Flood control dams in Senate district no. 8, 2015

              Flood Control Dams in Oklahoma Senate District No. 8
Oklahoma has 2,107 flood control dams in 61 counties.
These dams have been constructed through local units
of government, mostly conservation districts, who serve
as local watershed project sponsors. The USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided
financial and technical assistance to sponsors to build
the dams through Public Law 78-534 Flood Control Act
(Washita River Watershed) and Public Law 83-566
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program.
The primary purpose of flood control dams is to reduce
flooding. The secondary benefits of the dams address a
myriad of public needs such as water supply, water
quality, soil health, water management, wetland
enhancement, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreation.
Flood control dams improve public safety, contribute to a
healthy economy and support a strong nation.
Watershed projects also include the installation of
conservation practices such as terraces, waterways,
ponds, gully repair, and pasture and rangeland
plantings. These conservation practices improve water
quality and soil health and reduce sedimentation into the
lakes formed by the dams.
Operation and Maintenance of Dams
The operation and maintenance of dams is the
responsibility of the project sponsors. Operation and
maintenance of dams can be expensive and labor
intensive, but is necessary to ensure the dams function
as designed and remain safe. Maintenance work
includes removing trees from dams and spillways,
repairing erosion damage, repairing damage to spillways
and dams after heavy rain storms, controlling beavers
and rodents, and keeping the principal spillway inlet
towers cleared of debris.
Operation and Maintenance Needs
An estimated $6 million per year is needed to meet the
operations and maintenance needs of the 2,107 flood
control dams.
Rehabilitation and Dam Safety
Some dams will need rehabilitation to remain safe and
protect the people that live or work downstream and to
continue to provide benefits. There are 249 high hazard
dams with 63 that meet current dam safety criteria either
through original design or rehabilitation. It is estimated
that $653 million will be required to rehabilitate the
remaining 186 high hazard dams to comply with federal
and state dam safety laws.
More dams will become high hazard as long as
residential and business development is allowed
downstream of the dams in the breach flood area.
NRCS can provide 65 percent of the cost to rehabilitate
high hazard dams. Local project sponsors provide 35
percent of the cost and obtain any needed additional
land rights.
As of January 2015 thirty-four dams in the state have
been rehabilitated to meet state and federal mandated
dam safety regulations and 18 dams are in various
stages of planning, design or construction.
Annual Benefits
The 2,107 flood control dams provide $85 million in
average annual benefits. Listed below are the average
annual benefits from watershed projects in Senate
District No. 8.
Average Annual Watershed Benefits (Entire Watershed)
Watershed
Name
Dams in
Watershed
Dams in
District
8
Monetary
Benefits
Farms/Ranches
Benefited
Bridges
Benefited
Wetlands
Enhanced/Created
(acres)
Reduced
Sedimentation
(tons of soil)
Cane Creek 21 11 $505,900 311 12 695 107,768
Okfuskee
Tribs.
29 29 $1,637,555 562 7 502 80,182
Okmulgee
Creek
2 2 $414,635 52 4 139 14,549
Little Deep
Fork Creek
56 1 $1,289,081 747 45 996 153,004
Total 108 43 $3,847,171 1,672 68 2,332 355,503