PAWNEE, Okla. (AP) — City leaders in Pawnee have approved an emergency plan to drill two new wells to help boost the town's water supply.
The Pawnee City Council declared a state of emergency Tuesday and approved spending $270,000 for the new wells. The city relies on Pawnee Lake for its water supply, and lake levels have continued to drop over the past few years.
Mayor Brad Sewell tells Tulsa television station KOTV that the new wells will supplement the water supply — not replace the lake as the city's primary source of water.
Sewell says work will likely begin later this month on the two wells, with a completion date planned for late July or early August.
The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor shows Pawnee County is under extreme drought.