The Bureau of Reclamation, or its designated agent, shall operate the Arbuckle Dam and Lake of the Arbuckles in the interest of flood control as follows:

(a) Flood control storage in Lake of the Arbuckles between elevation 872 (top of conservation pool) and elevation 885.3 (top of flood control pool) initially amounts to 36,400 acre-feet. Whenever the lake level is within this elevation range the flood control discharge facilities shall be operated under the direction of the District Engineer, Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, in charge of the locality, so as to reduce as much as practicable of the flood damage below the lake. In order to accomplish this purpose, flood control releases shall be limited to amounts, which when combined with local inflows below the dam will not produce flows in excess of bankfull on Rock Creek downstream of the lake and on the Washita River, from the confluence of Rock Creek to Durwood, Okla. Operating stages and corresponding flows are as follows: An 11-foot stage (15,000 c.f.s.) on the U.S.G.S. gage on Rock Creek near Dougherty, Okla., river mile 1; and a 20-foot stage (15,000 c.f.s.) on the U.S.G.S. gage on the Washita River near Durwood, Okla., river mile 63.4.

(b) When the level in Lake of the Arbuckles exceeds elevation 885.3 (top of flood control pool), releases shall be made at the maximum rate possible through the river outlet works and the uncontrolled spillway and continued until the lake level recedes to elevation 885.3 when releases shall be made to equal inflow or the maximum release permissible under paragraph (a) of this section, whichever is greater.

(c) The representative of the Bureau of Reclamation or its designated agent in immediate charge of operation of the Arbuckle Dam shall furnish daily to the District Engineer, Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, in charge of the locality, a report, on forms provided by the District Engineer for this purpose, showing the lake elevation; the number of river outlet works gates in operation with their respective openings and releases; uncontrolled spillway release; municipal pumping rate; tailwater elevation; available evaporation data; and precipitation in inches. Normally, a reading at 8 a.m., noon, 4 p.m., and midnight shall be shown for each day. Whenever the lake level rises to elevation 872 and releases for flood regulation are necessary or appear imminent, the representative of the Bureau of Reclamation or its designated agent, shall report at once to the District Engineer by telephone or telegraph and unless otherwise instructed shall report once daily thereafter in that manner until the lake level recedes to elevation 872. These latter reports shall reach the District Engineer by 9 a.m. each day.

(d) The regulations of this section, insofar as they govern use of flood control storage capacity above elevation 872, are subject to temporary modification in time of flood by the District Engineer if found desirable on the basis of conditions at the time. Such desired modifications shall be communicated to the representative of the Bureau of Reclamation and its designated agent in immediate charge of operation of the Arbuckle Dam by any available means of communication, and shall be confirmed in writing under date of the same day to the Regional Director in charge of the locality, and his designated agent, with a copy to the representative in charge of the Arbuckle Dam.

(e) Flood control operation shall not restrict pumping necessary for municipal and industrial uses and releases necessary for downstream users.

(f) Releases made in accordance with the regulations of this section are subject to the condition that releases shall not be made at rates or in a manner that would be inconsistent with emergency requirements for protecting the dam and lake from major damage or inconsistent with the safe routing of the inflow design flood (spillway design flood).

(g) The discharge characteristics of the river outlet works (capable of discharging approximately 1,880 c.f.s. when the lake level is at 872) shall be maintained in accordance with the construction plans (Bureau of Reclamation Specifications No. 6099 as modified by the “as built” drawings).

(h) All elevations stated in this section are at Arbuckle Dam and are referred to the datum in use at that location.