Utilities officials with the City of Oklahoma City are working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to draw water from Lake Canton in northwest Oklahoma. The water is needed to help increase water levels at Lake Hefner, which serves as a primary drinking water source for the City of Oklahoma City. All total, Oklahoma City supplies about 1.4 million residents in Central Oklahoma with treated drinking water.
This summer’s excessive heat and dry weather have caused water levels at Lake Hefner to drop by about four feet, according to Utilities engineers. The release will lower Lake Canton about two feet and raise Hefner’s water level an equal amount. The drop in lake level is not expected to affect Canton wildlife or recreational activities.
The release will begin today. The water will be emptied into the North Canadian River before making its way to Lake Hefner. Local officials anticipate the water will begin arriving in Lake Hefner within about three days of its release.
“We don’t take this decision lightly, which is why we work to plan the release so we can minimize impacts as much as possible,” said Chris Browning, Utilities Director, and General Manager for the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust.
Browning and other Utilities staff met with officials from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Canton Lake Advisory Committee to carefully plan the release.
This will mark the first time Oklahoma City has had to pull water from Lake Canton since 2013.
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