With access to three lakes for water, Duncan may be better prepared than many or even most other towns and cities in the Sooner State to deal with the ongoing drought.

But even in Duncan, people responsible for planning ahead for the future are contemplating what they'll do if the historic dry spell continues for another year, two years or longer. Mayor Gene Brown reported Thursday that City Council members have begun discussing the possibility of putting restrictions on water use.

"It's not a panic situation for us but at the same time we have to use common sense," he told people gathered for a breakfast forum sponsored by the Duncan Chamber of Commerce.

At a recent meeting of the Waurika Lake Master Conservancy District, it was reported that 2011 and 2012 amounted to the driest two-year period in the area in recorded history. Managers said, too, that if the drought continues, Waurika Lake, a primary water source not only for Duncan but for other area towns, could be at silt level within a couple of years.

Duncan also has access to water from nearby Lakes Fuqua and Humphreys, a point of pride in the city and evidence of the foresight of mayors and others in the past in planning ahead. Brown said it only makes sense to keep the focus on the future in managing use of an increasingly valuable resource.

City officials have said the town draws an average of four million gallons of water a day and eight million gallons a day on average in the hottest months of the year.

Read the Full Story...