Amid exceptional Oklahoma drought, OKC draws from Canton Lake for drinking water
Drought conditions that started in June have overtaken the state of Oklahoma, making it the state with the highest percentage of area experiencing extreme to exceptional drought, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor map.
Due to the "ongoing, dry and unseasonably warm weather conditions," Oklahoma City is drawing water from Canton Lake for the second time this year after previously going nearly a decade without using the reservoir to replenish its drinking water supply. The release began Monday morning and will send 4.2 billion gallons over a period of nine to 13 days down the Canadian River, which will eventually end up in Lake Hefner.
More than half of Oklahoma is experiencing extreme drought, while nearly 30% of the state is in exceptional drought. In these conditions, there are major and widespread crop and pasture losses. The closest state in terms of percentage of the state experiencing these conditions is Kansas, where 30% is in extreme drought and 26% in exceptional drought.
"We need rain," said Michelann Ooten, spokesperson for the Oklahoma City Utilities Department. "So that's where we're at. We're certainly hoping that this will be the last release we'll have to provide from Lake Canton."
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The water release is expected to drop Canton Lake, which sits in Blaine and Dewey counties about 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, about two feet, which Oklahoma City officials say will have a minimal impact to wildlife or recreational activities. The town of Canton and the surrounding community rely on tourism the lake brings, and the 2013 release of almost 9.8 billion gallons from Canton had a detrimental impact.
As of Oct. 12, Canton Lake was 3 feet below normal, while Lake Hefner is 7 feet below normal despite receiving water from Canton in August, according to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. The only lake or water reservoir in the state with above normal levels is the northeastern Hudson Lake with about 1 foot of water above normal.
"It's pretty dire drought conditions," said meteorologist Brad Pugh with the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center. Pugh also helps put together the drought monitor maps.
Drought conditions likely to continue for Oklahoma
While Oklahoma City officials hope the releases from Canton don't have to continue, things don't look good for an end to the drought anytime soon, Pugh said.
"I don't see really many signs for improvement," Pugh said.
A driving factor for a drier and warmer than normal winter season in Oklahoma is if the Pacific is in a La Niña weather pattern, which Pugh said will likely persist for the third consecutive winter.
Right now, some of the lowest soil moisture numbers across the country are found in Oklahoma, Pugh said. The Oklahoma City area over the last 90 days has experienced between 2 and 8 fewer inches of rain than normal, according to the National Weather Service.
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The Climate Prediction Center's seasonal drought outlook, which is coming out on Thursday, is "most likely going to show persistence for Oklahoma through the winter," Pugh said.
"The good news this time," Ooten said, "is we are entering a time of year when, historically, outdoor water use drops."
What we can expect for Canton after the water release
When Oklahoma City drew about 2.6 billion gallons of water from Canton Lake in August,it had a minimal impact,Canton Lake Association President Curtis Hoskins said.
Hoskins, who is part of the Canton Lake Advisory Committee that the city of Oklahoma City met with Oct. 13 about the upcoming release, said while he understands Oklahoma City needs the drinking water, he is worried what the combination of the water release and the continued drought means for Canton.
"The bad part about Canton, you can't really jockey water around," Hoskins said. "It's kind of the starting source of it ... once it leaves Canton, we have to wait on an event to refill the lake."
A 2017 study by Oklahoma State University estimated the economic value of Canton Lake recreation at $8.4 million under normal conditions. One of the main drivers of economic activity at the lake is the annual Walleye Rodeo. In 2013, the event, which had attracted up to 1,100 anglers, only saw 272 participants.
The lake is also the state's primary source of walleye and saugeye fish, and many fish died due to extremely low water levels after the 2013 release. It took a few years for fish stocking to return to normal.
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Since then, Oklahoma City implemented a mandatory odd/even outdoor watering schedule and a "lake balancing plan" to more efficiently manage the water supply. The plan aims to keep lakes at similar levels, even if that means pulling small amounts from Canton, to prevent a need to take "excess amounts at any one time," Ooten said in August.
Oklahoma City holds the sole water storage rights, up to 29.3 billion gallons, of Canton Lake, a reservoir run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In times of drought, the Corps prioritizes drinking water needs. The city has drawn water from the lake about 67 times, Ooten said, and usually sees "about a 33% loss from absorption from the North Canadian River."
It took about two years for Canton Lake to recover from the 2013 release, Hoskins said, while Oklahoma City received so much rain in spring 2013 it had to release more than 7.5 billion gallons of water from Lake Hefner back into the North Canadian River.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Amid exceptional drought, OKC again draws water from Canton Lake
