Coldwater Creek (Oklahoma) facts for kids

Coldwater Creek is a special kind of stream that doesn't always have water flowing in it. It runs through parts of northeastern New Mexico, the Oklahoma Panhandle, and the Texas Panhandle. Imagine a riverbed that's often just dry sand! That's Coldwater Creek for most of the year. Even back in 1907, experts noted it was usually dry.

Some people also call it Rabbit Ears Creek. This is because it starts near two mountain peaks called Rabbit Ears in Union County, New Mexico. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says that the area drained by Coldwater Creek is huge. It covers about 1,903 square miles (4,929 square kilometers).

The Path of Coldwater Creek

Coldwater Creek begins its journey in New Mexico. From there, it flows into the southwest corner of Cimarron County, Oklahoma. This area is part of the Oklahoma Panhandle.

The stream then continues east through several counties in the Texas Panhandle. These include Dallam, Sherman, and Hansford counties.

After its trip through Texas, Coldwater Creek returns to the Oklahoma Panhandle. It passes through the Optima National Wildlife Refuge. Finally, it joins the Beaver River in Texas County, Oklahoma. This meeting point is about 0.2 miles (0.32 kilometers) above the Optima Lake Dam.

The Mystery of Optima Lake

Optima Lake was built to be a large reservoir. It is located about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) northeast of Hardesty, Oklahoma. It is also about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Guymon. The lake was completed in 1978.

However, Optima Lake is almost always dry. This is because the amount of water underground has gone down. Also, the area often has long periods without rain, called droughts. These droughts affect both the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles.

Because the lake stays dry, the project was mostly stopped in 2010. Things like picnic tables were taken down for safety reasons. Public areas around the lake are still open. But they are now overgrown with plants and don't have services like electricity or water.