By Wally Kennedy

wkennedy@joplinglobe.com

MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Since its inception in 2003, the Tri-State Water Resource Coalition has focused on the technical side of finding more water for the region.

That emphasis could soon change to one that is more political in nature.

On Wednesday, members of the coalition met at the new Lawrence County Justice Center in Mount Vernon to develop a strategic plan for the organization.

The coalition earlier this year decided to seek water from an existing impoundment, such as Table Rock Lake, Stockton Lake or Grand Lake, rather than build a new reservoir in Southwest Missouri. Though the coalition has identified 14 possible sites for a new reservoir, members say reservoir construction would face strong opposition and could prove to be too costly.

But the plan to get water from an existing impoundment also is fraught with regulatory problems in that the state of Missouri opposes moving water from one basin to another. Table Rock Lake is in the White River Basin, while much of Southwest Missouri is in the Spring River Basin.

John Moore, a Springfield resident and president of the Upper White River Basin Foundation, led the planning session, which lasted more than four hours. He said: “The water is there. Our hurdles are political. How do we get to it?”

Moore said the coalition is packed with engineering know-how in that many of its members have backgrounds in that field. What appears to be missing is the political know-how, he said.

“Who do you know?” he asked. “Are there levers you can pull? How do you get it done? Getting it done involves the art of the political process.”

Moore said the coalition might consider translating the technical data it has amassed into political data, which could focus on issues related to job creation and economic growth. Members of the coalition said the public needs a clearer picture of the economic consequences of not having enough water.

Bob Nichols, a Webb City resident who has helped direct the coalition’s work, said: “It was a good discussion that we needed. But we did not draw any conclusions. The bottom line is that we are forming a strategic planning committee that will be chaired by Gary Gibson, with City Utilities in Springfield.”

In addition, Nichols said, the technical committee is going back to review the various options about sources of water. Some members of the coalition said during the meeting that construction of a reservoir should be an option that remains open in the event that water cannot be piped from an existing impoundment to the communities that need it.

A coalition study, released in July, identified 14 sites across Southwest Missouri that might be candidates for a reservoir. Of those, three sites were contenders: along Shoal Creek in Newton County, Indian Creek in McDonald County and a tributary to the James River at Springfield.

“They will either reconfirm Table Rock, Stockton or Grand Lake, or they will come up with something new,” Nichols said.