What is the Lake Thunderbird Watershed Partnership?

The Lake Thunderbird Watershed Partnership (LTWP) was created in 2017 by the Cities of Oklahoma City, Moore, and Norman.  The goal of LTWP is to educate the public about the Lake Thunderbird watershed and ways that they can help improve the lake’s water quality through collaborative efforts, activities, and events.  

How is the Lake Thunderbird Watershed Partnership dealing with the Lake Thunderbird TMDL? 

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) required each of the cities in the LTWP to develop compliance and monitoring plans to describe how we will meet our requirements to reduce the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment in our storm water runoff.  These plans include a 5-year schedule of monitoring and other activities to meet these requirements.
ODEQ TMDL Final Report
COSWA

City of Oklahoma City – Who are we?

The City of Oklahoma City was established on April 22, 1889, when over 10,000 people participated in the Land Run and settled in what is now downtown. Oklahoma City was incorporated in 1890 and replaced Guthrie as the State Capital in 1910. Oklahoma City is 620 square miles and covers four counties: Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland and Pottawatomie.

Oklahoma City consists of twenty-two departments. Each department is responsible for providing the residents of Oklahoma City with services and programs. Oklahoma City employees over 5,000 employees. The Storm Water Quality Division joined the Public Works Department in 1995 and is funded through a drainage utility fee. 

Oklahoma City has four major drainages: Deer Creek, Deep Fork, North Canadian, and the Canadian River basins. The Lake Thunderbird watershed is located in the Canadian River basin. The City of Oklahoma City has developed Compliance and Monitoring Plans, which detail how the City will address the requirements of the Lake Thunderbird Watershed TMDL. 

City of Moore – Who are we?

The City of Moore was established in 1893 and is 22.2 square miles.  The City of Moore is governed by a council-manager form of government.  The City Council consists of Mayor, who is elected at-large, and six council members, who are elected from three wards (districts) of the City.

The City has about 18.8 miles of streams and is located in two watersheds:  the Lower Canadian River and the Little River, which flows to Lake Thunderbird.  The City of Moore developed a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) as required for coverage under the Oklahoma Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (OPDES), administered by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ). The purpose of this program is to protect and enhance the water quality of streams, creeks, tributaries, lakes, springs, and wetlands.

City of Moore Environmental Services
City of Moore MS4 and Lake Thunderbird TMDL Compliance Plan 

City of Norman – Who are we?

The City of Norman was incorporated on May 13, 1891. The City Charter was adopted on June 28, 1919. This document has been the guiding force in how the city government operates, who makes up the city government, and what the City of Norman does as an organization. 

The City of Norman has eleven departments which perform unique functions within the city government. These departments oversee and implement the services and programs of City Hall. The City of Norman employs over 850 people who staff these eleven departments.   The City of Norman Stormwater Division is in the Public Works Department and is responsible for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Norman through the regulation of non-stormwater discharges to the City’s municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) as well as the management, maintenance, and improvement of this system.  

The City of Norman has a dense urban area, located mostly along the old Highway 77 corridor and I-35.  Norman is located in two watersheds.  The south and west parts of Norman are located mainly in the Canadian River watershed while the north and east parts of Norman are located mainly in the Lake Thunderbird watershed.  Lake Thunderbird supplies 70% of the drinking water for the City.  As the City continues to grow, new sources of pollutants are added to those already existing.  This has resulted in the establishment of several TMDLs which affect the City of Norman.  One of these is the Lake Thunderbird TMDL.  The City of Norman has developed Compliance and Monitoring Plans, which spell out how the City will meet the requirements of the Lake Thunderbird Watershed TMDL.  These plans were adopted by Norman City Council on October 25, 2016, via Resolution No. R-1617-41.

City of Norman Stormwater Division
City of Norman Lake Thunderbird Compliance and Monitoring Plan