“It seems to me really pretty odd to change the constitution for one industry,” she said. “Can you imagine changing the federal constitution for something like this?”

Some small farmers, especially those engaged in organic and farm-to-table agriculture, fear that SQ 777 would, as Oakley put it, “enshrine” large operators’ rights to the detriment of water quality and small operators’ ability to compete.

“Some big farmers might not consider what I do farming,” Oakley said. “They might consider it gardening. But I have no off-farm income, and I get down off the tractor and work in the soil.

“There are farmers of all scales, most of them doing their best to make a living. Legislation like this makes it difficult for anyone to combat the ills … of factory farms. …

“All of us are affected by the land management practices around us. It’s in my interest for all land owners around me to do their best to preserve their quality of water.”

For eastern Oklahoma, water quality is not only a health issue but an economic issue because of the region’s reliance on tourism, which includes boating and sports fishing.