Authorization: Flood Control Act approved May 17, 1950, Project Document SD 107, 81st Congress, 1st Session.
Location: On the Arkansas River at river mile 538.8, about 15 miles west of Tulsa in Tulsa County, Oklahoma.
Status: Completed
Purpose: Flood control, water supply, hydroelectric power, navigation, and fish and wildlife.
History of Construction: Construction began in January 1957 and the project was placed in flood control operation in September 1964. The number 2 generating unit became operational on May 2, 1968 and the number 1 generating unit became operational on May 21, 1968.
Type of Structure: The embankment is constructed of rolled earth-filled material. The total length of the dam, including a 1,600-foot-long concrete section, is 4,600 feet. The maximum height is about 121 feet above the streambed. The concrete section consists of a spillway 856 feet wide, a non-overflow section, and a power intake structure. Highway 151 crosses the dam to connect relocated U.S. Highway 51 on the south with relocated U.S. Highway 64 on the north.
Spillway & Outlet Works: The spillway is a gated, concrete, ogee-weir with a net width of 720 feet, surmounted by eighteen 40- by 35-foot tainter gates. Spillway capacity at the top of maximum pool (elevation 766.0) is 939,000 cubic feet per second and at the top of the flood control pool (elevation 754.0) is 565,000 cfs. The spillway is also equipped with nine 5.67- by 10-foot sluices located between alternate intermediate piers. Channel capacity of the Arkansas River below Tulsa, Oklahoma, is about 90,000 cfs.
Power Intake Structure: The powerhouse and power intake structure are located between the spillway and the left non-overflow sections and include two penstocks, each 27 feet in diameter, controlled by two 14- by 30-foot gates.
Hydrologic Data: The flood of record occurred September 29 to October 21, 1986, and had a volume of 4,444,000 acre-feet, which is equivalent to 3.73 inches of runoff. Peak inflow to the lake was 344,000 cfs.