Duncan Might Upgrade Water Rationing
as Reservoir Levels Drop Below Half

• Joe Wertz
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  Joe Wertz was a reporter and managing editor for StateImpact Oklahoma from 2011-2019. He reported on energy and environment issues for national NPR audiences and other national outlets. He previously worked as a managing editor, assistant editor and staff reporter at several major Oklahoma newspapers and studied journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.

After a brief respite of rain, drought conditions have inched back up — especially in the panhandle and southwestern Oklahoma — this week’s update from the U.S. Drought Monitor show.

In south-central Oklahoma, the water levels at the lakes that supply water to the City of Duncan have dropped below 50 percent, and local officials say the “dire” situation could lead to stricter water rationing. The Duncan Banner’s Derrick Miller reports:

On Tuesday, water levels at those two lakes were at 52 percent. Waurika Lake, which is Duncan’s primary water supply, was at 47 percent on Aug. 31. Public Works Director Scott Vaughn said city ordinance stipulates the need for Stage 3 water rationing, which only allows for watering one day out of the week, if Lake Fuqua and Lake Humphreys drop below 50 percent.

Since May, Duncan residents have been under “Stage 2” water restrictions, which restrict outdoor watering to every other day between midnight and 9 a.m.

Duncan received a lot of rain in July — as did much of Oklahoma — but the showers did little to fill the city’s reservoirs, the paper reports.

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