The Guthrie city council took a step in hopefully providing quality water in the long-term for its citizens and other providers by approving the construction of a low water dam in the Cottonwood Creek.
The City uses Lake Guthrie, Liberty Lake and the Cottonwood Creek for water sources that is relayed to the Water Treatment Plant to be treated and released into the City’s water system.
Video discussion of the dam is provided following this article beginning at the 40:00 mark.
Engineer Matt Coe with Myers Engineering provided a brief summary of how the Cottonwood Creek is used to supplement both lakes. He stated that the overall base flow in the Cottonwood basin has
decreased and will continue to decrease due to future reductions of other resources that flow into
the water system.
Coe presented three options to construct a dam to enhance the water surface elevation level that would then increase the amount of water transferred to Liberty Lake or directly to the Water Treatment Plant.
“We’re trying to continuously operate the pump station down there in order to fill the reservoir and also utilize this water resource during drought conditions at the Water Treatment Plant,” Coe said in a workshop meeting.
The City’s water quality has taken hits over the years with bad odor, taste and appearance usually during the summer months. City officials say droughts and lake turnover are generally the culprits for the foul water.
“It will a great protection against when the lakes turnover,” Mayor Steve Gentling said of the future creek dam.
Council member Brian Bothroyd followed that up with, “We just can’t have horrible water anymore. That’s just the bottom line.”
The council was given three options: restoring the existing dam as a temporary fix, offer a more permanent structure or provide for long-term improvements. The council elected for the long-term plan with a price tag of $1,654,170.
The City will purchase the construction of the dam through the Oklahoma City Waterline Trust Agreement fund, which allows the City to use funds for capital improvements to the water supply, storage, treatment and distribution system and the sanitary sewer collection and treatment system.
“I can’t imagine a better use of that legal fund that has been sitting there for a long, long time and it will really improve the quality of water in the city,” Gaylord Z Thomas said.
The OKC Waterline fund has approximately $1,459,142 available. Any amount over will be pulled from the City’s Capital Projects Fund.
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