Lake Tenkiller
| Tenkiller Ferry Lake | |
|---|---|
Tenkiller Ferry Lake and Dam
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| Location | Cherokee / Sequoyah counties, Oklahoma, US |
| Coordinates | 35°39′29″N 94°59′31″W / 35.65806°N 94.99194°WCoordinates: 35°39′29″N 94°59′31″W / 35.65806°N 94.99194°W |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Illinois River |
| Primary outflows | Illinois River |
| Catchment area | 1,610 square miles (4,170 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 35 miles (56,327 m) |
| Surface area | 12,900 acres (5,200 ha) |
| Water volume | 677,000 acre·ft (0.835 km3) |
| Shore length1 | 130 miles (210 km) |
| Surface elevation | 632 feet (193 m) |
| Islands | Goat Island |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Tenkiller Ferry Lake, or more simply, "Lake Tenkiller," is a reservoir in eastern Oklahoma formed by the damming 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, hydroelectric power generation, water supply and recreation. It went into full operation in 1953. The lake and dam were named for the Tenkiller family, prominent Cherokees who owned the land and ferry that were bought for the project.
The lake covers 12,900 acres (52 km²) and has a shoreline of over 130 miles (210 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 and 10 miles (16 km) from the intersection of I-40 and the Muskogee Turnpike.
The distance from major cities include: 150 miles (240 km) east of Oklahoma City, 50 miles (80 km) west of Fort Smith, Arkansas, 75 miles (121 km) southeast of Tulsa and 30 miles (48 km) from Muskogee.
One of the townships bordering this lake is Paradise Hill, at the far southwestern edge of the lake. It is known for its violent drop-offs, some going from a grown man's waist level to over his head. This is the cause of many deaths in the lake.
The hydroelectric power station is remotely controlled from the control center at Fort Gibson Lake. Two generators, each rated for 17 megawatts, provide a total capacity of 34 megawatts (MWe). The facility can handle 40 MWe for a short period of time. However, the amount of power that can actually be generated depends heavily on the lake elevation at any given time.
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Wikipedia