CANTON LAKE, Okla. (KFOR) – Water is now flowing out of Canton Lake as part of an effort to replenish Lake Hefner, but residents around Canton say they are closely watching what the release could mean for their own lake.
The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust (OCWUT) is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to draw water from Canton Lake to help increase water levels at Lake Hefner, which serves as a primary water source for the City of Oklahoma City.
The release began Thursday morning, 16,000-acre-foot of water is expected to be released. It should lower Canton Lake by about three and a half feet and raise Lake Hefner’s water level by a little over four feet, according to Corps and Trust engineers.
LOCAL NEWS: ‘Life changing’: Central air brings relief to century-old Oklahoma farmhouse
OCWUT holds water-storage rights at Canton Lake and coordinates planned releases with the Canton Lake Advisory Committee, consisting of representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Canton Lake Association and appropriate state and local partners, including the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation…