Leg 2 of The Trans-Rocky-Mountain aqueduct. From Webbers Falls to Keystone Dam.

The second leg of the Trans-Rocky-Mountain aqueduct start from Webbers Falls

to Keystone Dam, a distance of about 75 miles that is not canal and 25 miles, which is

There is still barge traffic upstream from Webbers falls, so the water level is still controlled by the canal traffic controllers. This means that the volume of water pumped upstream must be subject to the same limitations that was valid for leg 1.

The Arkansas river flows through Tulsa, and in 2019 there was a substantial flood when the release from the Keystone dam peaked out at 310,000cfs after it had rained 22 feet in a short time. On the other hand, there are days with no release at all when the evaporation from the Keystone lake is larger than its inflow. The river flows right through Tulsa with beautiful park trails on top of the banks, and must be preserved and improved.

The proposal is this: Build 4 30′ dams with full opening gates so up to 250,000 cfs can be released. There will be a power house in each, containing two 5,600 cfs pumps/generators. Through Tulsa build three 10′ dams with the same capacity as the four lower dams. Lower the river bed all over by at least six feet to lessen the occurrence of floods. Since the barge canal separates from the Arkansas River before the first new dam on the Arkansas River there is now more liberty to adjust the pumping to meet the electricity needs and momentarily shut off the pumping when energy needs spike.

The water level above the Keystone dam will be kept at conservation pool level of 727′. If heavy rains are anticipated the water level will be allowed to go below conservation pool level. Conversely, when drought periods are expected, the water level is increased in anticipation. This will make the lake more desirable for recreational purposes to have a stable water level at all times, increasing and decreasing much less over time and with only a moderate daily fluctuation.

The Keystone dam power station generating plant will be retrofitted with dual generator/pumps or pumps will be added to be able to lift 11,200 cfs of water into the dam.

The average flow in the river, excluding flood condition is approximately 4,000 cfs. The pump capacity is 11,200 cfs, the total lift is 236 feet, the level drop is assumed to be 0.4 feet/mile for the 75 miles of aqueduct/river, and a pump efficiency of 92% is assumed.

The total power requirement using these parameters would then be 267 MW. When flow is reversed, it can provide up to 218 MW of peak power. There will be 267 MW of LFTR nuclear power available when it is not pumping up water, so for a short time every day it can provide 485 MW of peak power. The loss of power from the Keystone dam current average release will be about 50 MW on average.

Below is a picture of the Arkansas River with sandbanks. It will have a number of small lakes with about 10 feet of water depth, mostly flowing up river, but gently flowing down river during peak power demand.