A lot has been made of the priority that Oklahoma places on water quality in general, and scenic streams in particular. But is calling a stream in Oklahoma “scenic” little more than a label?

The Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission is made up of 12 individuals, five elected, seven appointed.

But McCurtain and Sequoyah counties are not represented on the commission by elected representatives, even though Lee Creek and the Mountain Fork are designated scenic streams. Nor does the commission have any jurisdiction over the scenic streams in those counties. The same is true of the Barren Fork Creek in Adair County.

With this jurisdictional patchwork and jerrymandered representation, it is perhaps understandable when our Arkansas neighbors to the east have a hard time deciphering when the word scenic really means anything at all in Oklahoma.

Each of the streams designated scenic by Oklahoma faces specific and unique challenges. The counties in which these streams lie deserve representation on the commission so those challenges can receive the attention and review they deserve.

Additionally, for the sake of continuity, jurisdiction over scenic stream issues should be consolidated to the most logical entity — the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission.

The meager funding and authority granted to the state agency entrusted to protecting our state’s most treasured waters — scenic streams — is a true testament to how little Oklahoma lawmakers really care about water quality.

Republicans and Democrats alike recreate on our scenic streams. If the definition of a scenic stream means anything, these waters are too important a resource to be relegated to political tug-of-wars — the official sport of Oklahoma legislators.

Officials in Sequoyah and McCurtain counties should push their legislative representatives to demand seats on the commission. And jurisdiction over scenic streams should be expanded so the commission can actually do the job it was formed to do.

Then perhaps the public perception of defining a stream as scenic will more closely match reality.

Rick Stubblefield, Adair County representative

Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission