Hugo Lake
Encyclopedia
Hugo Lake is manmade lake located 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Hugo
, in Choctaw County
, Oklahoma
, USA. It is formed by Hugo Lake Dam on the Kiamichi River
18 miles (29 km) upstream from the Red River
. The dam is visible from U.S. Route 70
, which crosses its spillway just west of Sawyer
. Lake Hugo features approximately 110 miles (177 km) of shoreline and covers over 13250 acres (53.6 km²), or 20 square miles (51.8 km²). Its normal pool elevation is 404.5 feet (123.3 m) above sea level and its normal storage capacity is 157600 acre.ft. At flood stage its elevation is at 437.5 feet (133.4 m) above sea level
and it is capable of storing 966700 acre.ft of flood waters. The lake's primary functions are to provide flood control, water storage, and recreational opportunities.
The nearest major cities to Lake Hugo are Fort Smith, Arkansas
(101 miles), Dallas, Texas
(114 miles) and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
(151 miles).
and Flood Control Act of 1962 construction on the dam began in October 1967. The US Army Corps of Engineers completed the project in January 1974 at a cost of approximately $37,000,000.
The US Army Corps of Engineers established Kiamichi Park on the lake just west of the dam site in 1974. The park was cut in half part of it still belonging to the US Army Corps of Engineers and the other was leased to the State in 2002 it was renamed Hugo Lake State Park. The park currently covers 289 acres (1.2 km²).
and water skiing
. The state park provides cabins, hiking trails, and a 56-slip marina
.
The north end of the lake is not cleared and contains dead tree stumps in the water. These stumps provide cover for the fish and ideal conditions for anglers. Hugo Lake features excellent crappie
fishing and populations of bass
and catfish
.
In addition fishing there is also hunting
and animal trapping at Hugo Lake. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
administers 18000 acres (72.8 km²) at the lake, and the US Army Corps of Engineers manage 8,000. These areas are home to white tail deer, waterfowl
, mink
, fox
, and beaver
.
has entered negotiations with the Hugo to obtain a supply of fresh water by building a pipeline and purchasing excess water from Hugo Lake. In 2002 the Oklahoma state legislature passed a moratorium on water sales outside the state. Hugo sued the state in federal court citing that the state's moratorium is unconstitutional.
Hugo, Oklahoma
Hugo is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, bordering Texas. Hugo is the county seat for Choctaw County and has a population of 5,395 as of 2009 estimates. The city serves as winter quarters for some circus performers...
, in Choctaw County
Choctaw County, Oklahoma
Choctaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 15,342. Its county seat is Hugo.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, USA. It is formed by Hugo Lake Dam on the Kiamichi River
Kiamichi River
The Kiamichi River is a river in southeastern Oklahoma. A tributary of the Red River, its headwaters rise on Pine Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains near the Arkansas border...
18 miles (29 km) upstream from the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
. The dam is visible from U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
, which crosses its spillway just west of Sawyer
Sawyer, Oklahoma
Sawyer is a town in Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 274 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sawyer is located at ....
. Lake Hugo features approximately 110 miles (177 km) of shoreline and covers over 13250 acres (53.6 km²), or 20 square miles (51.8 km²). Its normal pool elevation is 404.5 feet (123.3 m) above sea level and its normal storage capacity is 157600 acre.ft. At flood stage its elevation is at 437.5 feet (133.4 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and it is capable of storing 966700 acre.ft of flood waters. The lake's primary functions are to provide flood control, water storage, and recreational opportunities.
The nearest major cities to Lake Hugo are Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
(101 miles), Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(114 miles) and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
(151 miles).
History
Authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1946Flood Control Act of 1946
The Flood Control Act of 1946 was passed by the United States Congress on July 24, 1946; to authorize 123 projects including several dams and hydroelectric power plants like Old Hickory Lock and Dam in Tennessee and the Fort Randall Dam in South Dakota. It also allowed bank adjustments and...
and Flood Control Act of 1962 construction on the dam began in October 1967. The US Army Corps of Engineers completed the project in January 1974 at a cost of approximately $37,000,000.
The US Army Corps of Engineers established Kiamichi Park on the lake just west of the dam site in 1974. The park was cut in half part of it still belonging to the US Army Corps of Engineers and the other was leased to the State in 2002 it was renamed Hugo Lake State Park. The park currently covers 289 acres (1.2 km²).
Recreation
The south 8000 acres (32.4 km²) of the lake nearest to the dam are clear of obstructions and provide recreational opportunites for watersports such as boatingBoating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
and water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
. The state park provides cabins, hiking trails, and a 56-slip marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
.
The north end of the lake is not cleared and contains dead tree stumps in the water. These stumps provide cover for the fish and ideal conditions for anglers. Hugo Lake features excellent crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
fishing and populations of bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
and catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
.
In addition fishing there is also hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and animal trapping at Hugo Lake. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is an agency of the state of Oklahoma responsible for managing and protecting Oklahoma's wildlife population and their habitats. The Department is under the control of the Wildlife Conservation Commission, an 8-member board appointed by the Governor...
administers 18000 acres (72.8 km²) at the lake, and the US Army Corps of Engineers manage 8,000. These areas are home to white tail deer, waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, and beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
.
Controversy over water sales
In recent years Hugo Lake has been in the middle of a controversy regarding out-of-state water sales between Texas and Oklahoma. The city of Hugo had sought to sell water to the growing suburbs of Dallas that need new sources of water to pay debts related to the lake. Irving, TexasIrving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
has entered negotiations with the Hugo to obtain a supply of fresh water by building a pipeline and purchasing excess water from Hugo Lake. In 2002 the Oklahoma state legislature passed a moratorium on water sales outside the state. Hugo sued the state in federal court citing that the state's moratorium is unconstitutional.
Hugo Lake State Park
On Hugo Lake the Hugo Lake State Park offers boating and fishing opportunities. The park offers 16 two bedroom resort cabins, 10 primitive cabins, a 56-slip full service marina with store, pavilions, picnic sites with grills and tables, and pontoon boat rentals. Hiking, biking, and nature trails are also on site. Tent camping is also available.External links
- Hugo Lake State Park
- Hugo Lake information and video on TravelOK.com Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma