Hefner has picked up three feet in the past five days. Four more feet to go.

With the half foot+ of rain over the last 3-4 days, this will be full by the end of the week.

Did they ever start the Canton release or did they postpone that when they saw the forecast?

NM. I see that they did start a release on the 10-22, but stopped on 11-2.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/07238500/#parameterCode=00065&period=P30D&showMedian=false

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The water release from Canton began Oct 22 and plans called for it to continue until Nov 5.

Except when the rain started they shut off the flow from Canton immediately.

https://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/CANT.lakepage.html

Except..? I purposely said “plans called for it to continue” because I expected that they may have cut off the flow in response the event of significant rain. Everything I posted was factual.

River levels are at the two highest levels USGS's map shows, greater than 90% and High from Canton through OKC, plausibly down from yesterday. So not like they had much room if wanted to continue.

Still liveblogging the rain.

Hefner picked up another foot over the past 24 hours. Now only three feet short of full status.

Consider the lake being shaped like a V. More water needed to fill the top.

One thing they never take into consideration is as the lake rises; it slows the intake flow. The locks need to be raised to compensate. They have a limited window and limited water to get in the lake while it lasts.

I used to think that control building on 39th was remotely operated since it looks like it's never used. Till I was there one day and they showed up and went inside and they have to physically operate the electric motor on each jack screw to raise and lower the locks.

Consider the lake being shaped like a V. More water needed to fill the top.

One thing they never take into consideration is as the lake rises; it slows the intake flow. The locks need to be raised to compensate. They have a limited window and limited water to get in the lake while it lasts.

I used to think that control building on 39th was remotely operated since it looks like it's never used. Till I was there one day and they showed up and went inside and they have to physically operate the electric motor on each jack screw to raise and lower the locks.
The canal feeding Hefner isn't at water level until the lake is full or over. Overholser is above Hefner so the lock also is.

Hefner is up five feet in the past week, only two feet shy of full pool, water is still coming in, and we’re going to be getting a **** ton more rain in the next couple of days. I think Hefner is fine.

Hefner is up five feet in the past week, only two feet shy of full pool, water is still coming in, and we’re going to be getting a **** ton more rain in the next couple of days. I think Hefner is fine.

PANIC!!!!

I always get a kick out of this thread when people start freaking out over the lake getting low. I had a boat on Hefner from 2016 to 2020 and the last time I remember it even being remotely low was winter of 2016. Seems like we go through short periods of drought every 5-10 years (some longer than others obviously 2012-2013 being a longer one), Hefner gets low then quickly fills back up.

They've done a much better job since 2016 of managing the water level over the winter when the lake annually got low.

PANIC!!!!

I always get a kick out of this thread when people start freaking out over the lake getting low. I had a boat on Hefner from 2016 to 2020 and the last time I remember it even being remotely low was winter of 2016. Seems like we go through short periods of drought every 5-10 years (some longer than others obviously 2012-2013 being a longer one), Hefner gets low then quickly fills back up.

They've done a much better job since 2016 of managing the water level over the winter when the lake annually got low.
I get a kick out of it too. We had sailboats for years that stayed on the water. Mostly in a slip a couple spaces from the golf course pump house. There were a few times that we couldn't get our boat out. Once I could walk all the way across where the center row of slips ends on land. But even then a lot of the NE third of the lake was 60 feet deep. And a lot more 30 to
40 feet. There's a lot of water in Hefner when there's dry dirt on the south end.

I find it funny when the boats at the slips near the restaurants start touching the bottom. That's a sign you don't use your boat enough if you don't notice the water depth get lower and lower.

I get a kick out of it too. We had sailboats for years that stayed on the water. Mostly in a slip a couple spaces from the golf course pump house. There were a few times that we couldn't get our boat out. Once I could walk all the way across where the center row of slips ends on land. But even then a lot of the NE third of the lake was 60 feet deep. And a lot more 30 to
40 feet. There's a lot of water in Hefner when there's dry dirt on the south end.

I bet you were right near my slip! I was three slips down from the pump house (as you walk closer to the main body of the lake). Same here. I only pulled it once when I planned to work on it that winter and the water was getting low at the ramp (still plenty of water in the lake at that point just not enough to pull a boat out of it got lower).

I bet you were right near my slip! I was three slips down from the pump house (as you walk closer to the main body of the lake). Same here. I only pulled it once when I planned to work on it that winter and the water was getting low at the ramp (still plenty of water in the lake at that point just not enough to pull a boat out of it got lower).
I was two the other way. If you went through the gate and walked straight you would be on my boat.

I find it funny when the boats at the slips near the restaurants start touching the bottom. That's a sign you don't use your boat enough if you don't notice the water depth get lower and lower.Some of those boats have limited choices. The smaller ones can of course be pulled out. Many of the larger ones don't have trailers and have to be pulled out by the crane and put on a rented trailer. Then there's no where to park it because they don't have a trailer space rented.
In the municipal slips boats can be hung from the dock by running big tie down straps under the boat and around the dock. Done that a few times. actually repainted the hull of one boat when the water was down for awhile.

Only about a foot below full pool now. With today’s rain I’d expect Hefner to be 100% topped off by early next week, if not this weekend.

Only about a foot below full pool now. With today’s rain I’d expect Hefner to be 100% topped off by early next week, if not this weekend.

Yeah. I went by the canal on the way to dinner and it's flowing pretty well. The extra rain will make that continue.

Less than a foot to go, as of this morning.

Officially full; in fact .15’ over full pool. I suppose we’ll have to wait for another time to gripe about “water mismanagement.” Sorry to disappoint.

Officially full; in fact .15’ over full pool. I suppose we’ll have to wait for another time to gripe about “water mismanagement.” Sorry to disappoint.

If anything, you have to wonder if the release from Canton wasn't a little bit....precipitated

If anything, you have to wonder if the release from Canton wasn't a little bit....precipitated

any clue how full Canton is?

any clue how full Canton is?
It’s three feet below the top of the conservation pool: https://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/CANT.lakepage.html

19300

If anything, you have to wonder if the release from Canton wasn't a little bit....precipitated

They conjured the drought busting rain into existence when they sacrificed some Canton water into a dry river bed. Just be glad it didn't require a first born son. :Smiley122

They conjured the drought busting rain into existence when they sacrificed some Canton water into a dry river bed. Just be glad it didn't require a first born son. :Smiley122

Hahaha!

With the lake level and the flow I saw in the canal before the last rain I thought the resulting level would be close to the highest I'd seen. But it seems to have topped out about a foot or so below that. But very nice anyway. Not complaining a bit.

It’s actually more than half a foot (.6 feet) over “full.” It’s at 1199.6, when “full pool” is 1199 elevation. So it’s about as full as it’s ever allowed to get.

It’s actually more than half a foot (.6 feet) over “full.” It’s at 1199.6, when “full pool” is 1199 elevation. So it’s about as full as it’s ever allowed to get.

Once in a while they lose control though. It's about 4-6 inches below the bottom of the concrete docks right now. I've seen it up onto the concrete a few times and once almost to the top of the concrete. Those times were a PIA to securely tie a sailboat with a freeboard of 3 feet.

From a city email:

"Hefner Water Treatment Plant enters next phase of modernization project
11/27/2024

Beginning Dec. 1, Oklahoma City’s Hefner Water Treatment Plant (WTP) will enter the next phase of its $44 million improvement project to modernize its ozone disinfection system and increase treatment capacity.
The project will have no impact on the safety of the water, although some customers may temporarily notice a slight difference in the water’s taste or odor.
“We’re excited to continue making progress on this important upgrade, which we first began last December,” Utilities Director Chris Browning said. “Modernizing the Hefner Water Treatment Plant is a key step in ensuring we can meet current and future demands while maintaining our commitment to delivering safe, high-quality drinking water to all customers.”
During this phase of the project, crews will temporarily shut down the plant’s ozone disinfection system, allowing for upgrades to be made. The shutdown is anticipated to last for five weeks. While the ozone system is offline, plant operators will transition to a chlorine-based disinfection process—similar to the one used at the Draper WTP, where ozone is not utilized. Both types of disinfection meet all regulatory guidelines as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
The replacement of the Hefner WTP’s ozone system is essential as the current system approaches the end of its service life. Once complete, the plant’s rated treatment capacity will increase from 75 million gallons per day (MGD) to 100 MGD, allowing it to better meet peak demand, particularly during high-use summer months.
The Hefner ozone system upgrade is scheduled for completion in 2025. For more information about the Oklahoma City Utilities Department, visit okc.gov/utilities.
# # #
Media Contact: Jasmine Morris, (405) 297-1950, jasmine.morris@okc.gov
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