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The U.S. Senate passes a bill that will directly benefit Bartlesville’s efforts to get more water rights from Copan Lake.

The Water Resources Development Act of 2024 includes an improved purchase rate for Bartlesville to acquire Copan Lake water acres, decreasing the cost significantly for the city and improving water access for the growing community.

This legislation passed through the House of Representatives earlier in December and now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

U.S. Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, released a statement praising the passage of the bill saying he has worked for months to make it easier for Oklahoma communities to buy more water and upgrade water infrastructure.

The bill also benefits Sardis Lake, Lake Texoma, a levee project in west Tulsa, and infrastructure in Midwest City, Woodward and Stillwater.

The Bartlesville Water Resources Committee met Thursday afternoon to discuss the legislation and its potential benefit to the city to secure additional water rights in Copan Lake, among other solutions.