Lake Hudson (Oklahoma)
Encyclopedia
Note: The Robert S. Kerr Dam described in this article should not be confused with the Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam
on the Arkansas River (part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System).
Lake Hudson, also known as Markham Ferry Reservoir, is a man-made reservoir in Mayes County, Oklahoma
, about 2 miles northwest of Locust Grove, Oklahoma
and 8 miles southeast of Pryor, Oklahoma. It was created by the completion of the Robert S. Kerr dam on the Grand River
in 1964. It is managed by the Grand River Dam Authority
(GRDA).
GRDA began construction of the Markham Ferry Dam in December 1961. This was the second of GRDA's hydroelectric projects along the Grand River. The first was Pensacola Dam
, which created Grand Lake o' the Cherokees
. The Markham Ferry project was completed in April 1964.
The Robert S. Kerr Dam structure is a concrete gravity and earth filled embankment with a concrete ogee weir spillway. The length is 4494 feet (1,369.8 m), including the powerhouse,and the height is about 90 feet (27.4 m)above the stream bed. The spillway has seventeen gates, each 40 ft by 37 ft, operated by two traveling gate hoists. Its capacity is 609000 ft3 per second.
The lake has a surface area of 12000 acres (48.6 km²), a shoreline of 200 miles (321.9 km), and the average elevation of the surface is 619 feet (188.7 m) above sea level. The normal storage capacity is 200300 acre.ft.
The powerhouse has four hydroelectric turbines, providing a total capacity of 114,000 kW. GRDA states that an average year can provide 211 million kWh.
Robert S. Kerr Reservoir
Robert S. Kerr Reservoir is located within the Cookson Hills, on the Arkansas River in Sequoyah, Le Flore, Haskell, and Muskogee counties in eastern Oklahoma, USA. It is about eight miles south of the nearest major town, Sallisaw, Oklahoma. The reservoir is impounded by Robert S...
on the Arkansas River (part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System).
Lake Hudson, also known as Markham Ferry Reservoir, is a man-made reservoir in Mayes County, Oklahoma
Mayes County, Oklahoma
Mayes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It was named for Samuel Houston Mayes, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1895 to 1899. According to the 2010 census the population was 41,259, a 7.5 percent increase from 2000, when the population was 38,369...
, about 2 miles northwest of Locust Grove, Oklahoma
Locust Grove, Oklahoma
Locust Grove is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,423 at the 2010 census compared to 1,366 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Locust Grove is located at ....
and 8 miles southeast of Pryor, Oklahoma. It was created by the completion of the Robert S. Kerr dam on the Grand River
Grand River (Oklahoma)
The Grand River is an alternate name for the lower section of the Neosho River, a tributary of the Arkansas River in Oklahoma. "Grand River" refers to the section of river below the confluence of the Neosho and Spring rivers in Ottawa County near Miami...
in 1964. It is managed by the Grand River Dam Authority
Grand River Dam Authority
The Grand River Dam Authority is an Oklahoma agency created to control, develop, and maintain the Grand River waterway. It was created by the Oklahoma state legislature in 1935, and is headquartered in Vinita, Oklahoma. It operates three hydroelectric facilities and two reservoirs, Grand Lake...
(GRDA).
GRDA began construction of the Markham Ferry Dam in December 1961. This was the second of GRDA's hydroelectric projects along the Grand River. The first was Pensacola Dam
Pensacola Dam
The Pensacola Dam, also known as the Grand River Dam, is a multiple-arch buttress dam on the Grand River in-between Disney and Langley in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The dam is operated by the Grand River Dam Authority and creates Grand Lake o' the Cherokees...
, which created Grand Lake o' the Cherokees
Grand Lake o' the Cherokees
Grand Lake o' the Cherokees is situated in Northeast Oklahoma, nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountain Range. The "o'" in the name of the lake stands for of not over. Grand Lake Of the Cherokees is the official name. It is often simply called Grand Lake...
. The Markham Ferry project was completed in April 1964.
The Robert S. Kerr Dam structure is a concrete gravity and earth filled embankment with a concrete ogee weir spillway. The length is 4494 feet (1,369.8 m), including the powerhouse,and the height is about 90 feet (27.4 m)above the stream bed. The spillway has seventeen gates, each 40 ft by 37 ft, operated by two traveling gate hoists. Its capacity is 609000 ft3 per second.
The lake has a surface area of 12000 acres (48.6 km²), a shoreline of 200 miles (321.9 km), and the average elevation of the surface is 619 feet (188.7 m) above sea level. The normal storage capacity is 200300 acre.ft.
The powerhouse has four hydroelectric turbines, providing a total capacity of 114,000 kW. GRDA states that an average year can provide 211 million kWh.