James Imhofe, a senator from Oklahoma, and several other state lawmakers recently developed a water conservation plan to protect the local environment and preserve its natural water sources.
The New York Times reported the Oklahoma state legislature and Governor Mary Fallin worked together to create a conservation goal that calls for the development of communities, generating electricity production and drilling for energy without promising sources of clean water. The plan will help the state limit its water usage to its current levels each year until 2060, in an effort to curb the increasing volumes of water being consumed by residents each year.
The water conservation plan is voluntary. While lawmakers expect organizations and businesses in Oklahoma to cooperate with the initiative, reports of prolonged droughts seen in 2011 and last July being the hottest month experienced by any state ever, in Oklahoma indicate many groups will struggle to follow limits of water usage in order to operate smoothly. If more harsh droughts and exceedingly high temperatures present themselves in Oklahoma in the next few years, businesses, farmers and organizations may not have enough water by 2060 to sustain their functionality, The New York Times reported.
Similarly, the town of Frisco, Colorado, is also asking residents to abide by a voluntary water conservation plan. The town is preparing for drought-like conditions in the upcoming months after a dry winter and below-average spring rainfall. Town officials are asking residents to limit their water usage when watering lawns and plants and to save water whenever possible, The Associated Press reported.
