Tenkiller Ferry Lake
Encyclopedia
Tenkiller Ferry Lake, or more simply, "Lake Tenkiller," is a reservoir
in eastern Oklahoma
formed by the dam
ming of the Illinois River
. The earth-fill dam was constructed between 1947 and 1952 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
for purposes of flood
control and hydroelectric power
generation. The lake covers 12,900 acre
s (52 km²) and has a shoreline of over 130 miles (209.2 km) in the Cookson Hills
of the Ozark Mountains of Cherokee
and Sequoyah
counties, about seven miles (11 km) northeast of the town of Gore
a few miles from highway 10. One of the townships bordering this lake is Aqua Park, at the far southwestern edge of the lake.
Attractions near the lake include scuba diving, camping, hiking, fishing, golfing, water sports, scenic nature, fishing, and hunting. In addition there are eight miles (13 km) of trout fishing. There are also ten marinas, fourteen parks, 24 boat launching ramps, three floating restaurant
s, and many islands including Goat Island which is famous for the goats that inhabit it.
Other than the goats, many other animals inhabit the area including Canadian geese, ducks, monarch butterflies, warblers, and bald eagles.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in eastern 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...
formed by the dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
ming of the Illinois River
Illinois River (Oklahoma)
The Illinois River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in the U.S. states of Arkansas and Oklahoma.It rises in the Ozark Mountains in the northwest corner of Arkansas, in Washington County southwest of Fayetteville, near the town of Hogeye. It flows west into northeast Oklahoma, then southwest...
. The earth-fill dam was constructed between 1947 and 1952 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
for purposes of flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
control and hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
generation. The lake covers 12,900 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (52 km²) and has a shoreline of over 130 miles (209.2 km) in the Cookson Hills
Cookson Hills
The Cookson Hills are in the eastern part of Oklahoma. They are an extension of the Boston Mountains of Arkansas to the east and the southwestern margin of the Ozark Plateau. They lie generally between Stilwell, Oklahoma, Sallisaw, Oklahoma and Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The area became part of the...
of the Ozark Mountains of Cherokee
Cherokee County, Oklahoma
Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 42,521. Its county seat is Tahlequah.Cherokee County was established in 1907.-Geography:...
and Sequoyah
Sequoyah County, Oklahoma
Sequoyah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 38,972. Its county seat is Sallisaw.-History:...
counties, about seven miles (11 km) northeast of the town of Gore
Gore, Oklahoma
Gore is a town in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 850 at the 2000 census...
a few miles from highway 10. One of the townships bordering this lake is Aqua Park, at the far southwestern edge of the lake.
Attractions near the lake include scuba diving, camping, hiking, fishing, golfing, water sports, scenic nature, fishing, and hunting. In addition there are eight miles (13 km) of trout fishing. There are also ten marinas, fourteen parks, 24 boat launching ramps, three floating restaurant
Floating restaurant
A floating restaurant is a kind of vessel which is usually a type of steel barge used as a restaurant on water. For example, the Jumbo Palace at Aberdeen in Hong Kong is one such restaurant. Sometimes retired ships are given a second lease on life as floating restaurants. The former car ferry New...
s, and many islands including Goat Island which is famous for the goats that inhabit it.
Other than the goats, many other animals inhabit the area including Canadian geese, ducks, monarch butterflies, warblers, and bald eagles.