Project Purpose and Authorization

Authorized Purposes: The Optima Lake project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936 for multiple purposes: flood control, water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife.

Location: The project is located on the North Canadian River (also known as the Beaver River) in Texas County, in the panhandle of Oklahoma.

Infrastructure: Construction, completed in 1978, resulted in a 120-foot-high, 15,000-foot-long rolled earth-filled embankment dam.

Historical Context and Operational Challenges

Construction Delays: Construction was delayed by major historical events (Depression, WWII, Korean War) but began in earnest in 1966 and was completed in 1978.

The "Empty Lake" Narrative: While Optima Lake never filled to design levels, Optima Dam remains operational and is part of the Tulsa District's flood risk management infrastructure. Optima Dam has reduced or prevented downstream flood damages  during four severe weather events.

Reduced Streamflow: The primary reason the lake has never filled is a significant reduction in stream flow in the Beaver River since the late 1960s, attributed to increased municipal, industrial, and agricultural water extraction from the Ogallala Aquifer.

Limited Recreation: Due to the consistently low water levels, water-based recreation (boating, swimming, fishing) is generally not available. Public use areas are typically land access points only.

Current Status and Future Direction (Disposition Study)

Minimal Operations: The project continues to be managed to ensure the  dam and associated structures are adequately maintained for proper operation during flood risk management operations.

Disposition Investigation: The Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completed a disposition study of Optima Lake in December 2024. The Optima Lake Disposition Study was conducted under the authority granted by Section 216 of the Flood Control Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-611).  The Report of Findings from this disposition study documented Optima Lake continues to demonstrate a federal interest and continues to meet the flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife authorized project purposes.  The report recommendation for Optima Lake was to not dispose because there remains a Federal interest in operating and maintaining the project and because of a lack of interest from appropriate and willing entities with a desire to take responsibility of the project with the existing embankment and associated structures in place as well as costs associated with the deconstruction of project features.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Compliance: The study included a NEPA review to assess the potential impacts (adverse and beneficial) of various options, including:

• Continuous operation and maintenance of the existing features.
• Leasing portions of the project to other federal agencies or non-federal entities.
• Transferring full operational responsibilities.

Public Involvement: Public participation is a critical part of this process. The USACE hosted a virtual resource agency scoping meeting on September 28, 2022 and a public scoping meeting in Guymon, OK on October 5, 2022.

Summary

Commitment to Stewardship: USACE is a responsible steward of national environmental resources and is committed to managing the project land and infrastructure in the best public interest.

Adapting to Reality: The Optima disposition study is a proactive measure to address the reality of the lack of consistent streamflow and ensure the most effective use of government-owned land and features, rather than indefinitely maintaining a reservoir that cannot fulfill all its authorized purposes.

Authorized Benefits: While water-based recreation is limited, the project area still provides value for flood control and land-based activities, with approximately 13,247 acres of government land managed for fish and wildlife purposes by partners like the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.