TULSA - The Army Corps of Engineers say the flood waters are decreasing, but it's a slow process.
The Corps says the flooding situation has finally turned a corner and if there's no more abundance of rain going into Keystone Lake, water should recede by June 4 or 5.
Lt. Colonel Adam Weece said Keystone Lake collects water from a 22,000 square mile area in northeast Oklahoma and also Kansas.
For more than a week, they have been forced to increase the outflow from Keystone Dam, getting up 275,000 cubic feet per second.
Weece said now that the water going into the lake is less, it will allow them to decrease the outflow of water from the dam and return the Arkansas River back into its channel.
If everything remains the same, the corps will continue to decrease the release of water from the dam every six hours.
"When the lake gets above a certain level we call surcharge, it gets to that critical area where inflow is faster than outflow," said Weece. "So, we increase outflow and that’s when we see flooding and it’s unfortunate and it’s painful for us but we have to do that to maintain a safe lake level. If we compromise the lake and therefore the dam, the impact could be so much worse."
Even though levels are receding, the Corps’ lake staff, rangers and maintenance personnel continue to work around the clock - keeping an eye on the structures and dams.
Public safety remains the Corps number one priority and they will continue to monitor the flood waters aggressively until the levels return to normal.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
