Cushing Lake closed because of dam breach

CUSHING, Okla. (AP) – Officials have closed a recreational lake in northeastern Oklahoma while they monitor a dam breach in the area.

Cushing City Manager Terry Brannon said Sunday that a breach has been detected in a concrete structure beneath the dam at Cushing Lake near Cushing, about 55 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

Officials say the breach is allowing water to pass unrestricted but the flow remains controlled, meaning that there hasn’t been a complete dam failure.

Owned by the city of Cushing, Cushing Lake is about nine miles west of Cushing, an oil hub with 300 storage tanks. Officials say the area affected by the breach includes fields and livestock but no structures.

Authorities say police are notifying property owners and others with livestock downstream of the dam.