NW Oklahoma has been getting some much needed rain of late. It’s not enough to make a dent in the EXCEPTIONAL draught (the next classification above extreme) of numerous years, but I was anxious to see for myself if there had been a change in the Canton Lake level. If it is coming up, it’s not apparent to me, but an area resident indeed confirmed that some of the off-lying shoals have been covered. The Corps of Engineers daily reporting site still lists the water level as being down 77%. Under the best conditions, it will take several years of above normal rainfall to return water to the lake. We can only hope the Oklahoma Water Resources Board will rethink its policy of allowing Oklahoma City to draw down lakes any time, to any degree, without question. The damage and long-term effect caused by such ill-conceived policies for the rest of the residents in NW Oklahoma require serious review.
Area youths, like our granddaughter, Lucie, are for many years
deprived of the recreational opportunities that the lake and Corps
campgrounds would have provided.
All the white is blowing sand from the uncovered
lake bottom.
Geese wade ankle-deep a hundred yards or more from
what should be the lake shore. At the point where I took
this picture, the water should be better than six feet
over my head, or 13-feet deep.
A freshwater clam.
The weeds would not be here in a healthy lake. Since the bottom
would be lacking the rock, marine vegetation, etc. that normally provide
havens for small fish to find cover, flexible pipe is cut and set in blocks
of concrete to make artificial fish havens.
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