2 questions

[DEER 24/7]

i was reading some facts on oklahoma lakes and 2 things came up that i am not sure i believe them 1st it said foss lake had the largest earth dam in the united states,2nd said lake hefner had a max depth of 94 ft i find this hard to believe this lake is that deep has anyone else heard or know about these facts

 

[Huckelberry75]

That is when the lake is at full pool, and only around the north central part of the dam near the inlet tower. I have personally seen 80' in that area...obviously many moons ago.

 

[fishfurlife]

Concerning Hefner - I would think that the word "Had" is key in that statement. Silt has probably changed that over time.

As for Foss, I would buy in to it being one of the longest earth dams. Most of the longer damns that are concrete are holding back a deeper column of water than foss. Also remember that most other earth dams are broken in the middle (or nearest the river/creek channel) with a concrete dam.

 

[JWE]

The earth-fill damn, I've heard it said about Tenkiller. Personally I have no clue. Bro in law works for the Corps of Engineers in hydro-power, I can ask him. I do know Tenkiller's is 3000ft long and 197ft above streambed. Prob find the specs to the Foss dam and compare.

 

[JWE]

Foss's dam-The dam is 30 ft wide at the crest, 142 ft high and 18,130 ft long. I'm pretty sure Foss wins easily.

 

[dennishoddy]

In contrast, the dam that contains the Lake of the Ozarks, which is HUGE is only a few hundred feet wide. They dammed up a canyon.

World's Longest Multiple Arch Dam, is Pensacola dam on the Grand Lake O' the Cherokees here in Oklahoma as well.

http://www.grandlakewebs.com/pgs/damhist.htm

In over 60 years, our beautiful Grand Lake O' the Cherokees has never looked better. The rapidly expanding shoreline development, yacht clubs, marinas, luxury resorts and golf courses were but a gleam in the eye of visionaries back in the 1930’s when the idea for construction of Pensacola Dam first appeared.


Today, Grand Lake is Oklahoma’s number one tourist attraction, enticing visitors and residents alike to the pleasures of boating, sailing, fishing, skiing, swimming and scuba diving.

The first hydroelectric system in Oklahoma, Pensacola Dam also provides flood control for the Grand River. Pensacola Dam generates power for the Grand River Dam Authority to provide electric service in 24 counties, plus businesses both in and outside the State of Oklahoma.

While riding herd on his Dad’s cattle about the turn of the century, Henry C. Holderman first envisioned building dams on the Grand River to provide the Cherokee Nation with electricity.

A few years later, he and his brother, Bert, and two engineering students from Spaulding University built a houseboat and floated down the river in search of suitable sites. They were, in fact, the first to complete an engineering survey for the dam. But it was still just a dream. For years, Holderman looked for financing. In fact, as part of a loosely organized lobby group called “the rainbow chaser,” he made a hard trip from Oklahoma to Washington, D.C. to attempt to secure funding for the dam.

Jack Rorschach and George Schaefer of Vinita, along with Clay Babb and Owen L. Butler of Grove, made up the remaining “rainbow chasers.” Then, as now, funding was a function of being at the right place at the right time.

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt brought his whistle-stop re-election train tour through Oklahoma, he stopped briefly in Vinita. He had to. You see, in a never-ending attempt to get Presidential attention, George Schaefer managed to get a city ordinance approved in Vinita requiring all Presidential trains to stop in the community if they passed through. The President’s train passed through – and had to stop-by law. It worked. FDR was greeted by a large crowd and a banner strung along the north end of the depot which read, “Let’s Build Grand River Dam.”

The President thanked Vinita for arranging the unscheduled stop, and said he would see what he could do about funding the dam. With the help of U.S. Representatives Wesley E. Disney and W.R. Holway, funding was approved in September, 1937. In October, 1937, engineers Holway and Heufer began surveying and engineering. Massman Construction of Kansas City was the prime contractor, and construction began in December, 1938.

Unbelievably, especially considering the equipment of the day, the dam was completed in 20 months. The final openings in the dam (under arches seven and eight) were closed in March, 1940, and Grand Lake was full by the end of that summer!


The Pensacola Dam remains today a true wonder, and still the largest multiple arch dam in the world, spanning 5,145 feet with 51 arches and 21 spillways. Rising 150 feet above the river bed, the dam holds the waters that form Grand Lake’s 1,300 miles of scenic shoreline, surrounding approximately 60,000 surface acres of water.

FREE DAM TOURS MEMORIAL DAY - LABOR DAY

 

[DEER 24/7]

thanks for the input guys,i do'nt know why but it astounds me that hefner is that deep always had it as shallow water lake
dennis thinks for sharing the read on grand that was interesting

 

[hard_r]

In the background here you can see part of Foss Dam. I have a lot of memories at Foss and know the dam well.

 

[criticalbass]

I thought the depth finder had gone south the first time I was on Hefner. It really does have a deep spot. It was pretty full, and I marked 90 feet in one spot.