Why is Oklahoma City releasing water from Canton Lake?
Lake Hefner is a primary drinking-water source for Oklahoma City and the surrounding communities served by the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust. The continued hot temperatures and dry weather conditions have caused water levels at Lake Hefner to drop significantly. The Canton release is needed to help replenish Hefner and protect a crucial regional water supply.
Does Oklahoma City conserve water before requesting a release from Canton Lake?
Yes. Water conservation is a year-round part of how Oklahoma City manages its water supply. The City has a dedicated Water Conservation team and an extensive conservation plan that includes customer education, leak-detection resources, sprinkler checkups, restaurant and multifamily programs, water-wise landscape resources, conservation-oriented rates and permanent odd/even outdoor watering restrictions.
Why doesn’t Oklahoma City move to Stage 2 watering restrictions before releasing water from Canton Lake?
Watering restrictions are an important tool for reducing peak outdoor demand, but conservation alone cannot replace water that has been lost from reservoirs during an extended period of heat, drought and evaporation. Conservation and water supply management work together: customers reduce demand while the City manages available sources to maintain a reliable supply.
Per our conservation plan, the City’s combined lake capacity must be at 50% or less before moving to Stage 2 of the conservation measures, which implements a mandatory 2 day per week watering restriction.
How often does Oklahoma City release water from Canton Lake?
Releases are not routine and are not taken lightly. Before the current release, Oklahoma City made three releases during the past decade: two in 2022 and one in 2024. Each decision is based on water supply and weather conditions. Each release is coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Canton Lake Advisory Committee and other state and local partners.
Does Oklahoma City have the right to use water from Canton Lake?
The City of Oklahoma City (OKC) holds 100 percent of the water supply allocation at Canton Lake.
A water supply allocation is a contracted percentage of the conservation pool that a stakeholder purchases. OKC’s water supply allocation at Canton is an important part of maintaining a reliable drinking water supply for Oklahoma City and the communities served by the City.
Since OKC first began leasing water-storage rights at Canton Lake, and later received permanent assignment of the full allocation, the City has invested approximately $27 million since 1955 to secure and maintain this critical water-supply allocation—over $69 million in today’s dollars.
How is the release coordinated to reduce impacts on Canton Lake and the communities around it?
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates Canton Dam and manages the release flow. Oklahoma City works with the Corps, the Canton Lake Advisory Committee, including the Canton Lake Association, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Army Corps of Engineers and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, to plan releases responsibly and consider water supply, recreation and environmental and community impacts. Additionally, those entities published and approved a water release policy in 1995. The policy identifies August and September as the preferred months for releases to help minimize potential impacts to wildlife.
How much water will be lost before it reaches Lake Hefner?
Some water is expected to be lost through seepage into the riverbed and banks and through evaporation as it travels down the North Canadian River. Utilities engineers have estimated an assumed loss of about 33 percent. The release plan and flow rate are coordinated with the Corps to reduce those losses as much as possible.
Why can’t the release be stopped and started in stages?
A continuous, controlled release helps reduce losses by keeping the riverbed moist and maintaining a steady flow. Stopping and restarting a release may cause additional water to be absorbed by dry soil and lost to evaporation. It’s important to note that the release will not begin or end abruptly. The Corps, which manages the gates and flow from Canton Lake, will gradually ramp the flow up at the start of the release and gradually reduce it as the release concludes.
Why don’t we dredge Lake Overholser and use that water instead?
Lake Overholser is no longer part of Oklahoma City’s water supply system. Dredging is a major, long-term infrastructure project that requires extensive engineering, environmental review, permitting, funding and operational planning. It is not an immediate substitute for managing current water supply needs across the City’s reservoir system.
How does Oklahoma City manage water use by large-volume industrial users such as data centers?
Oklahoma City plans carefully for the water needs of all customers, including large-volume industrial users. At this time, the Oklahoma City Utilities Department does not authorize the use of raw water or potable water for large-scale industrial purposes when non-potable water or treated wastewater is a technically and operationally feasible alternative.
Raw water is untreated water, while potable water has been treated to meet drinking-water standards. This approach helps protect drinking-water supplies for essential uses and supports the City’s long-term water-conservation goals.
Why not use more water from Lake Stanley Draper, Atoka or McGee Creek instead of Canton Lake?
Oklahoma City manages water supply across multiple reservoirs and transmission systems. Each source has different storage levels, treatment capacity, water-quality considerations and infrastructure limitations. The City’s lake balance plan is designed to avoid placing too much demand on any one source and to maintain a reliable, resilient regional supply.
Can HOAs require residents to keep lawns green during drought conditions?
City water conservation rules apply regardless of HOA requirements as they are part of City ordinance. Residents should follow the City’s current watering rules and any drought-stage restrictions. Property owners may wish to discuss drought-tolerant landscaping, irrigation efficiency and reasonable enforcement practices with their HOA.
Is Oklahoma City planning for future droughts?
Yes. Oklahoma City’s Water Conservation Plan guides long-term demand-management efforts, and the City supports the statewide Water for 2060 goal. The City also manages multiple supply sources, invests in infrastructure and maintains long-range planning to prepare for drought, growth and changing conditions.
Does Oklahoma City profit from selling water?
No. Oklahoma City does not profit from water sales. Water and wastewater rates are set to recover the cost of providing service, including operating and maintaining treatment plants, reservoirs, pipelines and other infrastructure; meeting regulatory requirements; making needed repairs and replacements; and planning for the system’s long-term reliability.
Pursuant to Oklahoma State law, the City periodically completes a cost-of-service study to determine the cost of providing water and wastewater service to different customer types. That study helps ensure rates are fair, based on the specific costs required to provide service to each customer group, and sufficient enough to maintain a safe, reliable system.
Revenue from utility rates is reinvested in the water and wastewater system and cannot be used as profit for unrelated City purposes.
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