Sandstone and \\ellington Formation X X XX X X X
(Scar Formation X X X X X
varroasa Fbrmation X X X
Sinpson Group X X X X
Arbuckle Group X X 'X X
Ibubidoux Formation X X XX X
Groundwater Use
Based on 1987 Water Resources Board records, the proportionate
groundwater consumption by use category was as follows:
Agriculture 75 %
Public Water Systems 18 %
Industrial 3 %
Mi n ing 1 %
Other 3 %
The total statewide
610,238 acre-feet.
individual aquifers
Board.
consumption of groundwater during 1987 was
S p e c i f ic g r0 undwa te r usa ge in forma t ion for
is available from the Oklahoma Water Resources
Water Quality Standards
Groundwater quality standards have been developed by the
Water Resources Board and were formally adopted as a part of
Oklahoma's Water Quality Standards beginning in 1982. The current
groundwater standards may be found in Section 8 of the 1985
Oklahoma Water Quality Stand9rds (see Attachment 3).
These standards apply to all fresh groundwater (defined as
groundwater with a maximum total dissolved so lid s concentration
o fIe ss th an 5, 000 ppm ) inth est ate. In genera I, the s tan da rd s
require that groundwater be maintained to prevent alteration of
its chemical properties by harmful substances not naturally found
in g r0 undwa te r • In add ition, spec ific, nume r ic a I c r ite ria h av e
been established for 36 toxic pollutants (see Table 2).
Water Quality Assessment
Available Water Quality Data
Whi Ie several agencies have monitored groundwater and per-formed
limited water quality assessments, a comprehensive, state-wide
groundwater quality assessment has not yet been published.
However, a substantial body of data has been compiled and is now
available for use in completing such an assessment. Attachment 4
lists some of the most recent and comprehensive published mate-rials.
In addition to these research oriented papers, the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS), the Water Resources Board and the
Department of Health (OSDH) have extensive groundwater data fi lese
In addition, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded
research and development project has been established to study the
Garber-Wellington aquifer in central Oklahoma. This study
includes extensive data collection and assessment activities
directed toward establishing an aquifer management plan. The USGS
is also conducting studies of the Blaine Formation in southwestern
Oklahoma and of the Central Oklahoma Aquifer.
5
TABLE 2
Numerical Criteria for Groundwater
Substance Concentration
( ug II )
Acetone
Benzene
Bromodichloromethane
Bromoform
Bromomethane
Carbon Disulfide
Carbon tetrachloride
Chlorobenzene
Chloroform
Chloroethane
2-Chloroethylvinyl Ether
Chloromethane
Dibromochloromethane
1,1-Dichloroethene
1,1-Dichloroethane
Trans-1,2-Dichloroethene
1,2-Dichloroethylene
1,2-Dichloropropene
Trans-1,3-Dichloropropene
Cis-1,3-Dichloropropene
Ethyl Benzene
Methyl Isobutyl Ketone
Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Methyl-N-Butyl Ketone
Methylene Chloride
Styrene
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
Trichloroethene
Trichlorofluoromethane
Tetrachloroethene
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
Toluene
Meta+Para Xylene
O-Xylene
Vinyl Chloride
2.7
0.2
0.3
2.4 1.7
0.2
0.4
0.7
10.0
2. 1
0.9
2.7
0.4
0.6
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.3
0.4
0.3
0.4
2.915
0.8
4. 1
10.0
0.8
0.7
0.3
0.3
0.6 1.6
2.8
0.5
0.8
0.8 1.9
6
Known problems
Tab 1e 3 con ta ins a 1is tin g 0 f doc ume n ted g r0undwa te r qua 1itY
pro b 1em are as. Th e 1is te d a qui fer s h a v e bee n ide n t ifie d from
agency records and previous environmental reports because of
multiple incidents or long term persistance of elevated pollutant
levels.
Potential problems
The most important groundwater quality problem facing Oklahoma
is the high vulnerability of shallow groundwater producing areas.
Many communities and individuals depend upon these aquifers and
un derg r0u nd forma t ion s as the ir sol e d r ink ing wa te r sup ply. Ye t
very little is known about the characteristics and quality of many
of these groundwater sources. The shallow nature that made these
water bearing formations easily accessible as water supplies also
renders them vulnerable to manmade sources of contamination. Due
tot he ire r itic a I val ue as d r ink ing wa te r sou rce s, un de rs tan din g
and protecting shallow water producing formations must be a high
priority in Oklahoma's groundwater strategy.
More specifically, the areas listed below have been identified
in past studies as posing potential and often localized hazards to
groundwater quality.
l.Contamination of shallow a-quifers by nitrate, chloride,
pesticide residuals or fecal coliform bacteria.
2. Isolated, leaking underground storage tanks.
3.Acid mine drainage problems scattered throughout the eastern
1/2 of the state.
Further investigation will be needed to characterize the causes
and to determine management needs in these areas.
Data needs
Oklahoma's principal groundwater data need is for a more
comprehensive data collection effort, coordinated to known
problems and to statewide goals. Due to resource limitations,
current state agency sampling and data evaluation programs provide
o n 1yap 0 r t ion 0 f the in forma t ion nee ded top repar e a s tat ew ide
groundwater quality assessment. Subsequent sections of this
s t rat e g y wi I 1· ide n t i fY nee d e d d a ta co Ilee t ion act iv itie s wh ich
will serve as the foundation for a coordinated monitoring and
assessment program.
7
---_..._------ .--..- ------------------_._ ..._--_._------_ ..__.__._._-----_._------_._._--_._ ...-_._-_._- -----_._-_.- --------- ..--- ----
Arkansas River, near Ponco CI h
Arkansas River, near Tulsa
Arkansas lilver, several sites
C i mo r r 0 n R I ~.€I r . self era I Sit 0 s
Red River, severo I s I l e s
S, Canadian R,. several sites
Wash do RI v er . ns ur Wynnewood
fABLE 3
GROUNDWATER PROBLEM AREAS
Forma t I on Name
------_... -,-----_. __ ._---------
Problem Description
---------.-- - I ---.-.----- .. --..---------- .----.
BEDROCK 'AQUIFERS
Boone (Kookuk)
Do Q Cr e e k Sh a lei
Ga r b sr - We I I In q ton
Oqollola
Roub I do IJX
Vamoosa
Iron & fluor Ide
B I 0 In e Gy p sum ICh lor ide
Selenium. chromium, cr s e n i c & chloride
Fluor Ide
Ro diu m. chi 0 rid 0 i h y d r 0 q ens u I f ide
Chloride
... . •. _" . .. . L. ._. . .__ . ._ _ _
fERRHCE DEPOSITS
Cimarron
C I ilia r I' 0 n R i v er. no a r E,i I d
Ru s h Sp r i n q s . n e 0 r Cr r I I
" T I II man
AllUVIAL DEPOSITS
Nitrate
Hydrocarbon pr o duc t s
Hydrocarbon or o duc l s
Nitrate
Hr dr o c cr bun pro duc t s
Hr d roc 0 r bon p r I) d IJ C h
I I' 0 n , mo n q 0" (! :~:I.! ~ (II lor Ide
Chloride
Chloride
Iron & ncu qc ne s e
Hydrocarbon produc t s
Probab Ie Source
PI' 0 b a L I y not IJ r 0 I
Probably natural
I .- --.----
Exten t
OKI..AI-IMA' S ffiOUNIJNATER PROfocr I (J'Il OB J ocr I YES
Frmnework Agreement
In December of 1983, Oklahoma agencies with groundwater
responsibilities joined in a cooperative effort to establish a
program development strategy for groundwater protection. from
this e ffor t , a F ramewo rk Ag reernen t wa s de vel 0ped (seeAt tachme n t
5). Under the provisions of this agreement, the Corporation
Commission, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of
Health and the Water Resources Board adopted goals and principles
for groundwater program development.
In the agreement, the following guiding principles for ground-water
protection were recognized:
1. Utilization of the existing institutional system,
2. Establishment of flexible requirements for groundwater
protection in recognition of varying local conditions,
3. Maximization of the exchange of data between agencies.
The participating agencies also agreed to a "three pronged"
program development strategy, based on the I isted principles.
fir s t, the y ag reed t0 a trackdown res po nse me ch ani sm for g r0 und -
water contamination incidents. This mechanism utilizes agency
en gin ee rs, hYd r0 log istsan d ge0 log is ts toe nsur e time Iy res po n se
t0 Su chi n c ide n ts • S e con d , the y, ado p te dad eta i led pro b Iem
anticipation approach to avert threats to the groundwater
resource. In this area the agencies agreed to concentrate on the
acquisition and organization of needed base data to facilitate the
ide n t i f icat ion 0 f pot en t ia I pro b Iem s . fin a I IY , the age nc ie s
agreed to adopt a preventative stance to protect and maintain the
groundwater resource. This involves taking the necessary steps
(such as adjusting regulations, promoting the use of Best Manage-ment
Practices or placing greater emphasis on groundwater) to
better protect and maintain the groundwater resource.
In subsequent sections of this strategy, goals adopted as
par t 0 f the 1983 F ramewo rk Ag reernen t wi II be pre sen te d tog e the r
with other appropriate groundwater program objectives.
Coordinating Committee for Groundwater Quality
In August of 1988, the Pollution Control Coordinating Board
(PCCB) formally acted to create a groundwater coordinating and
advisory body. This Coordinating Committee on Groundwater Quality
wi II meet on a continuing basis. to discuss groundwater strategy
issues, to recommend necessary coordinative actions in the
collection and management of groundwater data and to ensure
progress in the protection of groundwater quality.
9
Groundwater Quality Standards
State Standards
As previously described, Oklahoma has formally adopted stan-dards
for groundwater as a part of the state's surface Water
Quality Standards. The current standards identify beneficial uses
for 2 1 a qui fer san d pro v ide nume r i c a I I imita t ion s for 3 6 par a -
meters. It is the state's intention, utilizing the results of
ongoing data collection and evaluation efforts to expand both the
number of aquifers and the parametric coverage of the groundwater
portion of the Standards. Further, the addition of aquifer
s p e c i f i c n ume r i c a I I imits wi I I be con sid ere d a s d a tab e come
available to support such actions.
Programmatic Rules and Regulations
Some state programs relating to groundwater have resulted in
program-related standards that are applicable to groundwater.
These standards may include either engineering or numerical
provisions relevant to groundwater. Table 4 lists some of the
agency programs that include such standards.
Regulation & Enforcement
Under the Oklahoma Groundwater Law (82 O.S. 1020.1-1020.22),
the Ok la h orna Water Resources Board is directed to regulate the
reasonable use of groundwater. To derive specific regulations
the Board conducts hydrologic surveys, which determine production
restrictions, based upon the total surface area overlying a
specific groundwater basin. The basis for the Groundwater Law
originates in 60 O.S., 1981, SS60, which states in part that: "the
owner of the land owns water standing thereon, or flowing over or
under its surfaces but not forming a definite stream". The law
also provides a prohibition against causing the pollution of a
fresh water strata through any act which wi II permi t polluted
fresh water to intrude into a fresh water basin.
10
TABLE 4
Program-related Standards Impacting Groundwater
Corporation Commission
Oil and Gas Regulation - Treatable water rules
Underground Storage Tank (UST) Program - Leak detection
and reporting rules
Department of Agriculture
Rules governing use and disposal of pesticides
General environmental protection authorities, including
rules governing chemigation
Rules governing confined animal feeding operations
Rules governing the handling, storage, transportation and
use of commercial fertilizers.
Department of Pollution Control
LUST Trust Fund - Rules governing repairs, containment
and damage control
Department of Health
Public water supply (drinking water) standards
Solid and hazardous waste disposal standards
Water pollution control facility permitting and design
standards
Milk sanitation program waste disposal standards
Septic system regulations
Department of Health/Corporation Commission
UIC Program - Subsurface disposal rules
Water Resources Board
Rules governing disposal permits
1 1
Protection from pollution
As in the case of surface water pollution, several Oklahoma
agencies have authority to protect groundwater from pollution.
The primary agencies with such authority are the Water Resources
Board, the Department of Health, the Corporation Commission and
the Department of Agriculture. The Pollution Control Coordinating
Board also has responsibilities to act on unresolved pollution
problems within the limits of its enabling legislation.
As discussed previously, the 1983 framework Agreement for
groundwater initiated a cooperative effort to establish a ground-water
protection program. Listed below are the groundwater prot-ection
goals adopted in that agreement:
To ma in ta inor res tor e the qua 1ity 0 f g r0undwa tera tIe vel s
consistent with intended best use and to prevent degradation
consistent with public health, economic and social goals;
To regulate all manageable discharges, withdrawals, injections
and recharges to ensure that the above goal is realized;
To moni tor groundwater to determine basel ine water qual ity,
trends and conformance with groundwater standards;
To ensure the availability and transfer of pertinent informa-tion,
data, strategies and studies to involved institutions
and the publ ic.
Sin c e the s ig n in g 0 f the a g re ernent, g r0 u n dwa te r pro te c t ion
activities have been directed toward these general objectives.
Subsequent sections of this strategy will provide a more
detailed discussion of groundwater protection goals as well as a
description of present and planned groundwater program activities.
12
OI<LAI-I:M<\ I S ffiOUNIJNATER PROTECT I ~ PR.()(R4M ASSES&\t£NT
Statutory Responsibilities
General
Lis te d below are some 0 f the pro grams per ta in ing tog r0 Und -
water that are administered by PCCB member agencies:
Water Resources Board
Water Quality Standards
Groundwater usage approval
Industrial wastewater discharge & waste disposal permits
Well construction standards
Water resource planning and management
Groundwater assessment (statewide monitoring program)
Emergency spill response
Licensing of water and monitoring wel I drillers
Department of Health
Drinking water standards
Regulation of public water supplies & approval of sources
Municipal wastewater discharge permits
Design standards for water pollution control facilities
Well construction standards for public and private water
supply systems
Regulation of solid and hazardous waste facilities
Approval of septic tank systems
Emergency spill response
Underground injection control (Class I,III,IV & V wells)
Corporation Commission
Oil and gas well regulation
Oil and gas saltwater injection well regulation
Plugging seismic holes
Underground injection control (Class II wel Is)
Underground storage tank regulation
State Department of Agriculture
Pesticide regulation
Regulation of confined animal feeding operations
Commercial fertilizer regulation
Conservation Commission
Development of Best Management Practices (BVP's)
Develqpment of conservation plans
Promotion of BMP implementation
13
Monitoring
Groundwater monitoring is being conducted within the frame-work
of several state agency programs. Major state and federal
monitoring activities are summarized below.
The Department of Health analyzes samples from several hundred
public water supplies based on a sampling program designed to
evaluate every system during each three year time frame. for the
numerous communities that utilize groundwater with little or no
treatment, these data provide a measure of groundwater quality.
However, these are tap water samples and may not always reflect
the original nature of the individual wells which supply raw
groundwater for a community. The Health Department also maintains
an historical record of analyses from private water wel Is.
In May of 1983, the Water Resources Board initiated an annual
g r0 undwa te r samp 1in g pro gram to de fin e the chern ic a 1 c h a ract e r -
istics of 21 major aquifers. These samples are taken from wells
which meet specified construction standards, have a driller's well
log on file with the Water Resources Board and are believed to
reflect the true nature of the aquifer under study.
The U.S. Geological Survey has conducted some groundwater·
monitoring for many years. At present, U.S.G.S. monitors only
aquifers which are associated with specific projects. Data are
av ail ab 1e for tho sea rea s 0 r aqui fer s wh ere pas t mo nit 0 r in g
activities or investigations have been conducted.
Assessment of Existing Progrmns
Monitoring
Wh i 1e wid e s pre a d m 0 nit 0 r in g is be in g a c c om p 1ish ed, the
sampling activities of various agencies are not always coordinated
to produce an effective, statewide effort. The limited resources
available for such monitoring could be maximized by improved
communication among agencies and increased coordination of effort.
The State's monitoring effectiveness should be enhanced by inter-agency
steps to prioritize needs and concentrate on critical
problems using the Groundwater Coordinating Committee.
Data storage and retrieval
While each agency that collects groundwater data has a data
s tor age and re trl eval sy stem, the uti 1iza t ion 0 f av ail ab 1e d a ta
does not always achieve desired levels. This appears to be
primarily a coordinative problem, resulting from separate agency
objectives. The development of the Coordinating Committee is
also intended to improve the interagency exchange of information
and should aid in identifying statewide data needs.
14
Data analysis
Ea c hag en c y t hat co I I e c t s d a t a has de vel 0 p e d me tho d s for the
statistical evaluation of that data. Coordination between
agencies has resulted in the selection of fairly uniform data
handling procedures. However, a centralized assessment process
would be beneficial in assuring that agency efforts are concen-t
rat e din tho sea rea s wit h the g rea t est nee d • Th i s wi I I a 1sob e a
topic of discussion by the Coordinating Committee.
Regulation and enforcement
The existing statutory mechanisms have been largely successful
in providing necessary groundwater regulation. The greatest
remaining difficulties arise in areas of overlapping of statutory
responsibilities or where primary jurisdiction is unclear.
However, since the agencies with primary authority signed the
F r amewo r k Ag r e erne n t de fin i n g res po n sib i 1 i tie sin 1 983, few
conflicts have occurred. Utilizing the Coordinating Committee to
enhance the development of a comprehensive, statewide groundwater
quality management strategy should further improve the state's
regulatory capabi lities.
Best Management Practices (BMP's) for Nonpoint Sources
Existing BMP's for groundwater protection were derived
primarily from previous surface water initiatives. The emphasis
during the development of those practices was to ensure that
sur f ace wa t e r qua 1 i t y pro t e c t i verne a sur e s did not i n c rea set he
threat to groundwater resources. In the future, BMP's wi II be
developed specifically for groundwater protection. The Conserva-tion
Commission and Department of Agriculture, working in coopera-tion
with the USDA Soil Conservation Service and local Conserva-tion
Districts, will promote the implementation of BMP's as a
s ens i b 1 est e pin pro t e c tin g the S tat e 's r en ewa b 1e n at u r a I
resources and as an appropriate means of complying with state laws
reg a r din g en vir 0 nme n t a I pol I uti 0 nor i gin at i n g fr om a g r i c u l t u r a I
p r act ice s • E f for t s wi I 1 a 1sob e i n c rea sed t 0 ma x imi z e the use 0 f
ex i s tin g fed era I co S t - s h are pro grams and toe x pan d the a v e n u e s
for nonfederal support.
Adequacy of Resources
No present day program in Oklahoma can profess to possess
adequate resources. Despite individual agency efforts to allocate
sufficient budgetary resources, many needed groundwater programs
are underfunded. Additional manpower and financial resources are
needed to improve program credibility. While better coordination
o f e f for t wi I 1 nod 0 u b ten h a n Cere sou r c e uti I i z a t ion, new 0 r
expanded programs will require the identification of additional
funding resources.
15
Ongoing Activities and Developing Progrmns
Under existing statutory programs and the 1983 Framework
Agreement, state agencies are currently accomplishing several
groundwater planning and management tasks. These activities have
been primarily funded through EPA, Section 106, State Program
Grant funds specially earmarked for groundwater. The state's
ongoing or recently completed work activities are listed below:
Research and investigation of techniques for locating aban-doned
oil and gas wel Is.
Literature review and recommended regulatory changes with
respect to chemigation and feedyard impacts on groundwater.
Meetings of the standing groundwater standards committee to
discuss needed standards modifications.
Preparation of the initial statewide groundwater strategy
document.
Development of contaminant source ranking and criteria for
control.
Identification of regulatory revisions needed to implement
control criteria.
Identification of technical capabilities needed for ground-water
protection.
Complete data evaluation, tabulation and identification of
potential sources of groundwater contamination.
Development and application of a screening tool for use in
identifying suspected pollution sites.
Impact assessment of the influx of poultry facilities into
Eastern Oklahoma (combined state / 106 core funding).
Pesticides in groundwater study (205(j) funding)
Continuing assessment of commercial fertilizer facility impact
on groundwater (state funding)
In addition, groundwater related activities are being under-taken
in some new and developing program areas. These programs
are summarized below with descriptions of the areas in which they
impact groundwater.
16
Underground Storage Tanks (UST)
The Corporation Commission is the responsible state agency for
implementing and enforcing the UST program. In that capacity,
the agency will provide regulation of two types of underground
storage tanks - those containing petroleum products and those
containing hazardous substan~es. Regulations will include
requirements for notification, leak detection, installation,
financial responsibility, closure and release reporting. The
state is moving toward full assumption of the UST program.
The Department of Pollution Control (DPC) administers the LUST
program. ~en contamination incidents occur, DPC acts as the
coordinating agency and refers the incidents to the appro-priate
agency for investigation. As with the UST program, the
state is currently establishing procedures and requirements
for program administration.
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUST) Trust Fund
Nonpoint Source Management
The Conservation Commission has been designated as the
technical lead agency to develop an comprehensive nonpoint
sou rc e pol Iuti 0 n con tr0 I pro gram un de r the requi rernen ts 0 f
Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. The initial 319 report is
scheduled for completion in August of 1988. That report will
contain an identification of documented problems in the
s tat e 's g r0 u n dwa te r bas ins. Th e init ia I 3 1 9 re p 0 r t wi I I
define BMP's for surface water quality concerns only.
However, practices designed to protect groundwater are a
future goal of the program. As such groundwater B\1P recom-me
nda tion s are de vel 0ped, the y wi II be incor po rat edin tot he
state's groundwater management program.
Agricultural Impact Strategy
The Department of Agriculture administers most of the state's
ag r icui tu ra I pro grams and is cur ren t IY pre par ingas tat ew ide
agricultural impacts strategy. Whe n completed, the strategy
will include components which address groundwater protection
from pesticides, commercial fertilizers, animal wastes and
o the r sou rce s rei ate d t0 ag r icui tu ra I pro d u c t ion. Wh e n
a v a i Iab Ie, a p pro p ria te sec t ion s 0 f the ag r icuI tu ra limp act s
strategy will be incorporated into the statewide strategy.
As Oklahoma completes ongoing tasks and undertakes new
activities, appropriate components will be incorporated into the
groundwater strategy document during the next scheduled update.
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EXTENT TO WHICl-I aJRRENf EFFOOTS ~ OB) ECf IVES
General Evaluation
As previously discussed, Oklahoma's groundwater qual i ty
management efforts are operated in the context of several separate
state agency programs. Each agency within the purview of its own
statutory authorities operates an effective groundwater program.
Th e g rea test d iff icuI tY lie sin are a s wh ere age ncy ju r isd ic t ion s
overlap or where no specific agency program exists. While the
problems that result from these uncertainties are not major, they
sometimes impede the operation of an effective groundwater
pro gram. Th e mo s t s ign if ican t nee din this reg a rd is for spee -
ific, coordinated groundwater program objectives which will
address each agency's singular objectives, while keeping statewide
program objectives in view. The prioritization of groundwater
pro b Iems, da tan eeds, wo rk act iv itie san d res 0 u rc e a II0 cat ion s
from a statewide perspective would be most useful in improving
groundwater program effectiveness. The Groundwater Coordinating
Committee should serve as a vehicle to resolve these issues.
Coordination between progrmns
Since the adoption of the 1983 Framework Agreement, inter-agency
coordination has been dramatically improved. The exchange
of data and program information has become a more frequent and
less difficult task. Coordination of agency responses to critical
incidents of groundwater contamination is a much more direct
process. In spite of these areas of significant progress, other
areas have moved more slowly. In particular, the organization and
evaluation of the groundwater data base has not progressed to a
point where the data envisioned in the agreement is avai lable.
Some of the areas where additional efforts are needed are:
1. Aquifer inventory information,
2. Discharge inventory information,
3. Well logging and construction information,
4. Problem identification and prioritization,
5. Development of BMP's for agricultural practices that pose a
contamination risk to groundwater,
6. Development of other appropriate preventative measures.
In some ways, the more effective a categorical program becomes,
the less incentive there will be for coordination. Yet coordina-tive
activities will return dividends to each agency with ground-water
responsibilities by reducing resource requirements and
en h an c ing res po n set ime s • Us ingas tat ew ide g r0 undwa te r pro tec -
t ion s trat e g y doc ume n t a sat 00 I for ide n t ifY in g nee d san d
developing response mechanisms appears to be reasonable means of
improving .programs effectiveness.
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Needs assessment
Legislative
At present, Oklahoma's legislative provisions with respect to
groundwater are adequate to enable the separate agencies to
exercise their groundwater responsibilities.
Program
The state's primary groundwater quality protection program
need is for improved coordination of activities and cooperation
among agenc ies to ensure tha t neces sa ry p rogr am requ iremen ts are
met, while conserving scarce agency resources. Under the current
arrangement individual agencies are responsible for their own
statutory programs, making the planning and execution of statewide
or generalized groundwater program requirements a somewhat cumber-some
process.
Ins pit e 0 f the F'r amewo rk Ag reernent, coo rdin a t ion 0 f g r0und -
water activities has not always achieved optimum levels. This
sometimes results in an inefficient use of individual agency
resources due to duplication of effort and, even more importantly,
in a failure to achieve the optimum levels of groundwater quality
ma nag ernen t• In add ition, nee ded g r0un dwa tera c t iv itie sma y not
always be assigned a high priority due to the resource or statu-tory
constraints of individual agencies.
While the improvements needed to improve interagency coordina-t
ion are not ne c e s s a r i IY s tat u tor y inn at u re, a mo ref 0 rma I
mechanism appears to be required. The establishment of the
Coordinating Committee for Groundwater Quality appears to be a
logical starting point for developing this needed mechanism.
Specific work activities
Listed below are recommended work tasks based on the goals,
objectives and needs identified elsewhere in this report.
Identification and characterization of shallow aquifers and
minor water producing areas which serve a public and private
water supplies
Groundwater standards update and expansion
Update of groundwater inventory data and maps (including
coordination of the preparation of treatable water maps)
Identification of groundwater information needs (data ex-change,
uniform storage and retrieval methods, data needs and
periodic data assessment)
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Statewide groundwater quality assessment
Problem identification (non-attainment of beneficial
uses; standards violations; trends toward violations; and
the identification and characterization of prevalent
pol I uti 0 n i n c ide n t s, pro b I em pol I uta n t san d / 0 r c r i tic a I
pollution generating activities)
Problem ranking
Identification of aquifers and/or, recharge zones that may
require special protection
Development of BMP's for agricultural practices that impact
groundwater and improvement of incentives for BMP implementa-tion
Identification of regulatory or legislative needs
Evaluation of groundwater related programs and activities to
identify overlapping responsibilities and opportunities for
improved coordination.
Improved incorporation of categorical groundwater activities
into the statewide groundwater quality management program.
CXM>REHENS lVE GROUNIJNATER QUAL IlY MANAGEMENT PLAN
Policy objectives
Whi let he F r amewo r k Ag r e erne n t s e r ve d a sam i I est 0 n e i nth e
development of a comprehensive and coordinated statewide ground-water
qual i ty management program, the need for improved coordina-t
ion 0 f e f for t r ema i n e d • Th e c omp let ion, ado p t ion and up d ate 0 f
the state's initial groundwater quality management strategy wi II
serve as an important step in the progression toward Oklahoma's
groundwater protection objectives. The strategy document should
be use d a s are fer e n c e i n de vel 0 pin g and a c c omp lis hi n g f u t u r e
groundwater activities. The development and u t i I ization of the
Gr o u n dw a te r Coordinating Committee should provide even further
improvements to program effectiveness. In that regard, the
subsequent work plan provides a detailed description of the
act i v i tie s nee d e d to con d u c t a c omp r e hen s i ve g r 0 u n dwa t e r qua lit Y
management program. As activities are accomplished, the strategy
will assist agencies in maintaining a coordinated approach.
Work plan to satisfy needs
Detailed below are the ongoing and planned work activities
designed to accomplish a comprehensive groundwater quality manage-ment
program for Oklahoma.
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~PLAN
Development of Base Data
Inventory
Compile basic drinking water well inventory information
Groundwater Classification and Standards
Standards development and update
Continuing development of standards for groundwater
Review of standards from other states
Recornnend program to protect minor aquifer uses
Evaluate 21 major aquifers with respect to drinking
water standards & reconrnend numerical criteria for
selected inorganics
Progrmn Implementation
Interagency Coordination
Reactivate the PCCB Coordinating Committee for Ground-water
Quality and conduct regular meetings
Monitoring and data collection
Develop a monitoring network design based on the agricul-tural
impact assessment
Document vulnerability of community system wellheads
regions to various cultural practices
Storage and retrieval of data
Develop interagency groundwater database
o Data Heavzaalrudatiornanking system (complete)
o GroundAwnaatleyrze qudaaltiat,ytabualsasteessmengtroun&dwaptreorblemquaildietnytif&icarteipoonrt on
potential sources of contamination
Prepare a statewide groundwater assessment o Investigate sites identified by screening tool
Agricultural impact assessment
Chemigation assessment
o - Ongoing task
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WORK PLAN (Continued)
oao GrounRdewvaiteewr/PIerdvoeapnplotrusioaefttyeecntOeiSeoDdnsHetdat&ruectgmheuaaslnn,aagtgeiesomrneusnltes neaenddingregurleavtiisoinosn o Identify technical capabilities needed for groundwater
o Devperlootpectiaonagricultural impact strategy for groundwater oo DPerveeplaorpe 3a19conmsaonlaigdeamteendt parnonguraalm groundwater work plan o Develop state UST/LUST programs
Improve interagency / inter-program coordination
Program Evaluation
Conduct an annual program evaluation
Identify program needs
Program Update
Prepare an annual strategy and work plan update
o - Ongoing task
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