Trump Administration Partners with Choctaw Nation, State of Oklahoma for $24M Investment with the Sardis Lake Water Authority

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Oklahoma State Director Zachary Swartz announced today that the Trump Administration will invest more than $14.9 million to make upgrades for the Sardis Lake Water Authority.

The Administration's investment along with a partnership with the Choctaw Nation, which is investing more than $6.4 million, and the State of Oklahoma, which is investing more than $2.8 million, will allow the water authority to make critical infrastructure changes to stop water loss, increase water capacity for the community's growing water needs, and improve water quality for their customers.

"Rural Oklahomans are best served when the federal government works together with our Tribal Nation partners and friends in our state government, and this project here with Sardis Lake Water Authority is an amazing example of how that partnership can work to grow rural Oklahoma," said Swartz. "Thanks to the leadership of Chief Gary Batton and the Oklahoma Water Resource Board along with our commitment from USDA, our neighbors in the Kiamichi Valley will have a secure and reliable source of drinking water for decades to come by working collectively for a stronger rural Oklahoma."

"This investment in the Sardis Lake Water Authority demonstrates the strength of collaboration among federal, state, and tribal leaders to address critical infrastructure needs in rural Oklahoma," said Chief of the Choctaw Nation Gary Batton. "By supporting a new water treatment plant, we are helping ensure that residents and businesses, including schools, clinics, restaurants, and senior housing, maintain access to safe, reliable water. Funding at this level for water infrastructure in rural areas can be rare, and I am proud of the partnerships we have built to serve our reservation's communities."

The funding is provided through USDA Rural Development's Water and Environmental Programs. These programs provide affordable funding to develop essential water infrastructure in rural Oklahoma communities.

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