Press Release

Shawnee Municipal Authority receives $1,000,000 grant for dam improvements

OKLAHOMA CITY –The Shawnee Municipal Authority (Authority) received approval for $1,000,000 in funding Thursday from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) to improve the Authority’s infrastructure. Planning and design of upgrades and improvements to the dam will be financed by the Oklahoma American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program along with two FEMA High Hazard Potential Dam Grants totaling $164,745. 

The Authorityowns and operates Shawnee City Lake No.1 dam which forms Shawnee City Lake No.1. This lake provides a raw water source to the City of Shawnee, with over 12,000 customers. The dam is currently in unsatisfactory condition according to the results of a geophysical study that was completed in April of 2023 which showed piping voids and dispersive soils on sections of the embankment. The proposed project includes the planning, design, and construction for repairing the downstream slope based on the full geophysical study. 

Joe Freeman, chief of the OWRB’s Financial Assistance Division, calculated that the Authority’s customers will save an estimated $1,637,400 compared to traditional financing.