Frustration as drought forces OKC to take water from Canton Lake
The lake is the main recreational lake in western Oklahoma
The lake is the main recreational lake in western Oklahoma
The lake is the main recreational lake in western Oklahoma
The drought that began in June isn’t just impacting ponds – now, it’s taking a toll on Oklahoma’s reservoirs.
At Lake Hefner, it’s apparent how far the water has fallen – four feet, and it’s dropping a foot a week. The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust believes now is the time to take action.
So the city is getting water from Canton Lake. More than 450 cubic feet per second of water is being released from Canton Lake to help raise water levels at Lake Hefner.
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"That lake has been identified as a primary use of it is for drinking water for not only Oklahoma City, but the 1.4 million residents that we provide water to here in Central Oklahoma,” Oklahoma City utilities spokesperson Michaelann Ooten said.
The goal is to even out the numbers before the drought worsens. Canton Lake is one foot below normal, while Lake Hefner is down four feet. But Ooten said there are other things to consider.
"And so we look at the amount of water that's accessible to our equipment to our system,” she said. “Canton's at 100% accessible water and Hefner's at 82%."
The rainfall over the last two months shows parts of NW Oklahoma have received nearly seven inches of rain while parts of Central Oklahoma have less than an inch. Atoka Reservoir and McGee Creek in SE Oklahoma are under contract with Oklahoma City as well, but both are experiencing extreme drought.
Some residents at Canton Lake are frustrated. They remember the three-year drought from 2011 to 2013, when the lake dropped 14 feet.
"We don't take lightly the decision to pull water from one of our reservoirs to another one,” Ooten said.
Oklahoma City residents are on a mandatory odd-even watering schedule.