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

(a) Flood control storage in Lake Thunderbird between elevation 1039 (top of the conservation pool) and elevation 1049.4 (top of flood control pool) initially amounts to 76,600 acre-feet. Whenever the reservoir level is within this elevation range the flood control discharge facilities at Norman Dam 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 the flood damage below the reservoir. 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 the Little River downstream of the reservoir. Controlling bankfull stages and corresponding flows, as presently estimated, are as follows: A 7.5-foot stage (1,800 c.f.s.) on the U.S.G.S. gage on Little River near Tecumseh, Okla., river mile 77.2 and a 17-foot stage (6,500 c.f.s.) on the U.S.G.S. gage on Little River near Sasakwa, Okla., river mile 24.1.

(b) When the reservoir level in Lake Thunderbird exceeds elevation 1049.4 (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 pool recedes to elevation 1049.4 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 Norman 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 showing the pool elevation; the number of river outlet works gates in operation with their respective openings and releases; uncontrolled spillway release; municipal pumping rate; storage; tail water elevation; reservoir inflow; 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 reservoir level rises to elevation 1039 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 reservoir level recedes to elevation 1039. 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 1039.0, 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 operations of the Norman 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 Norman 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 reservoir 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 5,400 c.f.s. with the reservoir level at elevation 1039.0) shall be maintained in accordance with the construction plans (Bureau of Reclamation Specifications No. DC-5793 as revised by the “as built drawings”).

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