CEDAR LAKE RESIDENTS RAISE CONCERNS OVER UNPERMITTED DAMS, WATER SUPPLY.

HINTON, OKLA. (TUC) — Someone from our community recently reached out and asked us to take a closer look at something happening around Cedar Lake in Hinton.

And like we always tell y’all, if something is brought to our attention and there’s something there to look into, we’re going to dig through the records, do the research, and bring what we find back to you.

This one has raised some pretty serious concerns for the people who live around Cedar Lake.

According to residents who live in the area, there are several dams that were reportedly built without having the proper permits. And why this is such a big deal to the people living around Cedar Lake is because they are concerned that those dams may be affecting their wells and limiting the water supply they rely on every single day for their homes.

And apparently, those concerns didn’t stop with just the residents. Eventually, the situation was brought to the attention of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

In May of 2025, someone filed an anonymous complaint with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board about the dams. That complaint eventually led to a state inspector going out to the area to see what was going on. And according to the state records, when the inspector looked into the dams, they couldn’t find the proper permits or dam-safety applications on file.

Not only that, but according to state records, the inspections also raised concerns about the actual condition of several of the dams. Three of the dams were reportedly rated in poor condition. Another one of the dams sits directly upstream from the Cedar Lake dam, which is separately classified as a high-hazard dam.

But while the permits and condition of these dams are concerning, that’s not the only thing residents are worried about. For the people who actually live around Cedar Lake, their biggest concern is something they depend on every single day: their water.

Residents have reported that some wells in the area have gone dry, while others are producing significantly less water than they were before. Some residents believe the dams may be playing a role in what’s happening as they did not have these issues before the dams were in place. And for a few families, they say the situation has gotten so bad that they’ve had to collect and reuse rainwater just to do something as basic as flushing their toilets.

And when you’re talking about families struggling to have enough water for basic, everyday needs inside their own homes, that’s a pretty serious concern.

So, where does all of this go from here?

Right now, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board is considering a proposed agreement that would require the former lawmaker who, according to state records, is responsible for the dams to go back and apply for the proper permits for those that have already been built, along with paying a $2,500 penalty.

That proposal was brought before the board during its last meeting, but it was ultimately tabled, meaning no final decision was made. It’s expected to come back up again during the board’s September meeting, and we’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on what happens from there.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions surrounding all of this, especially for the families who say they’re already dealing with problems with their water supply.

What will ultimately have to happen to bring these dams into compliance? Will anything else be required beyond the permits and proposed penalty? And most importantly, what happens next for the people who live around Cedar Lake who say they’re dealing with these water issues every single day?

Those are the questions we hope to get some answers to as this moves forward.

We’re still looking into this one, going through the records, making phone calls and trying to get a better understanding of the entire situation. As we learn more and hear directly from the people who live in the area, we’ll bring those updates to y’all.