The lake supplies water for the cities of Lawton, Duncan, Comanche, Temple, and Waurika.

Water officials estimated that pumping may have had to cease in April 2015, unless corrective actions could be taken soon,[4] although an extremely rainy storm season in May of that year raised the lake levels to 90.36% capacity.

[5] Construction of Waurika Dam began in 1963, with completion of the project occurring in 1980.

During August 2011, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality found high concentrations of blue-green algae in lake water samples and banned human contact with untreated lake water.

[2] By late December algae concentrations had dropped sufficiently to lift the ban, although the agencies were still discouraging water contact.

[4] Water officials have called for mandatory 10 percent reductions in the supply to users as one way to extend the life of the system.