The Canadian River Project

The Canadian river project began in 1949.  The Canadian river crosses 3 state lines beginning in New Mexico and flowing through the Texas panhandle ending up in Oklahoma.

The Canadian River project was a proposed in the late 40's.  It was a plan to dam the Canadian River in Sanford, Texas to provide water security to the Texas Panhandle (a Dustbowl solution) including these cities; Amarillo, Lubbock, Borger, Plainview Pampa, Slaton, Tahoka, O'Donnel, Lamesa, Levelland, and Brownfield.  The water would be used for purposes such as, municipal, domestic, livestock, and irrigation.  The project began on June 17th, 1949 and cost over 96 million dollars from the CRMWA contracted by the federal government.


April 1973 there was a record high of 101.85 feet of water

Last January 2012 the water was at a record low of 28.75 feet and has been declining steadily ever since.

Here is decline since I have been in Texas...

Lake Meredith, October 2012

  

Lake Meredith, December 2012

The Sanford Dam, part of the 96 million dollar project, is out of commission due to low water.  It is predicted that the Canadian River will never again flow enough to fill the Dam because of the usage of water in New Mexico (the river source).

Pumping of the Sanford Dam since 2011 has been 0 feet

Sandford Hydroplant, Sanford, Texas, 2012

Currently all water  for municipal, domestic, livestock, and irrigation for the Panhandle
is supplemented directly from the Ogallala Aquifer.

Ogallala Aqueduct, Lake Meredith Recreation Area, Sanford, Texas, 2012