Denison Dam and Lake Texoma were authorized for construction by the
Flood Control Act (approved June 28, 1938) for flood control and
generation of hydroelectric power. Construction of the dam,
spillway, and outlet works were started in August 1939 and
completed in January 1944. The project was put into operation for
flood control in February 1944. The dam produces approximately
250,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year, while Lake Texoma
provides nearly 125,000 acre feet of water storage for local
communities.
= = = = > Denison Dam < = = = =
Denison Dam, (aka Lake Texoma Dam) is located on the Red River
between Texas and Oklahoma and holds back Lake Texoma. At the time
of its completion it was considered to be the largest rolled-earth
fill dam in the world. It was 165 feet high and contained 18.8
million cubic yards of rolled-earth fill. The dam was 15,200 feet
in length. Rolled-earth fill dams can be built with a thin layer of
concrete (or hydrocarbon materials) on the lake side of the dam to
minimize water seepage thru the dam. This feature was not used on
the Denison Dam; therefore, there is constant seepage which is
regularly monitored.
The first hydroelectric turbine was placed in operation in March
1945; the second unit came online in September 1949.
According to the Denison Daily Herald (Sunday , October 15,
1939), a 60 million year old fossil fish was discovered while
excavating the dam site. Also, fossilized fish and sharks teeth had
been found. The article said that many of the shellfish fossils
(amonites) appear only as large round pebbles unless carefully
examined. It was stated that the Denison formation outcropping
belonged to the Cretaceous and Pleistocene periods.
= = = = > Lake Texoma < = = = =
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States
and is the 12th largest lake created by the Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE). The lake is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River; about
726 miles upstream from the mouth of the river. It is located at
the junction of the Red River and Washita River and its surface
spreads over 89,000 acres. The lake's water volume is 2,525,568
acre feet; that is equivalent to 822,959,936,786 gallons of
water.
Forty-nine cemeteries (ranging from family plots with one or two
graves to community cemeteries; the largest containing more than
800 graves) had to be relocated prior to filling the lake. Almost
all of the 3,000 graves were relocated to 11 new cemeteries built
by the US Engineers. This effort took almost 13 months (June 1942
to July 1943).
Oklahoma communities of Aylesworth and Woodville had to be
relocated; as well as Hagerman, Texas. Woodville was the largest
with 364 inhabitants.
= = = = > Spillway < = = = =
The lake's normal water elevation varies from 615 to 619 feet above
sea level with 617 being considered the normal elevation. For the
lake to crest the dam's spillway, it must reach a height of 640
feet above sea level (the Denison dam is 30 feet higher than the
spillway). The spillway is not an integral part of the dam itself.
It is located a little over a 1/4 mile SW of the dam and allows the
overflow to flow around the dam and reenter the river approximately
.8 miles downstream of the dam. The spillway has only been crested
three times since construction was completed: first in 1957, then
in 1990, and most recently, on July 07, 2007. (See pictures
below)
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS
- Requirement #1 (Lake View): The posted coords will take
you to a Historical Marker at a scenic overlook on the west side of
the dam.
Send an email to me answering the following
question: What site/town (now submerged) was used as the Red River
crossing by the Butterfield Stage Line?
- Requirement #2 (Dam View): From the historical marker look
north along the dam. Remember that there was no concrete surface
applied to the lake side of the dam.
Send an email to me addressing the following:
Describe what natural resource has been placed along the lake side
of the dam (top to bottom across its entire length) and what
purpose you think it serves. Also, provide an estimate of how high
the top of the dam is above the surface of the lake.
- Requirement #3 (Spillway View): At the SW corner of the
scenic parking area that you are currently in you can view the
spillway.
Send an email to me addressing the following:
Why do you think the spillway was built away from the earthen dam
rather than having the water flow over the dam (ie., via a
floodgate built into the dam)?
(NOTE: Just imagine how high the lake must have been for water to
have crested that spillway!!!)
- Requirement #4 (Power Plant View): Drive to the east side
of the dam and park at the recommended coords (see waypoints
below). From here you can view the power plant and the water being
discharged downstream.
Take a picture of the power plant, discharge
area, or the downstream river; please try to include your GPS in
the picture. Post the picture with your log entry.
Please do not post your answers (even if
encrypted) in your log. If you do I will have to delete your
log
SPECIAL THANKS to Roy Tucker
(Volunteer) with the US Army Corps of Engineers for taking the time
to provide relevant information for this Earthcache.