Evaluation of Sustainable Water Availability in Drought Prone Watersheds in Southeastern Oklahoma

Southwest Oklahoma endured a severe drought between 2010 and 2015, placing communities within the territories of the Chickasaw Nation (CN) and Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) on the verge of water scarcity. Both Nations collaborated with the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (SC CASC) and Aqua Strategies Inc. to refine the RiverWare water availability model to an applicable scale. This adjustment enabled analysis of the effects of permits for individual water usage, minor tributaries, streams, and community reservoirs on water availability.