TULSA, Okla. – Water releases from Canton Lake requested by the City of Oklahoma City for water supply needs began again Aug. 11 and will total 8,000 acre-feet and are expected to last 9 days. The City of Oklahoma City had initially requested the release earlier this month and the releases began Aug. 3rd but were soon halted because of administrative issues outside of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District authority.
Initial releases consist of raising two sluice gates in 150 cubic feet per second increments twice daily to a constant release of 900 cfs. The release will then be reduced by 150 cfs once each day until the 8,000 acre-feet total has been achieved. Canton Lake elevation is projected to drop about 1.3 feet and the impact to recreation is expected to be minimal.
There is a high degree of public interest in the Canton Lake pool and the City of Oklahoma City’s right to withdraw water. Because of this the Canton Lake Advisory Committee comprised of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Canton Lake Association and the Tulsa District USACE, determined to review the initial request for withdrawal procedures and halted the earlier release until the committee could meet.
The Canton Lake Advisory Committee met August 11 and reviewed policy and procedure for City of Oklahoma City water withdrawal requests. All parties agreed the latest request for withdrawal is urgent, reasonable, and follows release policy. The water is being released into the North Canadian River and will flow to Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City which is at a critically low elevation for water supply purposes
The Tulsa District USACE and the City of Oklahoma City work together to meet water supply needs. Water supply is one of Canton Lake’s authorized purposes that must be balanced with other purposes in the system of reservoirs. Other purposes include water storage for hydropower, flood risk management, water quality and recreation.
In times of drought, meeting drinking water supply needs is a primary purpose. The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust has used water from Canton Lake since the 1950s. Water utility officials meet with representatives from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Canton Lake representatives, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the US Army Corps of Engineers to carefully plan all water releases so they are conducted in the best interest of both lakes and to replenish drinking water supply.
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| Date Taken: | 08.12.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2022 10:38 |
| Story ID: | 427134 |
| Location: | OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 258 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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