TULSA — The exceptional drought in the Southern Plains has reduced the level of Great Salt Plains Lake to the extent that a sedimentation bridge has formed near the spillway, cutting off the dam, the spillway and lake level monitoring equipment from the main body of the lake.

Theexceptional drought in the Southern Plains has reduced the level of Great Salt Plains Lake to the extent that a sedimentation bridge has formed near the spillway, cutting off the dam, the spillway and lake level monitoring equipment from the main body of the lake.

Monitoring equipment has been measuring the level of a 300 x 600 foot pool on the dam-side of the sedimentation bridge, not the main lake, and lake elevation reports for the past week have not been indicative of the actual lake level. The actual lake level is considerably higher than the measured and reported pool level.

The lake is managed by the Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Even though the actual level of the lake cannot be determined at this time, Corps of Engineers personnel will continue to make weekly site inspection visits to report the status of the lake.

Great Salt Plains Lake is the oldest Corps of Engineers lake in the Tulsa District. The lake was completed in 1940, and it continues to serve its primary purpose of flood risk management. More than $239 million in flood damages have been prevented since the Salt Fork River was impounded by Great Salt Plains Dam.

The sedimentation in Great Salt Plains Lake is the result of soil and stream erosion in the watershed interacting with the impounding qualities of the dam.

For more information about lake levels go to www.swt.usace.army.mil and click "Water Management."

The Tulsa District USACE manages its lakes and the surrounding public lands to meet the needs of human and natural communities for present and future generations.