Boating banned at Lake Stanley Draper
Low water levels at Draper Lake make it unsafe for boating
The boat ramps at Draper Lake are closed due to low water and will remain closed until about August 2012, Oklahoma City officials announced Wednesday.
In a news release, city officials said the low water level on Draper Lake makes it unsafe for boating.
The water level is low because of a project to repair the Atoka Pipeline’s six pumping stations. Draper Lake’s water supply is pumped from Atoka Lake in southeastern Oklahoma via the 110-mile Atoka pipeline, and the repairs are lowering the lake.
The Atoka Pump Station Rehabilitation Project began early 2009 and is expected to take two years to complete. The project requires the pipeline to be shut down periodically, which will cause the lake’s water level to fluctuate throughout the project.
“The low lake levels will have no impact to the city’s ability to meet its drinking water demands,” said Marsha Slaughter, director of the city’s Utilities Department. “Unfortunately, the project will impact recreational activities.”
Boat stall renters removed their boats from Draper Lake last September.
Slaughter said the city regrets the inconvenience to citizens but the rehabilitation project is essential for the continuing safe and reliable delivery of water to Draper Lake and ultimately to Oklahoma City homes and businesses.
The low lake levels will give the city an opportunity to improve the lake, such as cleaning debris from the lakebed, extending boat ramps and removing the two boat docks.
Last spring, one of the three wet stall docks was damaged beyond repair by a tornado and removed from the lake. The remaining two docks will be removed while lake levels are low.
Plans are to replace all three docks after completion of the Atoka Pump Station Rehabilitation Project and lake levels stabilize.
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How many pump stations are there? What is the diameter of the pipe. How many CFS does the pipe deliver at full output? Is the project phased or are all stations being updated at once?