Rep. Cole Votes for Funding for Arbuckle-Simpson Study

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Cole voted for the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5427) that designates $750,000 to continue a study of the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer. Congressman Cole requested that these funds be included in the bill.

"These funds will be used to determine how this water source should be utilized now and in the future. As the population and the demand for water in Oklahoma are increasing, the need for increased management and conservation tools becomes more important. I am very pleased these funds were included in the bill and will be working to ensure they are included in the final version of the legislation," Congressman Tom Cole said.

The Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer under lies approximately 500 square miles of south-central Oklahoma near Sulphur and Davis. This aquifer is the principal source of water for the cites of Ada and Sulphur and is the source of water for a number of important springs and streams in the region, including those associated with the Chickasaw National Recreational Area and the Chickasaw Nation.

H.R. 5427 passed in the House and must now be debated in the Senate.

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