A water resources management strategy for surface and groundwater in Osage County, Oklahoma utilized to formulate policy guidelines for water rights and resources protection and management for Indian lands

Scope and method of study. Used existing literature and data to define and characterize the major and minor aquifers in Osage County for areal extent, depth to fresh water and yield in order to develop a preliminary water resources management strategy. A determination was done on water quantity and quality for surface water and groundwater as well as hydroelectric generation, oil and gas production and agricultural pursuits, and impacts on those quantities and qualities. Water definitions, water law, as well as federal and state agencies which regulate water quality are considered in relation to the nature and extent of Indian water rights. The quantification of the Native American claims is to be supported by soil irrigability or land capability to demonstrate feasibility of proposed land uses. Remote sensing and a GIS program developed visual aids to assist creating resource and constraint maps to incorporate into Bureau of Indian Affairs guidelines for Indian water rights protection and resource management.; Findings and conclusions. The study pointed out that a significant surface water and groundwater resource exists in Osage County in excess of 30 million acre feet and that the current and foreseeable needs could not exceed 10 million acre feet. A second point is that there is more than 500,000 to 604,000 acres of land which could be cropped as alfalfa or hay grasses to use the water resources and benefit the Osage Nation based on moderately to readily irrigable soils or land capability. The Osage Nation is entitled to a large portion of the waters in Osage County under the Winters Doctrine federal reserved water rights. Finally, the GIS program IDRISI is not a particularly effective research tool as a result of numerous limitations, but is adequate for teaching.