Optima Lake

Optima Lake is a reservoir in Texas County, Oklahoma. The lake is located near the towns of Hardesty and Guymon in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The lake has never reached more than 5 percent of its design capacity^[1], and now is effectively empty. Rapid declines in streamflow (related to large-scale pumping from the High Plains Aquifer) coincided with the completion of dam construction^[1] to make this lake a dramatic example of unanticipated environmental impacts.

The US Army Corps of Engineers states (emphasis added):

Visitors should be aware that the lake's level can be very low. Depending on rainfall and evaporation rates, the lake may offer no water-based recreation and may not be suitable for swimming, fishing, boating or other activities.^[2]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Wahl, K & R. L. Tortorelli, 1996. "Changes in flow in the Beaver-North Canadian River Basin Upstream from Canton Lake, Western Oklahoma", USGS WRI 96-4304
2. ^ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Optima Lake website

Lake camping facilities and buildings have been dismantled for public safety by the Army Corp of Engineers as of 10/2010, road is currently closed.

References

• R. Lowitt, 2002. "Optima Dam: A Failed Effort to Irrigate the Oklahoma Panhandle", Agricultural History, 76(2):260-72

External links

• Oklahoma Water Resources Board Optima factsheet. The image on the first page shows the lake at its maximum level since dam construction
• 2006 Geological Society of America press release – Lessons to be learned from sites like Optima
• USGS online discharge data for inflow to reservoir (1937-1993)
• Optima Lake information on TravelOK.com Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma