Depending on when 'next time' is there might not be a lake upstream to draw from though.

And there might be a lake then or we might have a new pipeline then. Or maybe we can put water in a truck as someone suggested and fill up lake Hefner with it.

(that last thing, I hope you realize is not a serious suggestion, but it does fall pretty well in line with how seriously anyone really thinks we're in danger of any adverse effects from drought at this point save an inconvenient watering schedule which my control box can't seem to figure out)

The area up stream of Canton lake is getting some great rain tonight.
Not a bad deal in what is normally the hottest and driest time of the year.

Granted it will take a few days for a lot of that water to get in, if it makes it, but Canton Lake did come up a bit - roughly 1% point.

http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/images/lakes/CANT.lakepage.gif

Granted it will take a few days for a lot of that water to get in, if it makes it, but Canton Lake did come up a bit - roughly 1% point.

http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/images/lakes/CANT.lakepage.gif

Too bad the storm that dumped on OKC yesterday/night didn"t sit over Canton for a while.

ya, honest - I have been hoping that storms would sit over Canton and W Oklahoma. With Central and Eastern getting more than enough, it would be so awesome if we could get things up in the NW/SW. Here are prayers!

Too bad the storm that dumped on OKC yesterday/night didn"t sit over Canton for a while.

Yeah looks like it is still sitting at around 20.5% full now a few days after the heavy rain. Maybe we need a pipeline from Hefner back to Canton to drain the overflow? :)

52105 on 12/25

24793 on 2/21 (-52.4%)

30931 on 04/10 (+24.8%/-40.6%)

34140 on 06/04 (+10.4%/+37.7%/-34.5%)

33653 on 08/01 (-1.4%/+8.8%/+35.7%/-35.4%)

So unless there was a big fish kill in February, it doesn't look like that will happen this summer unless Canton loses more than 30% of it's volume to evaporation over the next month and a half of Oklahoma's summer.

Photos of Canton Lake taken on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 (after recent rains):

425242534254

Photos of Canton Lake taken on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 (after recent rains):

425242534254

If your point is that the lake isn't full, that's hardly news. The lake level has absolutely been rising. It's about 2 1/2 feet higher than the lowest level in February and hasn't been experiencing the normal mid-summer lowering by evaporation.

More rain on the eastern Colorado plains tonight, looks to be headed that way. Hopefully it will stay together for awhile.

If your point is that the lake isn't full, that's hardly news. The lake level has absolutely been rising. It's about 2 1/2 feet higher than the lowest level in February and hasn't been experiencing the normal mid-summer lowering by evaporation.

Hey, thanks for the warm and fuzzy reply.

Hey, thanks for the warm and fuzzy reply.

I have no idea what you expected. It is what it is and those kind of pictures change nothing. Did you think everyone was just going to pat you on the back and say "what a shame"? The lake has problems for sure but its's not nearly as bad now as some were predicting earlier (dropping 5 feet further).

Sir, if my photographs offend you in some way, that was not my intent. I offered the photographs to simply give readers a current view of conditions there, for what that is worth, after coincidentally being in the area this week. I make no argument for or against anything. Or whether it's getting better or not. I'm glad to hear the lake level is rising some, as you say. If I'm in the area in future months and can photograph the same area for comparison, then I'll do that too.

As for what I expected? Well, frankly, not to be talked to so rudely by someone with whom I've never communicated before.

I have no idea what you expected. It is what it is and those kind of pictures change nothing. Did you think everyone was just going to pat you on the back and say "what a shame"? The lake has problems for sure but its's not nearly as bad now as some were predicting earlier (dropping 5 feet further).

Sir, if my photographs offend you in some way, that was not my intent. I offered the photographs to simply give readers a current view of conditions there, for what that is worth, after coincidentally being in the area this week. I make no argument for or against anything. Or whether it's getting better or not. I'm glad to hear the lake level is rising some, as you say. If I'm in the area in future months and can photograph the same area for comparison, then I'll do that too.

As for what I expected? Well, frankly, not to be talked to so rudely by someone with whom I've never communicated before.

Sir, if my photographs offend you in some way, that was not my intent. I offered the photographs to simply give readers a current view of conditions there, for what that is worth, after coincidentally being in the area this week. I make no argument for or against anything. Or whether it's getting better or not. I'm glad to hear the lake level is rising some, as you say. If I'm in the area in future months and can photograph the same area for comparison, then I'll do that too.

As for what I expected? Well, frankly, not to be talked to so rudely by someone with whom I've never communicated before.

Your photographs didn't offend me at all. I was just stating my opinion. If what I said appeared rude to you, you are much too easily offended. It was not rude at all to say I didn't think your pictures were an accurate depiction. It was obviously staged to present the worst possible picture. If you are going to be offended by someone who disagrees with you this is not where you need to be posting. As I have said before, I'm not insensitive to problems at the lake, I just don't like those who try to present things in the worst possible light to make whatever point they are trying to make.

Your photographs didn't offend me at all. I was just stating my opinion. If what I said appeared rude to you, you are much too easily offended. It was not rude at all to say I didn't think your pictures were an accurate depiction. It was obviously staged to present the worst possible picture. If you are going to be offended by someone who disagrees with you this is not where you need to be posting. As I have said before, I'm not insensitive to problems at the lake, I just don't like those who try to present things in the worst possible light to make whatever point they are trying to make.

Like he stated, he was only posting the pics he took, he had no hidden agenda or motive by doing so. IMHO, your response was rude and uncalled for.

Sir, if my photographs offend you in some way, that was not my intent. I offered the photographs to simply give readers a current view of conditions there, for what that is worth, after coincidentally being in the area this week. I make no argument for or against anything. Or whether it's getting better or not. I'm glad to hear the lake level is rising some, as you say. If I'm in the area in future months and can photograph the same area for comparison, then I'll do that too.

As for what I expected? Well, frankly, not to be talked to so rudely by someone with whom I've never communicated before.

He was a bit heavy handed in his response. There was a lengthy article that preceded your pics on this thread; perhaps his pitch and tone were related to that. You aren't the first person here who has gotten some sharp treatment from lj, and you won't be the last.

Your photographs didn't offend me at all. I was just stating my opinion. If what I said appeared rude to you, you are much too easily offended. It was not rude at all to say I didn't think your pictures were an accurate depiction. It was obviously staged to present the worst possible picture. If you are going to be offended by someone who disagrees with you this is not where you need to be posting. As I have said before, I'm not insensitive to problems at the lake, I just don't like those who try to present things in the worst possible light to make whatever point they are trying to make.

Just wondering...Have you seen it first hand as well?

Like he stated, he was only posting the pics he took, he had no hidden agenda or motive by doing so. IMHO, your response was rude and uncalled for.

I never said anything about a hidden agenda and I stated that the photos painted the lake in the worst possible light but I don't know if that was the poster's intention or not. I suspect that other pictures could have been posted where it looked much better. I had no intention of being rude and wasn't.

Just wondering...Have you seen it first hand as well?

Why?

You aren't the first person here who has gotten some sharp treatment from lj, and you won't be the last.

SG, I'm hardly alone in that respect and that includes you. LOL

Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and side with LJBAB on this one, in fact, if I were a betting man, I'd bet that in mdeand's mind, he was trying to paint a bad picture, or he could've done a better job disclaiming that, but that's just me. I have no proof to say that he did, just that some pics with the progress that had been made would've been nice.

For what it's worth, mdeand, you have a nice camera and those are great photos. Just stating my opinion.

Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and side with LJBAB on this one, in fact, if I were a betting man, I'd bet that in mdeand's mind, he was trying to paint a bad picture, or he could've done a better job disclaiming that, but that's just me. I have no proof to say that he did, just that some pics with the progress that had been made would've been nice.

For what it's worth, mdeand, you have a nice camera and those are great photos. Just stating my opinion.


Well OKC got another downpour but I didn't see if canton got any. Anyone know? Don't know how much we got in the city but it was a bunch. I assume that hefner and overholser are prob running over.

I think the Canton area got a lot of rain Wednesday night when everything went north of us. Not sure how much it affected the lake though.

Reports are Canton is on the rise.

http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/images/x-y/CANT.hp.html

Canton's catch-basin has been decently soaked this week. The rains next week will most likely contribute significantly to the refill.

Canton's catch-basin has been decently soaked this week. The rains next week will most likely contribute significantly to the refill.

I hope they can get back to normal by the end of the year. You never know what's in store for next year and I don't want to see those sail boats on Hefner dry docked.

I hope they can get back to normal by the end of the year. You never know what's in store for next year and I don't want to see those sail boats on Hefner dry docked.

At the very least, we could do away with these annoying watering restrictions.

Should this thread be retired? Perhaps since Hefner is overflowing we can start a Canton Lake Water Level thread instead.

C'mon now.. according to some, the desertification process of central Oklahoma is well underway.

At the very least, we could do away with these annoying watering restrictions.

Told by a city worker that they haven't been enforcing the odd and even water restrictions since the lakes are over flowing. I see people watering on both sides of the street at same time all over the city. There's no water shortage in Okc.

Told by a city worker that they haven't been enforcing the odd and even water restrictions since the lakes are over flowing. I see people watering on both sides of the street at same time all over the city. There's no water shortage in Okc.

A good friend of mine got a $200 ticket not too long ago because he was running his sprinklers to water in new sod. He couldn't have hand watered it because he just had knee surgery. So someone's still enforcing it.

I guess I better be careful then. I live close by Hefner and have high water pressure:Smiley051

I guess I better be careful then. I live close by Hefner and have high water pressure:Smiley051My bother-in-law lives off of NW122nd & MacArthur and got a $200 ticket a couple of weeks ago.

Sounds like some folks got neighbors with grudges. Hard to imagine the water police driving around hunting for wet lawn bandits. Although, at 200 a head, they'd be able to cover the gas bill.

Hmmm...never water and my grass is nice and green. I guess people need to pick a better grass type. :-P

Should this thread be retired? Perhaps since Hefner is overflowing we can start a Canton Lake Water Level thread instead.

This could just be retitled to about Canton's water level since there is probably been more discussion here about Canton than Hefner anyway.

I think any hope of Canton being full this year is overly optimistic. During the traditionally heaviest rainy times of the year it is only up three or four percent from it's low. Some of that is just bad luck with a few storms that droped a inches nearby would totally miss it's catchment area but where we are at in the year it would be great to even getting a couple more feet and breaking the drought upstream in western Oklahoma and Texas's panhandle.

Told by a city worker that they haven't been enforcing the odd and even water restrictions since the lakes are over flowing. I see people watering on both sides of the street at same time all over the city. There's no water shortage in Okc.

Why would people need to be watering their lawns right now?

Hmmm...never water and my grass is nice and green. ...

Mine as well .... dagnabit.
Fortunately, youngest son is back in town again and he detests mowing less than I and he enjoys having extra gas money. win-win.

Why would people need to be watering their lawns right now?

To take the pressure off of our reservoirs so they can be more effective at flood control.

Why would people need to be watering their lawns right now?

I agree. This has been a very wet summer even by east coast standards. It's insane to water right now even though I see it all the time.

This year has been great in terms of annual rainfall, especially compared to the last two years. But, this may well be an aberration and the past two years the new standard. I think we need to regard water as a precious resource and start thinking about lawns that aren't so water hungry or tolerate less than lush lawns. People probably have their sprinkler systems on automatic and they don't even think about whether they need to water, and that needs to change. Unfortunately, some people won't change behavior unless they are forced so the city needs to think long and hard about what is a reasonable watering policy, IMO.

To take the pressure off of our reservoirs so they can be more effective at flood control.

Oh, I thought the answer was "because we can(ton)!"

What gets me fired up is when I see large businesses watering in the heat of the day, or worse, when its pouring down rain.

What gets me fired up is when I see large businesses watering in the heat of the day, or worse, when its pouring down rain.

I agree, all automatic sprinkler systems should be equipped with wind and rain sensors..

I agree, all automatic sprinkler systems should be equipped with wind and rain sensors..

Yes agree. I seen sprinklers on today.

Like he stated, he was only posting the pics he took, he had no hidden agenda or motive by doing so. IMHO, your response was rude and uncalled for.

Yep...my thoughts exactly.

I agree, all automatic sprinkler systems should be equipped with wind and rain sensors..

Can they also be shut off when it's clear we don't need to be watering?

I think a Oklahoma City should have automatic water restrictions during every summer. OKC gets way too hot and typically is its driest season, to justify not preserving resources. By restrictions I mean there is increasing severity, based on Temperature vs. Precipitation + duration. Here is an example:

Summer Water Schedule (May 15 - September 15)
Level 0 - water restriction only during rain events* [violation $200 ticket instantly given if caught watering during rain events]
Level 1 - daytime restriction Summer (no watering from noon-3:00pm) odd/even $200 violation
Level 2 - daytime restriction Summer (no watering from noon-6:00pm) odd/even $200 violation
Level 3 - daytime restriction Summer (no watering from noon-3:00pm) any address $200 violation
Level 4 - daytime restriction Summer (no watering from noon-6:00pm) any address $200 violation
-------------
Level 5 - nighttime watering only (allowed between 10pm-6am) any address $400 violation
Level 6 - nighttime watering only (allowed between 10pm-6am) odd/even $400 violation
-------------
Level 7 - no watering $1000 violation

business add $1000 to each violation level. Instant $200 violation if caught watering the street, without a permit!

We are under an independent water district, East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District (sitting between the cities of Aurora and Centennial) and their restrictions tend to mirror the City of Aurora. Starting the spring we were under two day watering restrictions (15 min. per zone), since the summer monsoon season has been going full force with rain somewhere almost every day we are at three day watering.

Here is our schedule of residential violations

First Offense: Notice of Violation
Second Offense: Notice of Violation and $100 penalty added to water bill
Third Offense: Notice of Violation and $250 penalty added to water bill
Fourth Offense: Notice of Violation and $500 penalty added to water bill
Fifth Offense: Notice of Violation and $1,000 penalty added to water bill
Sixth Offense: Flow limiter placed inside of meter

My yard was white last night with hail and the yard is covered with leaves since we had a nasty cell come through here yesterday afternoon. Manitou Springs has been getting hit hard with flooding and mud slides coming off the burn scar above them, US 24 between there and Pikes Peak has been hammered with rocks as big as cars.

We are under an independent water district, East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District (sitting between the cities of Aurora and Centennial) and their restrictions tend to mirror the City of Aurora. Starting the spring we were under two day watering restrictions (15 min. per zone), since the summer monsoon season has been going full force with rain somewhere almost every day we are at three day watering.

Here is our schedule of residential violations

First Offense: Notice of Violation
Second Offense: Notice of Violation and $100 penalty added to water bill
Third Offense: Notice of Violation and $250 penalty added to water bill
Fourth Offense: Notice of Violation and $500 penalty added to water bill
Fifth Offense: Notice of Violation and $1,000 penalty added to water bill
Sixth Offense: Flow limiter placed inside of meter

My yard was white last night with hail and the yard is covered with leaves since we had a nasty cell come through here yesterday afternoon. Manitou Springs has been getting hit hard with flooding and mud slides coming off the burn scar above them, US 24 between there and Pikes Peak has been hammered with rocks as big as cars.

Yeah, weather can 'turn on a dime'. When I visited my old home this summer I could'nt go the Royal Gorge because a fire had just started and the Black Forest burned just north of my Hotel (which I shared with fire refugees) the whole of the time I was there. The types of grass (fescue, etc.) grown in yards on the 'Front Range' are vulnerable to temps. over 85degrees. After that, they required frequent watering to keep them from turning brown. I noticed a similar problem in northern Raleigh, where the same types of grass are erroneously grown. In the south Raleigh NC metro they know to grow 'summer grasses' - zoyzia, bermuda, etc. The north-side communites are settled mostly from NY and NJ transfers - southsiders are local N. Carolinans. During a severe drought 3 years ago they would leave their water sprinklers on constantly, despite fines and threats from the city. Their response was they would rather pay the fines than replace the yards (landscaping major investment in those parts). I lived near the 'north-side' water supply lake and could see the bottom in most areas except near the dam. In OKC most yards have the proper types of grass, etc. They are drought tolerant and can take a lot less water. They may turn brown, but a little water will keep it alive until the rains return. In-short, they have no real excuse to not ration. Weather will change again, a wet Summer could turn into a dry Fall and Winter - okies will cry foul, but will water less if fined. The same should be for all types of water use, beyound reasonalbe usage, there should be a strict price increase. Use beyound need is waste, and should be fined and treated as waste - if you want it you should have to pay for it. People need to learn sustainable habits, including what are the best types of plants to grow - if they want something more for whatever reason, they need to be willing to pay for it.

Question: Is there no spillway or flood gates at Hefner like most lakes have? I've ridden my bike around the lake several times and have yet to see a spillway. With a massive amount of water that seems to be coming into the lake presently - how can they control flooding at Hefner?

Every night the fae scoop up little spoonfuls of Hefner and take it back to Canton.

Question: Is there no spillway or flood gates at Hefner like most lakes have? I've ridden my bike around the lake several times and have yet to see a spillway. With a massive amount of water that seems to be coming into the lake presently - how can they control flooding at Hefner?

Hefner has no natural water running into it. If it gets full they just turn the canal from Overholser off. I am sure they can also flush it through the water plant as well.

Hefner has no natural water running into it. If it gets full they just turn the canal from Overholser off. I am sure they can also flush it through the water plant as well.

Hefner has a creek running into it over by Portland and a concrete creek over on the west side of the Hertz buildings. These are both just neighborhood runoffs, but I've seen the one by Hertz roaring with water before.

There is an overflow tube on the dam that feeds the creek below it, but no actual spillway.

And there is that mysterious pipe placed by "ancient astronauts" . . .

And there is that mysterious pipe placed by "ancient astronauts" . . .

http://i.imgur.com/5KH9o2M.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5KH9o2M.jpg

Looks like canton is getting pouring rains again.

Looks like canton is getting pouring rains again.

Up to 23% full! LOL

I don't understand. The lake (Canton) doesn't seem to gain elevation at a rate equal to the amount of rain it receives. A few weeks ago they got a good soak and the level actually went DOWN. It should be simple math; if there are two inches of precipitation over the lake, it should gain 2 inches of elevation, and then gain a bit more in subsequent days as rain further up the watershed runs down toward the lake. This doesn't seem to be happening. It's weird; I've been semi-obsessed with watching it for months.