Skiatook Lake
Encyclopedia
Skiatook Lake is located in Osage County, Oklahoma
, 4 miles west of the town of Skiatook
, and 11 miles east of Hominy, Oklahoma
; about a half hour drive from Tulsa
. The Skiatook Dam is located 14 miles upstream of the confluence of Hominy and Bird Creeks. Gentle rolling hills of Blackjack and Post Oak interspersed with Tallgrass prairie
surround beautiful Skiatook Lake.
, the lake has a surface area of about 10,190 acres (42 km²) and 160 miles (260 km) of shoreline. At normal levels the lake contains 322700 acre.ft of water. Skiatook Lake is the fifteenth largest lake in Oklahoma in surface area and the eleventh largest in acre-feet. (See List of lakes in Oklahoma)
Sport fishing is very popular and Skiatook Lake has several annual fishing tournaments. Largemouth bass, black and white crappie, channel catfish, and several species of sunfish, or lake perch, are plentiful in Skiatook Lake.
White-tail deer, rabbit
, squirrel
, quail
, and many more bird species are plentiful around the lake. Even a few coyote have been seen. During the seasons, about 8,000 acres (32 km²) of this land are open for hunting.
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.
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.
John Zink Boy Scout camp is located along the southern shores of Skiatook Lake.
Skiatook Lake was selected to participate in the National Federal Demonstration Lakes program. The Corps of Engineers encouraged recreational development by non-federal partners and worked to expedite the lease process.
The Skiatook Lakes Demonstration project is part of the Corps of Engineers' response to President Clinton's blue-ribbon panel appointed in 1998 to conduct the national recreation study.
The district recommended Skiatook Lake for inclusion in the national demonstration program because of its undeveloped recreation potential. Through the program, the district could move forward to identify sponsors who would be willing to make the financial investments necessary to bring new and improved recreation opportunities to the lake.
CrossTimbers Resort is what has emerged, and is currently being developed. This themed mixed-use attraction occupies 700 acres (2.8 km²), including 5 miles (8 km) of waterfront on Skiatook Lake.
CrossTimbers will combine shopping, dining, boating, entertainment, cottage, and conference center facilities on one site.
This public/private project, drawing inspiration from the fabulous waterfront setting, features three distinctly different attractions:
The CrossTimbers Marina, The Village at CrossTimbers and a Championship Golf Course.
Osage County, Oklahoma
Osage County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Coterminous with the Osage Indian Reservation, it is the home of the federally recognized Osage Nation. As of the 2010 census, the population was 47,472 a 6.8 percent increase from 2000, when the population was 44,437...
, 4 miles west of the town of Skiatook
Skiatook, Oklahoma
Skiatook is a town in Osage and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is a suburb of Tulsa. The population was 7,397 in the 2010 census, compared to 5,396 at the 2000 census.-History:William C...
, and 11 miles east of Hominy, Oklahoma
Hominy, Oklahoma
Hominy is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,565 at the 2010 census, a 38 percent increase from 2,584 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hominy is located at ....
; about a half hour drive from Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. The Skiatook Dam is located 14 miles upstream of the confluence of Hominy and Bird Creeks. Gentle rolling hills of Blackjack and Post Oak interspersed with Tallgrass prairie
Tallgrass prairie
The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America, with fire as its primary periodic disturbance. In the past, tallgrass prairies covered a large portion of the American Midwest, just east of the Great Plains, and portions of the Canadian Prairies. They flourished in areas with...
surround beautiful Skiatook Lake.
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 Damsite is located on Hominy Creek about 5 miles west of Skiatook in Osage County, Oklahoma. The project serves the purposes of flood control, water quality, water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife management. The total cost of the project was approximately $120 million. It was completed in 1984. Today, Skiatook, Sand Springs, Tulsa and Sapulpa utilize Skiatook Lake as a municipal water Supply.Size
Elevated 714.0 feet above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, the lake has a surface area of about 10,190 acres (42 km²) and 160 miles (260 km) of shoreline. At normal levels the lake contains 322700 acre.ft of water. Skiatook Lake is the fifteenth largest lake in Oklahoma in surface area and the eleventh largest in acre-feet. (See List of lakes in Oklahoma)
Recreation and Camping
The shoreline is accentuated by steep picturesque bluffs. Boating, hiking, swimming, camping, picnicking as well as hunting and fishing are all popular activities at the lake.Sport fishing is very popular and Skiatook Lake has several annual fishing tournaments. Largemouth bass, black and white crappie, channel catfish, and several species of sunfish, or lake perch, are plentiful in Skiatook Lake.
White-tail deer, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
, squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
, quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
, and many more bird species are plentiful around the lake. Even a few coyote have been seen. During the seasons, about 8,000 acres (32 km²) of this land are open for hunting.
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.
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.
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 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.CrossTimbers Resort and the National Federal Demonstration Lakes Program
Skiatook Lake was selected to participate in the National Federal Demonstration Lakes program. The Corps of Engineers encouraged recreational development by non-federal partners and worked to expedite the lease process.
The Skiatook Lakes Demonstration project is part of the Corps of Engineers' response to President Clinton's blue-ribbon panel appointed in 1998 to conduct the national recreation study.
The district recommended Skiatook Lake for inclusion in the national demonstration program because of its undeveloped recreation potential. Through the program, the district could move forward to identify sponsors who would be willing to make the financial investments necessary to bring new and improved recreation opportunities to the lake.
CrossTimbers Resort is what has emerged, and is currently being developed. This themed mixed-use attraction occupies 700 acres (2.8 km²), including 5 miles (8 km) of waterfront on Skiatook Lake.
CrossTimbers will combine shopping, dining, boating, entertainment, cottage, and conference center facilities on one site.
This public/private project, drawing inspiration from the fabulous waterfront setting, features three distinctly different attractions:
The CrossTimbers Marina, The Village at CrossTimbers and a Championship Golf Course.