Waurika Lake

Last updated
Waurika Lake
USA Oklahoma location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Waurika Lake
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Waurika Lake
LocationJefferson County, Oklahoma
Coordinates 34°16′55″N98°04′40″W / 34.28194°N 98.07778°W / 34.28194; -98.07778 Coordinates: 34°16′55″N98°04′40″W / 34.28194°N 98.07778°W / 34.28194; -98.07778
Type Reservoir
Primary inflows Beaver Creek, Oklahoma
Primary outflows Beaver Creek, Oklahoma
Catchment area 562 sq mi (1,460 km2)
Managing agencyU.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Built1963
First flooded1980
Max. length11 mi (18 km)
Surface area10,000 acres (4,000 ha)
Water volume192,000 acre⋅ft (0.237 km3)
Shore length180 mi (130 km)
Surface elevation951 ft (290 m)
SettlementsWaurika, Oklahoma
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Waurika Lake is a reservoir in southwestern Oklahoma, near Waurika. It is primarily in Jefferson County, but small parts of it are in Stephens County and Cotton County, Oklahoma. [1] Its primary purposes are to provide flood control, irrigation, water supply, water quality, fish and wildlife, recreation, and other conservation needs of the public. The lake supplies water for the cities of Lawton, Duncan, Comanche, Temple, and Waurika. [2] The wildlife management area comprises about 6,040 acres (24.4 km2). [3]

Contents

Continued operation of the lake water pumping system is being jeopardized by a buildup of silt near the water intake. The extremely hot summers of 2011-2013 have caused excessive evaporation of lake water and unusually high consumption by communities that use the water. Water officials estimated that pumping may have had to cease in April 2015, unless corrective actions could be taken soon, [4] although an extremely rainy storm season in May of that year raised the lake levels to 90.36% capacity.[ citation needed ]

Description

Waurika Dam is on Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Red River, about 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of Waurika. The lake drainage area is 562 square miles (1,460 km2). [5]

Construction of Waurika Dam began in 1963, with completion of the project occurring in 1980. The lake is 11 miles (18 km) long and contains 192,000 acre feet of water at its normal elevation, 951 feet (290 m). The surface covers about 10,000 acres (40 km2) and has 80 miles (130 km) of shoreline. [1]

Environmental issues

Prolonged drought in southwestern Oklahoma during 2011 12 has caused serious harm to the lake. Water conservation steps, including severe restrictions on lawn watering and higher customer fees, have been implemented by the cities who consume the lake water. Evaporation losses have been high, and there are concerns about the increased rate of silting. Drought conditions are also conducive to the formation of harmful algae.

2011 Algae bloom

During August 2011, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality found high concentrations of blue-green algae in lake water samples and banned human contact with untreated lake water. This algae contains toxins that are very hazardous to humans. In response, the Corps of Engineers shut down the two swimming beaches there. [2] By late December algae concentrations had dropped sufficiently to lift the ban, although the agencies were still discouraging water contact. [6]

2013 Silt accumulation

In June 2013, an Oklahoma Water Resources Board study disclosed that a build-up of clay and dirt had accumulated close to the water pump intake. This was the result of high evaporation rates and high water consumption. The lake received about 4 inches (10 cm) of rain in April 2013, but that would only extend the life of the lake about one week. [4]

Water officials have called for mandatory 10 percent reductions in the supply to users as one way to extend the life of the system. Dredging the sediment is also being considered. Removing the accumulated material is expected to cost between $2.5 and $6 million. The dredging project could begin in 2014, but funding must be found first. [4]

Officials also pointed out that the current low levels of lake water present additional safety hazards for lake users. Low levels are exposing old trees, bridge piers and other obstacles. The water has low visibility and there are a lot of dropoffs in the bottom. [4]

Related Research Articles

Great Salt Lake Salt lake in Utah, United States

The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere, and the eighth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of approximately 1,700 square miles (4,400 km2), but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its shallowness. For instance, in 1963 it reached its lowest recorded size at 950 square miles (2,460 km²), but in 1988 the surface area was at the historic high of 3,300 square miles (8,500 km2). In terms of surface area, it is the largest lake in the United States that is not part of the Great Lakes region.

Waurika, Oklahoma City in Oklahoma, United States

Waurika is the county seat of Jefferson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,064 at the 2010 census, a 4.36 percent decrease from 2,158 at the 2000 census.

Ogallala Aquifer Shallow Aquifer

The Ogallala Aquifer is a shallow water table aquifer surrounded by sand, silt, clay, and gravel located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. One of the world's largest aquifers, it underlies an area of approximately 174,000 sq mi (450,000 km2) in portions of eight states. It was named in 1898 by geologist N. H. Darton from its type locality near the town of Ogallala, Nebraska. The aquifer is part of the High Plains Aquifer System, and rests on the Ogallala Formation, which is the principal geologic unit underlying 80% of the High Plains.

Aswan Dam Dam in Aswan, Egypt

The Aswan Dam, or more specifically since the 1960s, the Aswan High Dam, is the world's largest embankment dam built across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt, between 1960 and 1970. Its significance largely eclipsed the previous Aswan Low Dam initially completed in 1902 downstream. Based on the success of the Low Dam, then at its maximum utilization, construction of the High Dam became a key objective of the government following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952; with its ability to better control flooding, provide increased water storage for irrigation and generate hydroelectricity the dam was seen as pivotal to Egypt's planned industrialization. Like the earlier implementation, the High Dam has had a significant effect on the economy and culture of Egypt.

Glen Canyon Dam Dam in Coconino County, Arizona

Glen Canyon Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Colorado River in northern Arizona, United States, near the town of Page. The 710-foot (220 m) high dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) from 1956 to 1966 and forms Lake Powell, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the U.S. with a capacity of 27 million acre feet (33 km3). The dam is named for Glen Canyon, a series of deep sandstone gorges now flooded by the reservoir; Lake Powell is named for John Wesley Powell, who in 1869 led the first expedition to traverse the Colorado's Grand Canyon by boat.

Lake Mead Reservoir on the Colorado River, Nevada and Arizona in the United States

Lake Mead is a man-made lake that lies on the Colorado River, about 24 mi (39 km) from the Las Vegas Strip, southeast of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. It is the largest reservoir in the United States in terms of water capacity. Formed by the Hoover Dam on September 30, 1935, the reservoir serves water to the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada, as well as some of Mexico, providing sustenance to nearly 20 million people and large areas of farmland.

Lake Okeechobee freshwater lake in the state of Florida

Lake Okeechobee, also known as Florida's Inland Sea, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the eighth largest natural freshwater lake among the 50 states of the United States and the second largest natural freshwater lake contained entirely within the contiguous 48 states. Okeechobee covers 730 square miles (1,900 km2), approximately half the size of the state of Rhode Island, and is exceptionally shallow for a lake of its size, with an average depth of only 9 feet. The Kissimmee River, located directly north of Lake Okeechobee, is the lake's primary source. The lake is divided between Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, and Hendry counties. All five counties meet at one point near the center of the lake.

Great Salt Plains Lake

Great Salt Plains Lake is a reservoir located within the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma in the United States named because of the salt flats in the area and for the Salt Fork Arkansas River, which is dammed to form the lake. It is notable for the variety of birds that are attracted to Ralstin Island and also for the selenite crystals that can be collected along the shoreline. Recent droughts, most notably that of 2011, have had an adverse effect on the future of the lake.

Lake Stanley Draper

Lake Stanley Draper is a reservoir in southeast Oklahoma City, United States. It is one of three municipal reservoirs in the city. It was constructed in 1962-1963, and named for the long-time director of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. Located between Midwest Boulevard and Post Road, near I-240, it receives water by pipeline from Atoka Lake and McGee Creek Reservoir.

Canton Lake (Oklahoma) lake in United States

Canton Lake is a lake in Blaine and Dewey Counties in Oklahoma, near Longdale and Canton. Its main source of water is the North Canadian River. It is about an hour away from Enid. The lake serves as a municipal water supply reservoir for Oklahoma City, which pays to have water released from the lake for water-supply purposes.

McGee Creek Reservoir

McGee Creek Reservoir is a reservoir in Atoka County, Oklahoma. It impounds the waters of McGee Creek and several smaller streams, including Potapo, Panther, Little Bugaboo, Bear, Blue, Mill, and Crooked creeks, all of which are tributaries of Muddy Boggy River. According to the Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec), the reservoir was designed to extend 14 miles (23 km) up McGee Creek and 9 miles (14 km) up Potapo Creek when the water is at "conservation level.

Lake Lanier Reservoir in Georgia, United States

Lake Lanier is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee River. The lake encompasses 38,000 acres (150 km2) or 59 square miles (150 km2) of water, and 692 miles (1,114 km) of shoreline at normal level, a "full pool" of 1,071 feet (326 m) above mean sea level and the exact shoreline varies by resolution according to the coastline paradox. Named for American poet Sidney Lanier, it was built and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control and water supplies. It is patrolled by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR), as well as local law enforcement.

Lake Apopka lake in Florida, United States of America

Lake Apopka is the fourth largest lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Orlando, mostly within the bounds of Orange County, although the western part is in Lake County. Fed by a natural spring, rainfall and stormwater runoff, water from Lake Apopka flows through the Apopka-Beauclair Canal and into Lakes Beauclair and Dora. From Lake Dora, water flows into Lake Eustis, then into Lake Griffin and then northward into the Ocklawaha River, which flows into the St. Johns River.

Sardis Lake (Mississippi) lake in the United States of America

Sardis Lake is a 98,520-acre (398.7 km2) reservoir on the Little Tallahatchie River in Lafayette, Panola, and Marshall counties, Mississippi. Sardis Lake is impounded by Sardis Dam, located nine miles (14 km) southeast of the town of Sardis. It is approximately an hour drive from Memphis, Tennessee. The dam is 15,300 feet (4,700 m) long, has an average height of 97 feet (30 m), and a maximum height of 117 feet (36 m).

Lake Altus-Lugert lake of the United States of America

Lake Altus-Lugert, also known as Lake Altus, Lake Lugert, Lake Lugert-Altus, and Lugert Lake, is a reservoir located on the North Fork Red River, about 17 miles (27 km) north of Altus, Oklahoma on the former site of the town of Lugert, Oklahoma. The river is the boundary between Greer County and Kiowa County, Oklahoma. The lake is used for fishing, boating, swimming, and irrigation. This is also the principal water supply for Altus.

Lake Needwood reservoir in Derwood, Maryland, United States

Lake Needwood is a 75-acre (300,000 m2) reservoir in Derwood, Maryland, United States. Located east of Rockville, in the eastern part of Montgomery County, it is situated on Rock Creek. The lake was created by damming Rock Creek in 1965 with the goal of providing flood control and reducing soil erosion. Lake Needwood also protects the water quality of the creek by functioning as a retention basin to trap sediment from storm-water runoff.

Jayakwadi Dam Dam in Jayakwadi, MaharashtraIndia

Jayakwadi dam is an earthen dam located on Godavari river at the site of Jayakwadi village in Paithan taluka of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra, India. The harsh project is one of the largest irrigation projects in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a multipurpose project. The water is mainly used to irrigate agricultural land in the drought-prone Marathwada region of the state. It also provides water for drinking and industrial usage to nearby towns and villages and to the municipalities and industrial areas of Aurangabad and Jalna districts. The surrounding area of the dam has a garden and a bird sanctuary.

Hunter Lake is a proposed 3,070-acre (12.4 km2) reservoir to be created in Illinois, United States, by damming Horse Creek, a tributary of the Sangamon River. If the lake is built, its construction would flood a section of bottomland in southeastern Sangamon County, Illinois near the city of Springfield to an elevation of 571 feet above sea level. The lake is a project of City Water, Light & Power, the local municipal electric utility.

The History of Lawton, Oklahoma refers to the history of the southwestern Oklahoma city of Lawton, Oklahoma. Lawton's history starts with opening of American Indian reservation lands in the early 1900s and has seen population and economic growth throughout the 20th Century due to its proximity with Fort Sill.

Lone Chimney Lake

Lake Lone Chimney owned by the Tri-County Development Authority, is in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, east of Glencoe. The lake, whose dam is also known as Lower Black Bear Creek Watershed Dam 19M, also extends into southern Payne County, Oklahoma. It was built in 1980 by the Tri-County Development Authority, Pawnee County Conservancy District and the Black Bear Conservancy District, assisted by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Watershed Protection and Flood Protection Program.

References