Lake Hefner at record low water levels, when will city buy Canton water?

[LandRunOkie]

The city bought water in October of last year according to this article. When will our pond become a lake again?

[Snowman]

Lake Canton is not exactly at a good level itself, probably only if drinking water becomes a concern

[LandRunOkie]

How could drinking water become a concern in the era of bottled water? Isn't Lake Hefner more important than Lake Canton, therefore we should get more water? Is it a matter of the city being overly cautious or being cheapskates or legitimately worried? BTW Ken Burns's Dust Bowl documentary debuts on Nov 18 on PBS.

[Snowman]

Ok, city water (general home use, commercial use, industrial use, firefighting & drinking) might be a better term, it is getting too cold for most people who would be using it recreationally anyway. With the water rights trial underway to keeps us from using capacity at Sardis Lake for our water storage, the city is probably going to be avoiding drawing any more than is necessary, though even without that I doubt they would be drawing from it anyway. Plus unless we are having shortages of city water (or Lake Canton was at flood stage), they would wait till we had several days of sustained rain forcast between here and Canton or otherwise we do not get a high enough percentage reach us to justify the release, at this point the riverbed is so dry roughly 75% - 80% would be lost in transit if you tried today.

[UnclePete]

Seems like the oklahoma River is staying full. How is it for a drinking water supply?

[jn1780]

Seems like the oklahoma River is staying full. How is it for a drinking water supply?

Can't really compare a river to a lake. There isn't nearly as much water and theres almost always a little bit of water flowing that keeps that little dammed up portion downtown at the same water levels.

[betts]

I'm sure the Chamber will be leaving current photos of Lake Hefner out of any promos they do. If we're going to leave Lake Hefner as it is, we need to stop touting it as a recreation site and call it drinking water. My husband is ready to sell his sailboat, as it's been two years since he's been able to use it. Personally, I think it's embarrassing that the city lets the lake look like it does. I realize that now the river is more important, but Lake Hefner has become an eyesore.

[Pete]

I agree... The current condition of the lake is completely shocking and there needs to be a plan in place to address these situations.


When I was in town a couple of weeks ago, I ran around the circumference of the lake, as is one of my little traditions when I come visit. I grew up very nearby, so it's not only a way to exercise off some of the comfort food (Tuckers, Casa Perico, etc.) it's also a sentimental journey.

I had no idea it had become so bad with red dirt everywhere and the boats all laying on the earth. Looked like something from national disaster footage.

We've made the lake a focus for recreation with the trails, allowed several businesses and restaurants to develop along the shore and provide a nice view from Lake Hefner Parkway. It's more important than ever to maintain decent water levels.

[CaptDave]

IIRC, water is purchased and released from Canton Lake down the Canadian River to Lake Overholser. From there it is sent up a canal (runs by Wiley Post Airport) to Lake Hefner.

[OKCTalker]

This is the boat ramp at the NE/C of Lake Hefner taken the day before the Redman Triathlon. Race organizers were trying to add a little levity to the low water levels. The start of the swim was more of a run until the athletes reached swimmable water.

[Pete]

They probably were Redmen after trudging through the mud and shallow water.

[Achilleslastand]

If the lake was in bricktown what are the odds it would be full?

[adaniel]

If the lake was in bricktown what are the odds it would be full?

Probably 99%

Canton Lake is only about 40% full and the entire lake drainage basin is in extreme or exceptional drought. I frankly never understood why this area is depending upon a lake in a semiarid part of the state, especially now with the prospect of climate change.

It does bring into stark terms the need for the Sardis Lake issue to be resolved. The city would also be wise to start having an honest conversation about water conservation, if these past few years are the "new normal" in terms of rain.

[Bill Robertson]

If the lake was in bricktown what are the odds it would be full?

I'm sure that the city would be more concerned but I'm not sure they could do anything about it.

Last year the city bought 30,000 acre-feet of water from Canton. This raised Overholser and Hefner between 3 and 4 feet. Right now Canton is 9 feet below normal. At that level it only holds about 52,000 acre-feet. If the city took all of it, which of course they can't, it would only raise Overholser and Hefner 4 to 6 feet. Hefner is 14 feet below normal. That would just about get water back under my boat. Maybe. There just isn't enough water in Canton to make a dent in how low Hefner is. The only remedy is mother nature making it rain. A lot. The city can't make rain.

[catch22]

We can all get our garden hoses out and run them to Lake Hefner....

Wait a minute...Nevermind

[MadMonk]

I'm sure the Chamber will be leaving current photos of Lake Hefner out of any promos they do. If we're going to leave Lake Hefner as it is, we need to stop touting it as a recreation site and call it drinking water. My husband is ready to sell his sailboat, as it's been two years since he's been able to use it. Personally, I think it's embarrassing that the city lets the lake look like it does. I realize that now the river is more important, but Lake Hefner has become an eyesore.

But the lake hasn't been down this far for two years. I did some fishing on the lake earlier this year. I don't know when it started going down, but in early July it was very navigable with lots of sailboats on the water. I don't know what your sailboat's draft is, but even way up into the shallows on the SE side we were getting 6ft under keel.

[kevinpate]

one way to make it rain ... they could schedule an extra festival of the arts and an extra state fair for the next three years.

[Bill Robertson]

one way to make it rain ... they could schedule an extra festival of the arts and an extra state fair for the next three years.

That might work.

[BoulderSooner]

IIRC, water is purchased and released from Canton Lake down the Canadian River to Lake Overholser. From there it is sent up a canal (runs by Wiley Post Airport) to Lake Hefner.

also of note .. (not that it matters much this year with canton so low) is that they really need to wait to release water from canton until after it rains . ...

if they released water now from canton it would lose 50% or so to the earth on the way to Hefner ... after a good rain or 2 they only lose 20%

[OkieHornet]

But the lake hasn't been down this far for two years. I did some fishing on the lake earlier this year. I don't know when it started going down, but in early July it was very navigable with lots of sailboats on the water. I don't know what your sailboat's draft is, but even way up into the shallows on the SE side we were getting 6ft under keel.

this is true. march/april of this year it was about as full as it had been for a while. after that, the level just really seemed to go down faster this year than in previous years.

[betts]

But the lake hasn't been down this far for two years. I did some fishing on the lake earlier this year. I don't know when it started going down, but in early July it was very navigable with lots of sailboats on the water. I don't know what your sailboat's draft is, but even way up into the shallows on the SE side we were getting 6ft under keel.

I'm not sure how big the keel is, as it's a 25 foot sailboat, but I think it was out once this year. Then we were told it would be wise to take it out of the lake as the water level was falling quickly. I would have to see the sailboats that were out. Centerboard boats can sail in far less water than keelboats. Some of the problem with a sailboat is also that if you get stuck it's a huge pain in the neck to get the boat off a sand bank. People can't always just jump out and push. So, you have to err on the side of caution. Regardless, my biggest gripe is how ugly the lake is. If it's water supply that's one issue, but if the lake is going to be promoted for recreation, it's pretty bad to let it get that low.

[SoonerQueen]

I'm not sure how big the keel is, as it's a 25 foot sailboat, but I think it was out once this year. Then we were told it would be wise to take it out of the lake as the water level was falling quickly. I would have to see the sailboats that were out. Centerboard boats can sail in far less water than keelboats. Some of the problem with a sailboat is also that if you get stuck it's a huge pain in the neck to get the boat off a sand bank. People can't always just jump out and push. So, you have to err on the side of caution. Regardless, my biggest gripe is how ugly the lake is. If it's water supply that's one issue, but if the lake is going to be promoted for recreation, it's pretty bad to let it get that low.

We live close to Lake Hefner and go out there most every day. I have never seen it so low. There is actually no water where the fishing pier is. There is nothing more beautiful than a full lake and a sunset at the end of the day. We either need to get some rain or bring in some water.

[Snowman]

If this type of weather cycle happens more frequently we many need to look into feeding water from Draper/Atoka pipeline to Hefner. Though without additional capacity like from the planned second pipeline and Lake Sardis or somewhere else that may not even be feasible.

[RadicalModerate]

. . . and still the waters roll, and flow, out of the automatic sprinkler systems, keeping the grass green, over the curbs and into the gutters and into the street on down to . . . =)
i wonder if "they" still accept beads and trinkets for manhatten?

[bluedogok]

I'm sure that the city would be more concerned but I'm not sure they could do anything about it.

Last year the city bought 30,000 acre-feet of water from Canton. This raised Overholser and Hefner between 3 and 4 feet. Right now Canton is 9 feet below normal. At that level it only holds about 52,000 acre-feet. If the city took all of it, which of course they can't, it would only raise Overholser and Hefner 4 to 6 feet. Hefner is 14 feet below normal. That would just about get water back under my boat. Maybe. There just isn't enough water in Canton to make a dent in how low Hefner is. The only remedy is mother nature making it rain. A lot. The city can't make rain.

When I moved to Denver last year Lake Travis in Austin was 65 feet low, the LCRA caught a lot of crap for water releases downstream for the rice farmers near the coast but they had contracts they had to honor. At least that isn't the case for the OKC lakes.