Lake Overholser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Overholser |
|
|---|---|
Overholser Dam in 2013
|
|
 Lake Overholser
Location in Oklahoma
Lake Overholser
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°29′52″N 97°40′47″W / 35.4977°N 97.6796°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 1,500 acres (610 ha) |
| Average depth | 6 ft (1.8 m) |
| Max. depth | 13 ft (4.0 m) |
| Water volume | 17,100 acre⋅ft (21.1 hm3) |
| Shore length1 | 7 mi (11 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,242 ft (379 m) |
| Settlements | Oklahoma City, Bethany |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Overholser is a large reservoir (an artificial lake) located within Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This lake was created by the Overholser Dam on the North Canadian River. It is about 2.9 miles (4.7 km) west of the town of Bethany.
The lake is named after Ed Overholser, who was the 16th Mayor of Oklahoma City. It was built to make sure the city had enough clean water to drink and use. Before the lake, the city mostly got its water from the North Canadian River and private wells.
Lake Overholser was also built to help control floods. This became very important after a big flood in 1923. During that flood, the river broke through part of the dam, and a lot of Oklahoma City was covered in water.
Contents
About Lake Overholser
The Lake's Size and Depth
Lake Overholser covers about 1,500 acres (6 square kilometers) of land. It was built in 1919 to supply water to a treatment plant, which cleans the water for people to use. The lake can hold about 17,100 acre-feet (21.1 million cubic meters) of water.
The lake is not very deep. Its average depth is about 6 feet (1.8 meters). The deepest part of the lake is only about 13 feet (4 meters).
Historic Route 66 by the Lake
From 1926 to 1958, the famous "Mother Road," U.S. Route 66, ran along the north side of Lake Overholser. This road was a major highway for travelers across America.
In 1958, Route 66 was changed to a new path about a quarter-mile north of the lake. The original part of Route 66 that ran by the lake is still there. It is now called North Overholser Drive. This old section includes the beautiful Lake Overholser Bridge. Many people think this part of the original Route 66 is very scenic.
The Overholser Dam
| Lake Overholser Dam | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Purpose | City water, recreation |
| Status | Complete |
| Construction began | 1917 |
| Opening date | 1918 |
| Owner(s) | City of Oklahoma City |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Poured concrete buttress |
| Impounds | North Canadian River (Oklahoma River) |
| Height | 68 feet |
| Length | 1650 feet |
The Lake Overholser Dam was designed by Niels Ambursen. It was built by the Ambursen Construction Company from New York. The dam is 68 feet (21 meters) high and 1,258 feet (383 meters) long.
In 1916, people in Oklahoma City voted to approve a $1.5 million project to build the dam. The dam is made of strong, reinforced concrete. It has special sections called spillways that let extra water flow out safely. There is also a concrete walkway that goes across the dam.
The Great Flood of 1923
On October 16, 1923, a major flood hit Oklahoma City. Operators at the telephone company called people living south of Grand Avenue (now Sheridan Avenue) to warn them. They said a flood was coming because a part of the recently built Lake Overholser dam had broken.
Newspapers reported that 300 national guardsmen and volunteers helped people leave a large area of the city. A 25-foot (7.6 meter) wall of water was expected to flood the area.
Later, it was found that the main dam itself did not break. Instead, an embankment (a raised bank of earth) at the west end of the dam gave way. This happened because of the huge amount of floodwaters pushing against it. Within 30 minutes, the water level downstream of the river rose by 7 feet (2.1 meters).
The river stayed high for two hours. Then, another embankment at the east end of the dam also broke. This caused the river level to rise another 2 feet (0.6 meters) in just a few minutes.
After the flood, the towns of Jones, Oklahoma and Spencer, Oklahoma, which are downstream from Oklahoma City, were surrounded by water. Five people were confirmed to have died. The flood caused about $3.5 million in damage to property.
Fun Things to Do at Lake Overholser
Lake Overholser is a popular place for people in the area to go fishing. There is a covered fishing pier on the southwest side of the lake where you can fish even when it's sunny or rainy.
Many different kinds of fish live in the lake. These include white bass, bream, bluegill, striped bass, flathead catfish, crappie, carp, and largemouth bass.
You are allowed to go boating on Lake Overholser. However, swimming is not allowed in the lake.
