CANTON, OK - The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust (OCWUT) is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) 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 water source for the City of Oklahoma City.
The Canton release is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 22. This will be the first water release OCWUT has made from Lake Canton this year, with the most recent release occurring in 2022.
The continued unseasonably warm and dry weather conditions have caused water levels at Lake Hefner to drop significantly. The 16,000-acre foot release is expected to lower Lake Canton by about three feet and raise Hefner’s water level by about the same amount, according to Corps and Trust engineers. The water will travel down the North Canadian River to Lake Hefner, arriving in Hefner within three to five days of its release.
The release has been scheduled in a way that aims to minimize the effects on recreational activities and wildlife.
OKC Utilities Director Chris Browning, who serves as OCWUT General Manager, and 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.
