With an annual operating budget at less than $500,000 and minimal staff and expected further cuts given the state’s dire budget situation, Fite and GRDA Chief Executive Officer Dan Sullivan saw the move as a way to preserve Oklahoma’s mission to preserve its most precious waters and combine those efforts under one roof.

GRDA has increased its work on water quality issues in recent years and initiated public outreach regarding water use and preservation in the Grand River drainage area. Now that role will expand, Sullivan said.

“There actually is a lot of synergy there,” he said in April. “If you consider the importance of the mission and the lack of funds available, particularly in this difficult budget time, I don’t see another viable option.”

The initial meeting of the GRDA and commission staffs Thursday focused on basics, like human resources issues, inventory, handling expenses, summer staffing and other details, Fite said.

“For example, we have processes for collecting user fees and making those deposits and I’m sure they will have different processes,” he said.