Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
ARKANSAS-OKLAHOMA ARKANSAS RIVER COMPACT COMMISSION RULES,
REGULATIONS AND MODES OF PROCEDURE
(As Amended September 25, 1985, September 25, 1991,
September 24, 1993, September 27, 2012, and September 24, 2015)
ARTICLE I
THE COMMISSION
1.1 The "Commission" is the
"Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Commission" referred to in Article
VIII of the Arkansas River Basin Compact, Arkansas-Oklahoma.
1.2 The credentials of each Commissioner
shall be filed with both the Chairman and the Secretary of the Commission. When
the credentials of a new Commissioner are received, the Secretary shall
promptly notify all other Commissioners of the name and address of the new
Commissioner.
1.3 Each Commissioner
shall advise the Commission in writing of the address to which all official
notices and other Commission communications shall be sent for their receipt and
shall further promptly advise in writing the office of the Commission of any
changes in address.
ARTICLE
II
COMMISSION OFFICERS
2.1 The officers of the Commission shall be a
Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer.
2.2 The Commissioner (or "alternate")
representing the United States shall be the Chairman of the Commission. The
Chairman shall preside at meetings of the Commission. His duties shall be those
usually imposed upon such officers and as may be assigned by these rules or by
the Commission from time to time.
2.3 The Secretary shall be selected by the
Commission. The Secretary shall serve for the term, and shall perform the
duties, as the Commission shall direct. In case of a vacancy in the office of
the Secretary, the Commission shall select a new Secretary as expeditiously as
possible.
2.4 The Treasurer shall
be selected by the Commission. The Treasurer shall receive, hold and disperse
all funds of the Commission which shall come into his hands, and shall furnish
a fidelity bond in an amount satisfactory to the Commission. The cost of the
bond shall be paid by the Commission.
2.5 As the Commission may determine and
direct, the various Commission officer positions may be joined and
simultaneously held by the same person.
ARTICLE III
PRINCIPAL OFFICE
3.1 The principal office of the Commission
shall be the office of the Chairman or the Secretary, as the Commission shall
direct.
3.2 All official files,
books and records of the Commission shall be kept and maintained in the
principal office of the Commission. All such files, books and records shall be
open to inspection by the public at the principal office of the
Commission.
ARTICLE IV
COMMISSION MEETINGS
4.1 The
annual meeting of the Commission shall be held on the fourth Thursday in
September of each year. By prior agreement of all Commissioners, the Commission
may select and designate a different date for holding the annual
meeting.
4.2 Special meetings of
the Commission may be called by the Chairman at any time. Upon written request
of a majority of the Commissioners of either of the signatory states setting
forth the matters to be considered at a special meeting, it shall be the duty
of the Chairman to call a special meeting. Notice of all special meetings shall
be sent by the Secretary to all members of the Commission by ordinary mail at
least ten days in advance of the meeting and such notice shall state the
purpose thereof.
4.3 Emergency
meetings of the Commission may be called by the Chairman at any time upon
request of either signatory state. For purposes of this rule, an "emergency"
situation, for which an emergency meeting may be called, is understood to mean
a situation involving an imminent threat of injury to persons or injury and
damage to public or personal property or threat of imminent financial loss when
time requirements make prior notice procedures impractical and, if adhered to,
would increase the likelihood of injury, damage or financial loss.
4.4 Except as otherwise provided herein,
prior notice of all Commission meetings shall be given by the Secretary to all
Commissioners. Such notice shall advise of the date, time and place of the
meeting and shall include an agenda for the meeting or, as may be applicable, a
statement of the purpose of or matters to be considered at the meeting. Upon
receipt of such notice, it shall be the responsibility of the signatory state
to, in-turn, furnish notice to the public in its state such as may be required
or provided under the laws of that state. Except as may be otherwise required
under the laws of a signatory state, no advance public notice shall be required
for the calling and conducting of emergency meetings. At the earliest possible
time following any emergency meeting, the public will be notified of any
Commission action taken at the meeting.
4.5 Meetings of the Commission shall be held
at such places as shall be agreed upon by the Commissioners.
4.6 Minutes of Commission meetings shall be
made and preserved in a suitable manner. Until approved by the Commission,
minutes shall not be official and shall be furnished only to members of the
Commission, its employees and committees.
4.7 A majority of the Commissioners of each
state, and the Commissioner (or alternate) representing the United States, must
be present to constitute a quorum.
4.8 In taking any Commission action, each
signatory state shall have a single vote representing the majority opinion of
the Commissioners of that State. The Commissioner (or alternate) representing
the United States shall not have the right to vote in any of the deliberations
or actions of the Commission.
4.9
In the case of a tie vote on any of the Commission's determinations, orders, or
other actions, a majority of the Commissioners of either state may, upon
written request to the Chairman, submit the question to arbitration.
Arbitration shall not be compulsory, but, in the event of arbitration, there
shall be three arbitrators chosen as follows:
(1) One named by resolution duly adopted by
the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission, or such other State agency
as may be hereafter responsible for administering water law in the State of
Arkansas; and
(2) One named by
resolution duly adopted by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, or such other
State agency as may be hereafter responsible for administering water law in the
State of Oklahoma; and
(3) The
third chosen by the two arbitrators who are selected as provided above.
If the two arbitrators fail to select a third within sixty (60)
days following their selection, then the third arbitrator shall be chosen by
the Chairman of the Commission.
4.10 At each annual meeting of the
Commission, the order of business, unless agreed otherwise, shall be as
follows:
1. Call to Order;
2. Introductions and Announcements;
3. Approval of Agenda;
4. Reading, Correction and Approval of the
Last Meeting;
5. Report of the
Chairman;
6. Report of
Secretary;
7. Report of
Treasurer;
8. Report of
Commissioners;
9. Report of
Committees;
10. Unfinished
Business;
11. New Business;
and
12. Adjournment.
4.11 All meetings of the
Commission, except executive sessions, shall be open to the public. Executive
sessions shall be open only to members of the Commission and such advisers as
may be designated by each member and employees as permitted by the Commission;
provided, however, that the Commission may call witnesses before it when in
executive session. The Commission may hold executive sessions only for the
purposes of discussing:
(1) The employment,
appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining or resignation of a Commission
employee or employees, members, advisers, or committee members;
(2) Pending or contemplated litigation or
litigation settlement offers, and matters where the duty of the Commission's
counsel to its client, pursuant to the Code of Professional Responsibility,
clearly conflicts with the public's right to know; or
(3) The report, development, or course of
action regarding security, personnel, plans, or devices.
No executive session may be held except on a vote, taken in
public, by a majority of a quorum of the members present. Any motion or other
decision considered or arrived at in executive session shall be voidable
unless, following the executive session, the Commission reconvenes in public
session and presents and votes on such motion or other
decision.
ARTICLE
V
COMMITTEES
5.1 There shall be the following standing
committees:
(a) Budget Committee;
(b) Engineering Committee;
(c) Environmental and Natural Resources
Committee; and
(d) Legal
Committee.
5.2 The
Committees shall have the following duties:
(a) The Budget Committee shall prepare the
annual budget and advise the Commission on all fiscal matters that may be
referred to it.
(b) The Engineering
Committee shall advise the Commission on all engineering matters that may be
referred to it.
(c) The
Environmental and Natural Resources Committee shall advise the Commission on
all environmental and natural resource matters including:
(1) the identification of common areas of
environmental concerns and potential solutions to shared environmental and
natural resource problems;
(2) the
promotion of environmental awareness and sustainable economic development;
and
(3) other environmental and
natural resource matters that may be referred to it.
(d) The Legal Committee shall advise the
Commission on all legal matters that may be referred to it.
5.3 Members of the standing committees shall
be appointed by the Commission. The number of members of each committee shall
be determined by the Commission. Each state shall be represented by an equal
number of members on each committee with the Chairmanship for each committee
alternating annually between the States of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Each state
shall nominate the member or members representing the state to serve on each
committee.
5.4 Formal committee
reports shall be made in writing by the Chairman thereof, and shall be filed
with the Commission at least ten days prior to the meeting scheduled for its
discussion.
ARTICLE VI
RULES AND REGULATIONS
6.1 So far
as is consistent with the Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Basin Compact, the
Commission may adopt rules and regulations and may amend them from time to
time. Amendments and/or revisions to the rules, regulations and modes of
procedure may be made at any meeting of the Commission.
6.2 Rules and regulations of the Commission
may be compiled and copies may be prepared for distribution to the public under
such terms and conditions as the Commission may prescribe.
ARTICLE VII
FISCAL
7.1 All Commission funds shall be deposited
in a depository, or depositories, designated by the Commission under the name
of the "Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Fund." Such funds shall be
initiated and maintained by equal payments of each state into the
fund.
** 7.2 Disbursements of funds
in the hands of the Treasurer shall be made by check signed by the Treasurer
and another authorized signatory upon voucher approved by and reported to the
Commission. All Commissioners are authorized signatories.
7.3 At each annual meeting of the Commission,
the Commission shall adopt and transmit to the Governors of the two states the
budget covering an estimate of its expenses for the following fiscal year. For
purposes of this rule and requirement, the signatory states may individually
assume and carry-out the responsibility of transmitting the Commission's
adopted budget to that state's respective Governor.
7.4 All Commission receipts and disbursements
shall be audited at least once every two years by a qualified independent
certified public accountant to be selected by the Commission, and the report of
the audit shall be included in, and become a part of, the annual report of the
Commission.
7.5 An up-to-date
inventory of all Commission property shall be kept at the principal office of
the Commission.
7.6 The fiscal year
of the Commission shall begin July 1 of each year and end June 30 of the next
succeeding year.
ARTICLE
VIII
ANNUAL REPORT
8.1 The Commission shall annually make and
transmit as soon as available to the Governors of the signatory states, and to
the President of the United States, a report covering the activities of the
Commission for the preceding fiscal year.
8.2 The annual report shall include the
following:
(a) Minutes of all regular, special
or emergency meetings held during the year;
(b) All findings of facts made by the
Commission during the preceding year;
(c) Recommendations for actions by the
signatory states;
(d) Statements as
to any cooperative studies made during the preceding year;
(e) All data which the Commission deems
pertinent;
(f) The budget for
current and future years;
(g) The
most recent audit or financial statement of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas
River Compact Fund;
(h) Name,
address and phone number of each Commissioner and each member of all standing
committees; and
(i) Such other
pertinent matters as the Commission may require.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
9.1 The Commission shall on request make
available to the Governor of each of the signatory states any information
within its possession at any time.
9.2 All contracts or other instruments in
writing to be signed for and on behalf of the Commission, except matters
related to the receipt or disbursement of funds, shall be signed by the
Chairman when authorized by the Commission and attested to by at least one
Commissioner from each State.
9.3
The Commission shall have the power to employ such engineering, legal, clerical
and other personnel as in its judgment may be necessary for the performance of
its functions under the Compact.
ARTICLE X
HEARINGS BEFORE THE
COMMISSION
*10.1(A) As the Commission
may determine and direct, the Commission may hold hearings for the purpose of
taking testimony and receiving evidence for the identification of interstate
problems within the purposes of this Compact and issuing such appropriate
orders as it deems necessary for the proper administration of the
Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Basin Compact. Any interested person or entity
may make application to the Commission requesting that a hearing be held on any
matter arising under, or otherwise within the purview of, the Compact,
provided, such applications must meet the following requirements:
(a) The application must be in writing and
filed with the Chairman, with a copy thereof being simultaneously furnished, by
the applicant, to all Commissioners.
(b) The application must state and describe
the identity and address of the applicant(s) and, where appropriate, the
applicant's representatives in pursuit of the application; the interest of the
applicant(s) in presenting the application and requesting that a hearing be
held; the purpose, subject matter, issues, concerns and/or allegations sought
to be entertained and considered through the hearing applied for; and, as may
be appropriate to the purposes of the hearing sought, the relief or other
official Commission action being requested through the hearing.
Unless determined and directed otherwise by the Commission,
applications for Commission hearings shall be placed, for Commission review and
consideration, on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled annual meeting of
the Commission following the filing of the application. Applicant(s) shall be
notified, in advance by the Chairman, of the date, time and place of the
meeting at which the application will be considered and acted upon by the
Commission.
10.1(B)
All hearings shall be open to the public and may be scheduled and conducted as
part of an annual or special meeting of the Commission or as may be determined
otherwise by the Commission. The presiding officers at such hearings shall be
one Commissioner from each state designated and appointed to serve as presiding
officer by the respective state.
10.2 Orders of the Commission shall be
enforceable upon the request of the Commission or any other interested party in
any court of competent jurisdiction within the county wherein the subject
matter to which the order relates is in existence, subject to the right of
review through the appellate courts of the state of situs.
10.3 Any hearing held for the promulgation
and issuance of orders shall be in the county and state of the subject matter
of said hearing.
10.4 In the event
the Commission directs that a hearing be held, all interested parties shall be
afforded an opportunity to be heard after reasonable notice. Such notice shall
include, among other matters deemed appropriate:
(a) A statement of the date, time, place, and
nature of the hearing;
(b) A
statement of the legal authority and jurisdiction under which the hearing is to
be held;
(c) A reference to any
particular matter or any statute or rules involved; and
(d) A short and plain statement of the
matters asserted or which are the subject or purpose of the hearing.
If the Commission, or any other interested party, is unable to
state the matters in detail at the time the notice is served, the initial
notice may be limited to a statement of the issues. Thereafter, and upon
application, a more definite and detailed statement shall be
furnished.
10.5 A
record of the hearing shall be kept and maintained and shall include:
(a) All pleadings, motions and intermediate
rulings;
(b) Evidence received or
considered;
(c) A statement of
matters officially noticed;
(d)
Questions and offers of proof, objections, and rulings thereon;
(e) Proposed findings and exceptions
thereto;
(f) Any decision, opinion
or report by the officers presiding at the hearing; and
(g) All staff memoranda or data submitted to
the Commission in connection with their consideration of the matter before such
hearing.
10.6 Findings of
facts shall be based exclusively on the evidence and on the matters officially
noticed by the Commission.
10.7
Oral proceedings or any part thereof shall be transcribed on request of any
party and the cost of transcription shall be paid by the requesting
party.
10.8 At its hearings, the
Commission may admit and give probative effect to evidence which possesses
probative value commonly accepted by reasonably prudent men in the conduct of
their affairs. It shall give effect to the rules of privileged communications
recognized by law. No greater exclusionary effect shall be given any such rule
or privilege than would be obtained in an action in court. The Commission may
exclude incompetent, irrelevant, immaterial and unduly repetitious evidence.
Objections to evidentiary offers may be made and shall be noted in the record.
Subject to these requirements, when a hearing will be expedited and the
interest of the parties will not be prejudiced substantially thereby, any part
of the evidence may be received in written form.
*10.9 Documentary evidence may be received
in the form of copies or excerpts if the original is not readily available.
Upon request, the parties shall be given an opportunity to compare the copy
with the original. The record of hearings may be held open for a reasonable
length of time to afford either party time to submit additional written
statements or evidence. An original and two copies (or three copies) of each
document sought to be introduced into evidence by a party at a Commission
hearing must be presented to the officers presiding over the hearing by the
party desiring and moving its admission.
10.10 A party may conduct cross-examination
required for a full and true disclosure of the facts.
10.11 Notice may be taken of judicially
recognized facts. In addition, notice may be taken of generally recognized
technical or scientific facts within the Commission's specialized knowledge.
Parties shall be notified, either before or during the hearing or be referenced
in preliminary reports or otherwise, of the material noticed, including any
staff memoranda or data, and they shall be afforded an opportunity to contest
the material so noticed. The Commission's experience, technical competence and
specialized knowledge may be utilized in the evaluation of the
evidence.
10.12 In the case of
hearings involving alleged or apparent violations of the Compact, the following
procedures shall apply:
(a) If there is an
alleged or apparent violation of the Compact, it should be made known to the
Commission;
(b) Alleged violators
shall submit an explanation for, or response to, the alleged violation to the
Commission within thirty days of receipt of written notification of said
violation from the Commission;
(c)
The Commission shall refer the alleged violation to the Engineering and/or
Legal Committee for investigation and review;
(d) After due investigation has been made,
the Engineering and/or Legal Committee shall refer the matter to the Commission
with recommendations concerning the action to be taken.
10.13 Any party shall at all times have the
right to counsel, provided that such counsel must be duly licensed to practice
law in one of the signatory States, or associated with an attorney
thereof.
ARTICLE XI
PUBLICITY
11.1 Prior to the close of each meeting, the
Chairman may draft a press release as directed by the Commission and submit it
to the Commission for approval. All approved releases may be made available to
the press by any member of the Commission.
11.2 The Commissioners shall not be
restricted from participation in a press conference or interview, conducted at
the request of a member of the press or other news media, but may not speak on
behalf of the Commission without the prior approval of the
Commission.
ARTICLE XII
POLLUTION
12.1 The Commission may provide a forum for
the identification and discussion of pollution occurring in the Arkansas River
Basin to the end that the signatory states will cooperate with each other and
jointly encourage the maintenance of an active pollution abatement program in
each of the two states.
12.2 The
Commission shall encourage each individual state to take positive steps in the
abatement of pollution identified by the Commission to exist in the Arkansas
River Basin; provided however, neither state may require the other to provide
water for the purpose of water quality control as a substitute for adequate
waste treatment.
12.3 The
Commission shall collect, analyze and report on data pertaining to water
quality within the basin. For this purpose the Commission may enter into
contracts as provided by Article IX, A(2) to be approved at a Commission
meeting. Unless formally approved by the Commission, no such report shall be
published or have any validity.
ARTICLE XIII
PROCEDURE FOR
DISAGREEMENT ON CALCULATION OF ANNUAL YIELD*****
13.1 The Arkansas Natural Resources
Commission and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board representatives of the
Engineering Committee will calculate the annual yield using the following data:
(a) Stream flows (USGS);
(b) Precipitation on reservoir surface
(USACE);
(c) Evaporation from
reservoir surface (USACE);
(d)
Diversions from streams (OWRB and ANRC);
(e) Diversions from reservoir (USACE);
and
(f) Return flows (State's
DEQ).
13.2 The most
recent data available will be used for all calculations. Each state agency
shall have free access to the other state agency's data. The states should
review, investigate, and possibly include historical data and averages if
current year reported data is significantly different from previous years. If
there is disagreement regarding the data used in the calculations, the agencies
may schedule a conference call for clarification and resolution of the
disagreement.
13.3 . Current
computation methods used to calculate the annual yield have been agreed to by
both state agencies and are attached to these rules as A-1.
13.4 Any state proposing a change to the
"Guidelines for the Computation of Annual Yields" for calculating the annual
yield for a certain water year must bring the proposed change to the
engineering committee for review. If the changes are deemed important enough to
be included in the current year's report, the engineering committee members
shall hold a conference call to discuss the topic. Prior to adopting the method
for usage in the yield report, the engineering committee must agree upon a
defined process for using the changed methodology to consistently obtain and
calculate data.
13.5 Any grievances
regarding the calculation of the annual yield should be presented to the
Commission with supporting evidence.
*As amended at the annual meeting, September 25, 1985.
**As amended at the annual meeting, September 25, 1991.
***As amended at the annual meeting, September 24, 1993.
****As amended at the annual meeting, September 27, 2012.
*****As amended at the annual meeting, September 24, 2015.
ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN COMPACT
Guidelines for the Computation of Annual Yields
September 24, 2015
This document describes methods developed and approved by the
Arkansas River Basin Compact Commission to compute the annual yields for the
Spavinaw Creek, Illinois River, Lee Creek, Poteau River and Arkansas River
Sub-basins of the Oklahoma-Arkansas River Compact.
General Description of Computation of Annual Yields
To compute annual yields for the Sub-basins identified above, one
must take the following steps:
1.
Determine the computation of actual runoff from each Sub-basin.
2. Determine the computation of total
depletions or accretions in each of the respective Sub-basins.
3. Combine items (1) and (2) to
obtain the "annual yield" for each basin.
4. Multiply item (3) by 100 minus the
percentage of depletion allowed in Article IV of the Compact.
5. Compute deficiency, if any, by comparing
item (4) to (1).
Items 1 and 2 are explained in this document, as these involve
interpretation of the Compact, data collection and application of appropriate
methods for computation of runoff, accretions, and depletions. Items 3 to 5 are
not included herein as these are self-explanatory.
1.
Computation of Actual Runoff from
each Sub-basin
*The Engineering Committee will compute runoff data_from the
Sub-basins using the areas defined by the Compact in Article II. Active USGS
streamflow gauges should be used to retrieve measured runoff as available.
Since most gauges are not located on the Oklahoma-Arkansas state border,
estimates of runoff should account for the ungauged flows generated in the
drainage area above or below the selected gauge.
The Engineering Committee will adjust the runoff measured at the
gauges for the Spavinaw Creek, Illinois River, Lee Creek,and Poteau River
Sub-basins-using simple linear interpolation, as follows:
Click here
to view image
Where,
R
= Actual runoff at the
OK-ARK state line
Rm
= Measured runoff at
the gauge
AG
= Contributing area at
the gauge
AU
= Area ungauged above
or below gauge
At
= Total area including
ungauged portion. Because water from these Sub-basins originates
in the state of Arkansas, then:
*If gauge is located on the Oklahoma side: At = AG -
Au
*If gauge is located on Arkansas side: AT = AG +
AU
The annual yields report should include a brief description of
the procedure used to compute actual runoff (R) in these Sub-basins, and should
also include the measured ungauged drainage areas used for such
computation.
The Engineering Committee will use the following formula to
calculate runoff for the Arkansas River Sub-basin:
Click here
to view image
Where,
Qa
= Total annual
discharge originating from the Arkansas River Sub-basin.
QV
= Total annual
discharge of the Arkansas River immediately below the mouth of Lee Creek
presently measured at the Van Buren gauging station.
Qm
= Total annual
discharge of the Arkansas River immediately below the mouth of the Grand Neosho
River, presently measured at the Muskogee gauging station.
QW
= Total annual discharge of the Canadian River at Eufaula Dam,
presently measured at Whitefield gauging station.
Q2
= Total annual outflow
from the Illinois River Sub-basin.
Q3
= Total annual outflow
from the Lee Creek Sub-basin.
Q4
= Total annual outflow
from the Poteau River Sub-basin.
*The Engineering Committee will obtain data, as available, from
the USGS website (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis)
for the following gauges (Table 1):
Table 1. Current USGS gauges used for Computation of
Runoff at Sub-basins in the Compact Area
|
Sub-basin |
USGS Gauges Required |
Drainage Area
(mi2) |
|
Spavinaw Creek |
07191220 - Spavinaw Creek near Sycamore, OK |
133 |
|
07195855 - Flint Creek near West Siloam Springs,
OK |
59.8 |
|
Illinois River |
07195500 - Illinois River near Watts, OK |
635 |
|
07196900 - Baron Fork at Dutch Mills, AR |
41 |
|
Lee Creek |
07249985 - Lee Creek near Short OK |
420 |
|
07247015 - Poteau River at Loving, OK |
269a |
|
Poteau River |
07247250 - Black Fork below Big Creeknr Page,
OK |
74.4b |
|
07247250 - James Fork near Hackett, AR |
147c |
|
07194500 - Arkansas River near Muskogee, OK |
84,133 |
|
Arkansas River |
07245000 - Canadian River near Whitefield, OK |
37,876 |
|
07250550 - AR River at J. W. Trimble L& D nr Van
Buren, AR |
151,000d |
a Does not include 25.1 sq. miles of
ungauged drainage.
b Does not include 13.0 sq. miles of
ungauged drainage.
c Does not include 35.2 sq. miles of
ungauged drainage.
d Includes 22,200 sq. miles of
drainage area in Kansas that "probably is noncontributing".
Data obtained from the eleven (11) above listed gauges is
sufficient to accurately compute actual runoff from the Sub-basins, but
different gauges could be used for the computation of runoff.
Review of the Poteau River Sub-basin indicates that there are
large portions of runoff that originate in Arkansas but are not included in the
gauging. Calculations should be completed to estimate the runoff for these
areas using the following equation.
Click here
to view image
Where,
RU
= Calculated runoff at
the OK-AR state line from ungauged contributing streams
Rm
= Measured runoff at
the gauge
AG
= Contributing area at
the gauge
AU
= Area contributing
runoff for ungauged streams
*Actual runoff should be computed on an annual basis, and monthly
values should be included in the annual yields report as appendices, instead of
the daily time series that has been included in previous reports. Units should
be consistent, preferably in acre-feet (AF). Flows originating from outside the
Compact area should not be included in the computation of actual runoff, unless
specified in the Compact. Article II of the Compact defines the drainage areas
for each Sub-basin as waters originating in the Compact area. In previous
reports, return flows from the White River Basin have been removed from the
flow originating in the Arkansas River Basin since the water is being
transferred in from another basin. The return flow data is obtained from the
water departments of the cities of Fayetteville, Rogers, and Springdale,
AR.
2.
Computation of
Total Depletions or Accretions in each of the respective Sub-basins
The total annual depletion in each Sub-basin will be the sum of
the following:
(a) Total stream
diversions minus return flows,
(b)
Depletions and/or accretions by major reservoirs,
(c) Evaporation losses from other than major
reservoirs, and
(d) Pumpage of
ground water alluvium aquifers
. Data sources and procedures
suggested for computation of these items are described as follows:
a)
Total stream diversions minus return
flows
Diversions from the Oklahoma side of the Compact, i.e. the
Arkansas Sub-basin and the Oklahoma portion of the Lee Creek Sub-basin, should
be estimated using information from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB).
Likewise, diversions from the Arkansas side of the Compact should be obtained
from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC). These agencies manage
the surface water rights in their respective states, and can provide
information on the type of uses, allocated amounts, annual reported use, and
estimates of return flows. Values of annual diversions for each sub-basin
should be included in the report, along with a brief description of the methods
and assumptions used in the calculation of return flows.
b)
Depletions and/or accretions by
major reservoirs
The Compact defines depletion as the difference between the
inflow and outflow, using the following equation:
Click here
to view image
in which
I - O
= Depletion in the
reservoir.
P = Precipitation on reservoir
surface.
p
= Runoff that would have
occurred from area covered by reservoir, computed by a derived rainfall-runoff
factor c times P, or cP.
[]S
= Change in storage
volume at beginning and end of period E = Evaporation from
reservoir surface.
D
=Direct diversions from
reservoir storage, not included in outflow; seepage from reservoir may also be
a factor, and if not included in measured outflow as at
gauging station below dam, should be
estimated.
The Engineering Committee will obtain monthly_data for the
reservoirs of the Compact area from the USACE web page, at
http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/.
Available data includes reservoir contents, as well as evaporation and
precipitation measured over the reservoir surface.
* Precipitation on reservoir surface (P)
The Engineering Committee will obtain monthly values of
precipitation data measured over the lakes from the USACE webpage.
* Runoff (p)
This component should be estimated as the product of
precipitation (P) and a runoff coefficient. A runoff coefficient of 0.18 has
been used since 1974 to determine the runoff quantity. It has been noted that
the runoff coefficient value can vary depending on publications and that there
is no way to know what existed in the area before the reservoirs were built.
For these reasons it is agreed upon by the Engineering Committee to continue
the use of 0.18 as the runoff coefficient since this is the value that has been
used in all of the previous reports.
* Change in Storage (AS)
Change in storage is defined in the compact as the
"Change in the storage volume at the beginning and end of a
period", which for the water year would be computed as the difference
between the contents at the end of the period (September 30th) minus the
contents at the beginning of the period (October 1, previous calendar
year).
Evaporation from reservoir surface (E)
The Engineering Committee will obtain monthly values of
evaporation strictly measured over the lakes from the USACE webpage. Pan
evaporation is used to estimate the evaporation from lakes. There is a
correlation between lake evaporation and pan evaporation. Evaporation from a
natural body of water is usually at a lower rate because the body of water does
not have metal sides that get hot with the sun, and while light penetration in
a pan is essentially uniform, light penetration in natural bodies of water will
decrease as depth increases. Pan coefficients can vary depending on a number of
different variables, including ground cover, levels of relative humidity, and
24 hour wind speed. Previous reports have used a pan coefficient of 0.70 for
correlation between reservoir evaporation and pan evaporation.
Further discussion as to the coefficient value that should be
used is required by the engineering committee.
* Direct Diversions from reservoir surface (D)
Direct diversions from reservoir storage, not included in the
outflow, should be computed using information from the OWRB water rights
database. Previous reports only used data from the USACE, but did not include
details such as the type of use, the year of the data, and if any return flows
had been included in the computation.
c)
Evaporation losses from other than
major reservoirs
This item has not been addressed in previous reports. The Compact
states that "Evaporation from small lakes, such as those not designed
for water supply, including flood-detentions structures, farm ponds, and
recreation lakes, may be estimated on basis of average water surface area and
appropriate data from evaporation-pan records."
Further discussion about the data sources and feasibility of
including this item in the computation of depletions needs to be discussed by
the Engineering Committee. Inclusion of this item in the computation of
depletions will be determined by the Engineering Committee.
d)
Pumpage of ground water from
alluvium aquifers
This item has not been included in previous reports. The Compact
states that Pumpage from stream alluviums may cause appreciable
depletions in the stream flow. This is not believed to be a factor at the
present (1969) time, but could conceivably be in the future for some stream
reaches" (Appendix I, Item 2, page 119).
Inclusion of this item in the computation of depletions will be
determined by the Engineering Committee.
Click here
to view image
Figure 1. Map of the Oklahoma-Arkansas River Compact
Area
