Study identifies 38 most viable sites for Oklahoma reservoirs

June 5, 2011
By Randy Ellis, The Oklahoman

Should Oklahoma build more reservoirs?

“I wouldn't say there is an imminent need, but I think they might be viable options in some areas,” said Kyle Arthur, director of planning for the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan.

The Oklahoma Water Resources Board commissioned C.H. Guernsey & Co., an Oklahoma City architectural and engineering firm, to study and identify the best potential sites for future reservoirs as part of the state's 50-year water plan.

The firm examined 125 sites where reservoirs have been proposed in the past and identified 38 of them as being the most viable based on such considerations as cost, water quality, size, closeness to where water is needed and environmental and archaeological issues.

The 38 most viable sites range from 1,555-acre Wellston Lake in Lincoln County to 53,000-acre Nuyaka Reservoir in Okmulgee County. The latter would be about half the size of Lake Eufaula.

In an ideal world, several of the most viable sites would be located near population centers and near hot spots where shortages are most likely, so water transfer costs could be minimized.

That is often not the case in Oklahoma. There are a few notable exceptions, however.

In southwestern Oklahoma, where researchers indicate water shortages could develop within the next 50 years, construction of a reservoir at a viable site near Mangum could provide some relief.

And Oklahoma City is within about 30 miles of three of the 38 most viable reservoir sites. Those include the potential Navina Reservoir site between Edmond and Guthrie, the Wellston Lake site near Wellston and the West Elm Creek Reservoir site east of Moore.

The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust owns the West Elm Creek site and could some day use it as part of its drinking water distribution network, but has no ownership interest in the other two nearby sites, said Debbie Ragan, spokeswoman for the utilities department.

Oklahoma City currently pumps part of its water supply from Atoka Lake and McGee Creek Lake, which are about 130 miles away, and last summer purchased water storage rights in Sardis Lake, which is even farther.

Ragan said the proposed West Elm Creek Reservoir site is like Lake Stanley Draper in the sense that it does not have a feeder stream capable of filling it, so water would have to be pumped in from elsewhere for it to be used as a water storage lake.

More reservoirs necessary?

Oklahoma tourism officials like to boast that the state has more than 1 million surface-acres of water, 2,000 more miles of shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined and more man-made lakes than any other state. And new reservoirs are expensive — often costing hundreds of millions of dollars.

Arthur said the state has options.

Studies indicate there are multiple ways to meet the state's anticipated water challenges and combinations of those solutions could be used that would not require construction of any new reservoirs over the next 50 years, he said.

“That's not to say new reservoirs wouldn't serve a number of good purposes in some locations,” Arthur said. “However, there are a variety of issues that must be considered, including environmental issues, benefits beyond water supply, costs and local and state political will.”

C. H. Guernsey officials did not recommend whether any of the potential reservoirs should actually be built and did not attempt to rank them, although it did list pros and cons of various locations.

Ken Senour of C. H. Guernsey said officials believed ranking the lakes would not serve much purpose since decisions on whether particular reservoirs actually get built often depend on whether specific governmental entities want to sponsor and fund them.

Most of the potential reservoirs are not likely to be built anytime soon because they are expensive, he said.

“If we were able in the next 20 to 30 years to build just five of those, that would be a big undertaking,” Senour said.

Other options

In a separate study, C .H. Guernsey consultants updated costs associated with building a statewide water conveyance system that could move nearly 2.3 million acre-feet of water per year from reservoirs in eastern Oklahoma, where water is relatively plentiful, to regions in western Oklahoma where water is scarcer.

Like researchers before them, they concluded the high costs of such proposed systems rendered them “economically unfeasible under federal planning guidelines.”

However, C .H. Guernsey officials said while they were in the process of doing their study, they received new data from another consulting firm that indicated water deficits projected for western Oklahoma by 2060 were only about a tenth of the amount that prior researchers had assumed would be necessary by 2040 and had planned for during the previous study.

C .H. Guernsey officials recommended doing yet another water transfer study that would take into account the reduced need and consider the financial viability of smaller, regional water transfer systems as well as a statewide system.

Hampered by weather delays, the Thunder's new practice facility will not be ready for training camp. But once completed, the $14.5 million facility will be another attraction for free agents to join a young and talented roster in Oklahoma City.

The state-of-the-art practice facility will underscore the franchises's focus on players.

"Our organization starting with our ownership group, are committed to building, enhancing and sustaining an elite basketball operation," said general manager Sam Presti. "Our hope is this building puts both our players and staff in position to maximize their roles."

Originally scheduled to open in late September when training camp begins, adjusted estimates have the Thunder Training Center being completed in November or December.

Add-ons have delayed construction, but the primary reason the project is behind schedule is 50-plus days lost to weather issues, including near-record snow fall last winter.

"There weren't many days for several months that there wasn't any standing water somewhere at this job site," said project manager John Russell. "It was a terrible winter to try and get it out of the ground. That's just part of business. You deal with the weather the best you can."

Located near Broadway Extension and Britton Road, the new practice facility will feature two full-length practice courts, state-of-the-art weight equipment, basketball offices, a players' lounge, locker room, hydrotherapy pools and a 27-seat theater team meeting room to watch film.

"It will be a really nice facility, but it won't be extravagant," said Russell who has worked with other projects like the University of Oklahoma tennis center. "It will provide everything they need and serve them well."

Thunder officials are uncertain when they will relocate from the temporary practice facility in north Oklahoma City. One option is to move as soon the new facility is completed late this year. Another option is to wait until after the season.

Tom Anderson, the city's executive director of special projects, said the organization and the city want to make sure the project is done right.

"We have been incredibly fortunate to have our current facility," Presti said. "It will continue to serve us while our permanent facility is being completed. In terms of a time frame for moving in, that's something we'll evaluate as the project draws closer to completion."