Lake Texoma

Lake Texoma
The Oklahoma shores slope toward the water's edge
Location	Oklahoma–Texas border, United States
Coordinates	33°49′55″N 96°34′16″W / 33.83194°N 96.57111°W / 33.83194; -96.57111Coordinates: 33°49′55″N 96°34′16″W / 33.83194°N 96.57111°W / 33.83194; -96.57111
Lake type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Red River, Washita River
Primary outflows	Red River
Catchment area	39,719 sq mi (102,870 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	89,000 acres (36,000 ha)
Water volume	2,525,568 acre·ft (3.115242 km3)
Surface elevation	615 to 619 ft (187 to 189 m)
Settlements	Denison, Sherman, Gainesville (Texas); Durant, Ardmore, Madill, (Oklahoma)

Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest US Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. Lake Texoma is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River in Bryan County, Oklahoma, and Grayson County, Texas, about 726 miles (1,168 km) upstream from the mouth of the river. It is located at the confluence of the Red River and Washita Rivers. The damsite is approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Denison, Texas, and 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Durant, Oklahoma. Lake Texoma is the most developed and most popular lake within the USACE Tulsa District, attracting approximately 6 million visitors a year.

Lake Texoma's two main sources are the Red River from the west and Washita River from the north. Other notable sources include Big Mineral Creek, Little Mineral Creek, Buncombe Creek, Rock Creek, and Glasses Creek. Lake Texoma drains into the Red River at the Denison Dam.

Normal elevation of the conservation pool varies from 615 to 619 ft (187 to 189 m) National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) depending on the time of year. The flood control pool extends to elevation 645 ft (197 m) NGVD. The lake has crested the dam's spillway at a height of 640 ft (195.07 m) five times: once in 1957, again in 1990, 2007, May 24, 2015 and most recently on June 18, 2015 (USACE 2003a). The lake's previously highest elevation was recorded on May 6, 1990 at 644.76 feet. This record was broken on May 29, 2015 and the lake crested on June 1, 2015 at a new record elevation of 645.72 feet. The top of Denison Dam is at 670 feet.

Lake Texoma is situated on the border between the states of Oklahoma and Texas in the Oklahoma counties of Bryan, Marshall, Johnston, and Love, and the Texas counties of Grayson and Cooke. It has a surface area of 93,000 acres (360 km²), a conservation water volume of 2,525,568 acre·ft (3.115242 km³), and a flood control volume of 5,194,163 acre·ft (6.406906 km³).