Altus council declares long-unused Lake water rights surplus to avoid dam repair costs

The Altus City Council voted on March 9 to declare the city's Lake water rights surplus and adopted a companion resolution directing staff to notify the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and the Bureau of Reclamation, a move city staff said will free Altus from future storage- and dam-repair liabilities.

Trust manager Gary told the council the city holds about 4,800 acre-feet of storage at the Lake but has not used that water for decades. He said the city currently pays roughly $100,000 a year to maintain the asset and could face "millions" in the event of major dam-repair work tied to the upcoming construction contract. "If the cost to retain the asset is far greater than the value of the asset, then it's time to take action," Gary said, describing the Bureau of Reclamation and the Water Resources Board as the agencies that must be notified.

The proposal drew questions from several council members about legal authority and permit ownership. One council member urged caution and asked staff to verify who holds the permit and whether federal holdings could trigger litigation; the member warned of potential taxpayer lawsuits and said there was time to gather more documentation. Gary said staff had written guidance from the Water Resources Board and was following the Bureau of Reclamation's instructions on the procedure to relinquish the rights.

Council discussion also covered alternatives. Gary described staff's work with the Air Force and federal partners to acquire additional, usable water rights in the Tipton area and to connect new supplies via pipeline to the city's 9 Mile Hill pipeline as a longer-term strategy. He told the council that retaining the Lake asset requires paying share-based costs for the dam and channel repairs even though the city cannot deliver the water without constructing a distribution system.

After debate, the council approved the motion to declare the Lake water rights surplus and the companion resolution (Resolution 2026-04) by roll-call vote. Two members voted no and the remainder voted yes; no abstentions were recorded on the final council motion. The council directed staff to complete notifications required by state and federal authorities and to provide the written guidance from those agencies to council members.

Why it matters: City leaders said relinquishing the rights would reduce ongoing maintenance costs and remove the city's potential share of major dam-repair bills, shifting the asset back to state processes and making the water available for other applicants. Opponents urged careful legal review before final steps.

Next steps: Staff will transmit the required notices to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and the Bureau of Reclamation and return to the council if further action or clarifying documents are needed.