The Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer is Unique
The Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer underlies more than 500 square miles in South-Central Oklahoma and it is the principal water source for more than 150,000 people in Ada, Sulphur, Ardmore, Durant, and surrounding towns. The Aquifer is the source for several important springs including the Byrd's Mill Spring, which is the largest spring in Oklahoma and is also the City of Ada's primary drinking source, and springs throughout the Chickasaw National Recreational Center, which attracts over 1.2 million visitors each year. The EPA has designated a portion of the Aquifer as a Sole Source Aquifer (SSA), meaning there is no economically feasible alternative source of water if the Aquifer ever becomes contaminated. The Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer is the only SSA in the state.
There are many other interests that rely on the aquifer such as Turner Falls Park, Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center and Youth Camp, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge, Kerr Scout Ranch at Slippery Falls, Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery and Nature Conservancy's Pontotoc Ridge Preserve.