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390:. Recreational opportunities at Great Salt Plains State Park include boating, camping, picnicking, swimming, hiking, mountain biking and exploring. The park has RV and tent sites, comfort stations with showers, cabins, picnic sites, group shelters, swimming beach, playgrounds, boat ramps, fishing dock and equestrian trails.
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The lake is subject to periodic mass fish kills, most recently in 2011. During the extreme drought of that year, the average depth decreased to 2 feet (0.61 m). According to John Stahl, northwest fisheries supervisor for the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the lake has grown more
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crystals. These crystals feature an hourglass inclusion which is unique to the Great Salt Plains. Scientists believe that salt was deposited during repeated water-level rises of a shallow sea millions of years ago. The supply of salt is kept intact by saline groundwater that flows just a few feet
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shallow since its creation because of silting and agricultural runoff. That and extremely hot dry summers cause the brine to become more concentrated. Oxygen in the water is mostly consumed by bacteria that break down organic matter in the water, leaving insufficient oxygen to support the fish.
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proposed building a flood control dam in the Great Salt Plains area. Congress authorized its construction in 1936. Design studies began in 1937 and the Corps broke ground for construction in
September 1938. The dam was completed in July 1941, with a water capacity of 31,420 acre-feet
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There is a law requiring that a non federal partner help pay for restoration. The Corps regards this as an unlikely event. If no action is taken, the Corps has said that the seafood source will be depleted and the birds will abandon the lake.
285:(38,760,000 m). The lake covers 9,300 acres (38 km) and has 91 miles (146 km) of shoreline. The average depth is 4 feet (1.2 m). The saline content is reportedly one-fourth that of the ocean.
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below the surface. When the water evaporates, a layer of salt remains on the surface. This process also plays a role in the formation of selenite crystals that visitors covet.
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According to officials of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, the future of the lake appears grim if no remedial action is taken. Proposed solutions are:
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crystals that can be collected along the shoreline. Recent droughts, most notably that of 2011, have had an adverse effect on the future of the lake.
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Shelton, Ryan. NewsOK. "Can the Great Salt Plains Lake be saved?" July 21, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
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The State of
Oklahoma leased 800 acres (3.2 km) on August 1, 1958, for a state park.
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Oklahoma
Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
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Dig the silt out of the reservoir, which could cost $ 5 – 10 million.
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Great Salt Plains Lake Area information, photos and video on TravelOK.com
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Aerial view of Great Salt Plains Lake Dam on the Salt Fork
Arkansas River
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nesting habitats, and is the largest breeding site in the state for the
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Ralstin Island, created at the same time as the lake, is home to
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Official travel and tourism website for the State of
Oklahoma
422:"Great Salt Plains State Park and National Wildlife Refuge"
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Also located along the shores of Great Salt Plains Lake is
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named because of the salt flats in the area and for the
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Open the dam and allow the lake to flow into the river.
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State parks of the South: America's historic paradise
300:. The island is considered one of the most important
346:On the west edge of the lake, visitors can dig for
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493:DeHaan, Vici, "Great Salt Plains State Park",
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426:'Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
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583:Protected areas of Alfalfa County, Oklahoma
568:Bodies of water of Alfalfa County, Oklahoma
578:United States Army Corps of Engineers dams
532:Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge
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451:"Wildlife & Habitat - Salt Plains"
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482:Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge
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399:Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge
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204:31,420 acre⋅ft (38.76 hm)
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484:, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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593:1941 establishments in Oklahoma
573:Salt flats of the United States
461:from the original on 2019-12-12
432:from the original on 2020-10-29
428:. Oklahoma Historical Society.
308:. The fish vary from catfish,
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280:A study made in 1931 for the
95:Show map of the United States
537:Great Salt Plains State Park
388:Great Salt Plains State Park
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420:Hedglen, Thomas L. (2009).
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138:36.7428722°N 98.1884194°W
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266:Salt Fork Arkansas River
212:91 mi (146 km)
109:Alfalfa County, Oklahoma
143:36.7428722; -98.1884194
563:Reservoirs in Oklahoma
527:Great Salt Plains Lake
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242:Great Salt Plains Lake
194:4 ft (1.2 m)
89:Great Salt Plains Lake
59:Great Salt Plains Lake
22:Great Salt Plains Lake
588:Geography of Oklahoma
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276:Physical description
65:Show map of Oklahoma
322:hybrid striped bass
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129:98°11′18.31″W
126:36°44′34.34″N
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209:Shore length
200:Water volume
182:Surface area
294:great egret
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116:Coordinates
557:Categories
465:2021-01-22
436:2021-01-23
404:References
382:Recreation
290:blue heron
246:reservoir
160:reservoir
155:Lake type
497:, pg 256
459:Archived
430:Archived
394:See also
348:selenite
340:Selenite
318:sandbass
270:selenite
258:Oklahoma
105:Location
314:walleye
310:saugeye
260:in the
222:Islands
244:is a
167:Basin
320:and
298:ibis
296:and
252:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
