LAKE TEXOMA

'Lake Texoma' is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest^[1] Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in Tulsa District of the USCAE. Formed by 'Denison Dam' in 1944^[2] (sometimes also called 'Lake Texoma Dam'), its surface spreads over 89,000 acres (360 km²) at the confluence of the Red and Washita Rivers, straddling the Texas-Oklahoma border. Normal water elevation varies from 615 to 619 ft (187 to 189 m) depending on the time of year. The lake has crested the dam's spillway at a height of 640 ft (195.07 m) three times: once in 1957, again in 1990, and most recently on July 7, 2007.^[3]

Contents

Popularity

Development

Recreation

Fishing

References

External links

Popularity

Lake Texoma is the second most popular lake in the United States in terms of annual visitors, with 6 million visitors a year^[1]. This is largely attributed to its sheer size, which allows sports such as windsurfing and sailing, as well as its proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, about an hour's drive south of the lake. Notable cities surrounding the lake in Texas are Denison, Sherman and Gainesville. In Oklahoma, notable cities are Durant and Ardmore. The Lake Texoma area, known simply as Texoma or Texomaland to locals, is experiencing a rapid period of economic growth due to its large number of tourists.

Development

In March 2006, a plan was announced by the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department to divest itself from the state-owned Lake Texoma lodge & resort near Kingston in order to sell land development rights to a private developer. The deal with a Connecticut developer fell through in May 2006, after a failure to raise $1 million in earnest money, forcing the land deal back out onto the open market with a forthcoming bidding process.
The popular Lake Texoma Lodge, which opened in 1956, officially closed its doors on December 1, 2006, to make way for a new development planned for Lake Texoma Lodge. The new development will include 18–36 holes of championship golf, a club house and practice facility, aquatic center, outdoor recreation center, nature parks, campgrounds, retail shops and an amphitheater, according to the proposal. It is estimated that the new development will cost $360 million, which will also include housing, as well as a "themed and unique" full-service hotel with restaurants, gym, business center, multiple pools, spa and meeting rooms. The proposed private community will have 250–350 high-end homes, ranging in size from 1,500 to 4,000 square feet (140 to 370 m²).
The old lodge was shut down and new development has yet to begin. The new developers are working on getting title work and abstracts up to date for additional land near the lake and won't proceed until everything is cleared up. At this point local area businesses are concerned. A large portion of their revenue came from tourists staying at the lodge during the year. Without a lodge or hotel of some kind capable of housing large groups it is expected that lake business will have a significant drop off. Early estimates are it could be anywhere from 3 to 8 years before anything new is in place to house large groups visiting the lake.

Recreation

During the spring break and Fourth of July holidays, many college students who have returned home for the holidays will join together in an area called "Fobb Bottom." Fobb Bottom, located on the Oklahoma side of the lake, becomes the focus for a huge party and becomes very crowded during these holidays.
Former professional Funny Car race driver "Flash" Gordon Mineo organized many "Poker Run" events on Lake Texoma. On September 2, 2006, Gordon Mineo and four other people, including his wife, Ann Mineo, were killed in a high-speed collision on the lake. Gordon was piloting his own boat, the "Flash Gordon", when he collided with the Nashville Catz, operated by Bruce Gibson. Bruce Gibson's wife, Myra Gibson, died at the scene, as did the three passengers in the Flash Gordon. Gordon survived the initial impact and was transported via emergency helicopter to the hospital. During the airlift, however, he succumbed to his injuries. Gordon was officially pronounced dead at Texoma Medical Center in Denison, Texas. Bruce Gibson is the sole survivor of the accident.

Fishing

Lake Texoma has acquired the reputation as one of the premier fishing lakes in the Southern United States. The lake was stocked with striped bass in the late 1960s, and has proven to be an excellent habitat for them. It is one of the seven U.S. inland lakes where the striped bass reproduce naturally, instead of being farmed and released into the waters. The "stripers" feed on large schools of shad, and often reach sizes of 12 to 20 pounds (5 to 9 kg), with a lake record of 35.12 lb (15.93 kg) caught April 25, 1984.
Catfish abound in the lake, also. In 2004, a blue catfish was pulled from the lake weighing in at 121.5 pounds (55.1 kg), temporarily setting a world weight record for rod and reel caught catfish. The fish was moved to a freshwater aquarium in Athens, Texas. More commonly, catfish in Lake Texoma weigh from 5 up to about 70 pounds (2 to 30 kg).
Lake Texoma waters are home to several other species of fish, including crappie, white bass (also called "sand bass"), black bass, bluegill, pike, gar, sunfish, and drum.
Historically, Texas and Oklahoma have not had a reciprocal fishing license agreement, which has posed a problem for anglers. Recent boundary resolutions have given Oklahoma jurisdiction over most of the fishing in Lake Texoma. An Oklahoma fishing license allows fishing most of the lake, up to within 400 yards (370 m) of Denison Dam. To fish the entire lake, a Lake Texoma fishing license is also available.

References

1. Tulsa District Lake Info (Lake Texoma)
2. "Denison-Dam Denison Dam (dam, Texas, United States)", ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (online edition), retrieved July 6, 2007
3. Lake Texoma Finally Over Spillway
4. Tulsa District Lake Info (Lake Texoma)

External links

★ Army Corps of Engineers: lake level

★ University of Texas: The Handbook of Texas

★ Lake Texoma State Park (Oklahoma)

★ Sherman Texas

★ Eisenhower Birthplace

★ Denison Texas

★ Frontier Village