SE Oklahoma Lawmakers Rip Sardis Lake Plan

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A group of lawmakers from southeast Oklahoma is criticizing a proposed plan to sell water from Sardis Lake to Oklahoma City.

Gov. Brad Henry's spokesman Paul Sund confirmed Tuesday a proposal is being discussed that would help the state pay off its federal debt on the construction of the lake and address water shortages in several state communities.

Sund says the plan does not involve the transfer or sale of water to Texas or any other state.

Sen. Jerry Ellis, D-Valliant, says neither the value of the water nor the environmental impact has been determined and that area lawmakers are being left out of negotiations.

A federal lawsuit against the state was settled last year for $27 million, and a payment of more than $5 million is due by June 30.