Tulsa area winds cause false data, minor damage

Описание: Recent, heavy winds in Eastern Oklahoma caused some strange inflow data to appear on the Skiatook Lake level page, March19.
Despite no rainfall in Skiatook Lake’s watershed, the hourly inflow appeared to fluctuate between about 200 cubic feet per second and over 1,000 cfs, from midnight to 11 a.m.
According to Joseph Large, chief of water management, Tulsa District, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, high winds in the area caused the gage at the dam to produce incorrect information.
“Over the last few days, we had wind which started coming in from the south and then intensified and started coming in from the west,” said Large. “The wind picks up the water and pushes it towards the opposite side of the lake. And in this case, at Skiatook, that's where our gage reads the lake level.”
Winds reached speeds up to 39 miles per hour in Skiatook, March 19.
Large explained that sustained winds push water against the dam, creating the appearance of higher lake levels.
“Inflow minus outflow equals change in storage,” said Large. “So, we know what the change in storage is by the change in elevation, and we know what we're releasing. And from that we can back calculate the inflow.”
Large explained that lake level data on the Water Control Data System site is subject to revision because of incorrect gage readings caused by wind, or stream gages requiring recalibration.
Lake level data is available at www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil.
The Skiatook Lake Project Office said they didn’t receive any phone calls related to the readings, but the wind created a few maintenance problems.
“Nothing like a tornado or anything. Just probably about five to ten trees came down in our campgrounds,” said Brent Buford, assistant lake manager, Skiatook Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Some of the high winds caused, some of our buoy lines to break. So, we'll have to do some minor maintenance there with our buoys and, swim beach lines.
Despite the minor damages, the Buford said Skiatook Lake maintenance and rangers are on track to have parks ready for visitors when Tulsa District’s recreation season begins, April 1.
“I think we're going to be ready,” said Buford. “We'll get it done.”