Skiatook Lake is a federally-owned and operated reservoir located in
Osage County, Oklahoma
Osage County is the largest county by area in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Created in 1907 when Oklahoma was admitted as a state, the county is named for and is home to the federally recognized Osage Nation. The county is coextensive with the ...
, west of the town of
Skiatook, east of
Hominy, Oklahoma
Hominy (Osage: ''Hą́mąðį'' "night-walker") is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,565 at the 2010 census, a 38 percent increase over the figure of 2,584 recorded in 2000.
The town was the home of an all-Nat ...
and about from
Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
. The Skiatook Dam is located on Hominy Creek, upstream of the confluence of Hominy and
Bird Creek
Bird Creek is a stream in northeast Oklahoma. The main creek is formed from the waters of North Bird Creek, Middle Bird Creek, and South Bird Creek, all of which rise in Osage County. The South and Middle branches of the creek converge at Bluest ...
s. The project purposes include flood control, water quality, water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife management. The cities of Skiatook,
Sand Springs,
Sapulpa
Sapulpa is a city in Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 20,544 at the 2010 United States census, compared to 19,166 at the 2000 census. The population as of 2022 is 22,205. As of 2019, the estimated popula ...
, and Tulsa use Skiatook Lake as a municipal water supply.
[Lakelubbers. "Skiatook Lake, Oklahoma, USA."](_blank)
/ref> Gentle rolling hills of Blackjack and Post Oak interspersed with Tallgrass prairie
The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America. Historically, natural and anthropogenic fire, as well as grazing by large mammals (primarily bison) provided periodic disturbances to these ecosystems, limiting the encroachm ...
surround the lake. The lake is under the management of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
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, commander1 = ...
, Tulsa District.
Size
At elevation above sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...
, the lake has a flat surface area of about and of shoreline. At normal levels the lake contains of water. Skiatook Lake is the fifteenth largest lake in Oklahoma in surface area and the eleventh largest in capacity (acre-feet). (See List of lakes in Oklahoma
The following is a list of lakes in Oklahoma located entirely (or partially, as in the case of Lake Texoma) in the state. Oklahoma has more than 200 lakes created by dams. All lakes listed are man-made. Oklahoma's only natural lakes are oxbow and ...
)
History
Skiatook Dam and Lake were authorized for construction by the Flood Control Act approved October 23, 1962 (87th Congress). It is one of five projects in the Bird Creek Basin plan recommended to meet the comprehensive water resources needs of the area. The total cost of the project was approximately $120 million. Land acquisition started in 1973. Construction began in May 1977 and was completed in 1984.[ "Skiatook Lake, Oklahoma."](_blank)
Retrieved June 1, 2014.
Recreation and Camping
The shoreline is accentuated by steep bluffs. Boating, hiking, swimming, camping, picnicking as well as hunting and fishing are all popular activities at the lake. Marina facilities, including boat slip rentals, fuel sales, and cabin rentals, are provided at Crystal Bay Marina and CrossTimbers Marina."
Sport fishing is very popular and Skiatook Lake has several annual fishing tournaments. Largemouth, smallmouth and striped bass, black and white crappie, channel catfish, and several species of sunfish, or lake perch, are plentiful."
White-tail deer
The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...
, rabbit
Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit s ...
, squirrel, opossum
Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered Nort ...
, raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight o ...
, quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...
, dove
Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primaril ...
and many more bird species are plentiful around the lake. Bald eagles
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche a ...
are commonly observed. Coyote
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological ni ...
, red fox, gray fox
The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener (biology), congener, the diminutive island fox ...
and bobcat
The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IU ...
are also present.
About 1,800 acres (7.3 km²) of land around the lake have been set aside for public use areas. These areas provide roads, parking spaces, boat ramps, nature trails, picnicking and camping sites along with sanitary facilities. There are several places open to camping, including Tall Chief Cove, Bull Creek and Twin Points campgrounds. Other parks on the lake include Blackdog Park, Osage Park, Quapaw Park, Hominy Landing and Skiatook Point.
John Zink Boy Scout camp is located along the southern shores of Skiatook Lake.
Events
There are several annual events held on Skiatook Lake, including many fishing tournaments. In July, the annual "Fantasy in the Sky" celebration is held at the airport (was at Tall Chief Cove), attracting around 35,000 people from all over Oklahoma. It features live concerts and fireworks at dusk, set to music. The Skiatook Chamber of Commerce also sponsors many events on the lake.
Wildlife Management Area
The Skiatook Wildlife Management Area (WMA) encompasses about of land around the upper end of the lake, including about of water. The WMA is administered by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Management.
CrossTimbers Resort and the National Federal Demonstration Lakes Program
Skiatook Lake was one of 31 federally-managed reservoirs selected to participate in a National Federal Demonstration Lakes program in response a report of the National Recreation Lakes Study Commission created by Congress and appointed by President Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again f ...
in 1998. The district recommended Skiatook Lake for inclusion in the national demonstration program because of its undeveloped recreation potential. Through the program, the district sought to identify sponsors who would be willing to make financial investments to bring new and improved recreation opportunities to the lake. In 2003 the Corps entered into a multi-year no-cost public parks and recreation lease with the Skiatook Economic Development Authority (SEDA) for implementation of a development plan for 700 acres of public land in the Tall Chief Cove and Skiatook Point areas. Through sub-leases, SEDA has developed an area known as CrossTimbers Marina and Resort. As of 2016 amenities included a commercial marina with 450 slips, boat sales, rental and repair services, rental cabins, a restaurant, The Springs Event Center and an improved overlook area. The lease also includes plans for development of a golf course and additional public camping and RV facilities at Skiatook Point.
Notes
References
External links
Skiatook Lake Property
Skiatook Lake Information
Skiatook Lake on the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers' website
CrossTimbers Resort
CrossTimbers Marina
Skiatook Lake Association
Skiatook Chamber of Commerce
City of Skiatook
Crystal Bay Resort and Marina
*
Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{authority control
Reservoirs in Oklahoma
Protected areas of Osage County, Oklahoma
Bodies of water of Osage County, Oklahoma
Infrastructure completed in 1984
Skiatook, Oklahoma