General
The Arbuckle Project regulates flow of Rock Creek, a tributary of the Washita River in south-central Oklahoma. The project furnishes new or supplemental water supplies to Davis and Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and to a major oil refinery near Wynnewood. Sulphur, Oklahoma, also has a project water supply entitlement; however, conveyance facilities have not been constructed to serve that city. The project provides substantial flood control, fish and wildlife, and recreation benefits.
History
The first non-Indian settlements in the area were scattered trading posts and military posts. Fort Arbuckle was opened near Wildhorse Creek in Murray County in 1851. About 1865, the cattle industry became a factor in settlement of the area. Public lands in the territory were settled rapidly once they were opened to entry. The economy soon changed from the early cattle to predominantly crop-based. A progressive lowering of the water table and deterioration in the quality of water withdrawn from the wells encouraged the local communities to seek supplemental water resources.
Construction
The contract for construction of Arbuckle Dam was awarded June 9, 1964, and was completed June 30, 1966. The contract for construction of the aqueduct and pumping plant was awarded August 27, 1965, and was essentially complete in August 1967. Minor contracts for final completion of construction at Arbuckle Dam and the Wynnewood Aqueduct and Pumping Plant were completed during 1967 and 1968. Operation and maintenance responsibility for the project was turned over to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District on January 1, 1968.
Plan
Arbuckle Dam and Lake of the Arbuckles, are on Rock Creek, about 6 miles southwest of Sulphur, Oklahoma. The regulated flows of Rock Creek are delivered to Davis, Wynnewood, and the oil refinery from the reservoir by the project aqueduct system through 17.9 miles of pipeline and one pumping plant. The regulated flows are also delivered to the Ardmore Industrial Air Park through a pipeline constructed by the city of Ardmore, which plans to construct additional pipelines and treatment facilities for more efficient use of its water allocation. Two small pipelines deliver water from Arbuckle Dam to Dougherty and rural users. Arbuckle Dam is an earthfill structure, having a structural height of 150 feet and a crest length of 1,900 feet. The volume of the dam and two dikes near its left abutment is 2,977,800 cubic yards. The spillway consists of a morning-glory concrete inlet, concrete conduit, concrete chute and stilling basin, and an outlet channel which also serves the river outlet works. The river outlet works has a 7.5-foot-diameter upstream conduit, a gate chamber directly beneath the crest of the dam, and control gates that have a maximum design discharge of 2,340 cubic feet per second into a free-flow 9-foot-diameter flat-bottom conduit and stilling basin. A municipal outlet works supplies domestic water. The Lake of the Arbuckles has a total capacity of 108,839 acre-feet at elevation 885.3 and an active conservation capacity of 62,571 acre-feet at elevation 872.0. The surface area of the reservoir is 3,127 acres at elevation 885.3 and 2,346 acres at top of active conservation capacity, elevation 872.0. In compliance with the State of Oklahoma, and for control of water quality in municipal water, it was necessary to construct the Sulphur sewage effluent pumping plant and pipeline as a part of the project facilities to avoid contamination of water in storage at Arbuckle Dam. Before construction of Arbuckle Dam, effluent from the Sulphur sewage disposal plant drained into Rock Creek watershed. The pumping plant and disposal pipeline collect all effluent and convey it about 4 miles to the Dry Sandy Creek watershed. Operation and maintenance of the pumping plant and pipeline is a part of the dam and reservoir operation. The maximum capacity is 4 million gallons per day. The pumping plant is provided with three vertical turbine pumping units of equal rating. A chlorination station is provided for treating the effluent. The pipeline is 18-inch-diameter precast concrete approximately 4 miles long. Appurtenant structures include surge tank, air valves, blowoff structures, vent structures, The Wynnewood Pumping Plant is located just downstream from Arbuckle Dam. The pumps provide municipal water for delivery to the Wynnewood Aqueduct and regulating reservoir. The regulating reservoir is a concrete-lined structure located on the high point of the aqueduct. Conveyance of water downstream of the regulating reservoir is by gravity. Four pumping units are provided at Wynnewood Pumping Plant, with a rated unit capacity of 3.45 cubic feet per second. Each with one unit as a standby, the total capacity is 10.35 cubic feet per second. The pumping head range is 70 to 179 feet, depending on the storage elevation at the dam, The Wynnewood Pumping Plant is unattended. A telemeter receives the water level from the regulating reservoir and automatically starts and stops pumps to maintain a water level in the regulating reservoir adequate to serve the turnout flow control stations. A 17.87-mile pipeline ranging from 10 to 27 inches in diameter conveys municipal water to Wynnewood. A turnout flow control station is provided at each turnout point to Davis, to the refinery, and at the Wynnewood terminal structure. A 580-foot lateral of 16-inch-diameter pipe is provided at the refinery turnout point. Required appurtenant line structures, including a surge tank, air valve structures, manholes, blow-off structures, regulating tanks, and a chlorination plant are provided for the Wynnewood Aqueduct. The water is treated only to the extent necessary to prevent algae and other growths from forming in the pipeline.
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