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, US. It is about eight miles south of the nearest major town, Sallisaw, Oklahoma. The reservoir is impounded by Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam at river mile 336.2 (km 541.1) on the Arkansas River, just a few miles below its confluence with the Canadian River. The lock and dam are part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which provides for barge navigation on the Arkansas River and some of its tributaries. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the locks and navigation system.

Robert S. Kerr Reservoir
LocationHaskell / Sequoyah / Muskogee / Le Flore counties, Oklahoma, United States
Coordinates35°21′02″N 94°51′10″W
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsArkansas River
Primary outflowsArkansas River
Catchment area147,756 sq mi (382,686 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area43,000 acres (174 km2)
Average depth11.75 ft (3.6 m) (mean)
52 ft (15.8 m) (maximum)
Water volume525,700 acre⋅ft (0.6484 km3)
Shore length1250 mi (402 km)
Surface elevation478 ft (146 m) (normal pool)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

The lock and dam were constructed by the Corps of Engineers. Prior to starting construction in 1963, the project was identified as Short Mountain Lock and Dam, but was renamed in honor of the late Oklahoma Senator, who had spent much of his political career pushing for the Arkansas River to be made navigable.[1] The project was completed in 1970 at a cost of $94.566 million ($501 million in 2007 dollars).[2] The dam also contains a small hydroelectric power plant with four units capable of producing a combined total of 110 megawatts.

In 2002, the I-40 bridge disaster occurred when a barge hit a bridge that carried Interstate 40 over the reservoir.

Recreation

The lake and surrounds are popular destinations for boating, fishing and hunting. Facilities at the lake include boat ramps, picnic areas, RV and tent campsites, swimming beaches, hiking trails and concession stands. The Army Corps of Engineers also manages over 10,000 acres (40 km2) surrounding the lake for public hunting. Observation decks at the lake's visitors center allow guests to view barges and private watercraft as they pass through the lock system on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System.[3]

The lock, dam, and reservoir are named after Robert S. Kerr, former governor of Oklahoma and U.S. senator from Oklahoma, who died in 1963.

  • Aerial view upriver from lock and dam
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References
  1. Townsend, Jay. "5 Oklahoma Locks and Dams on the Ark. River Navigation System." Pace Setter Live. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. November 10, 2016. Accessed September 22, 2017.
  2. Dollar worth calculator at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Archived 2008-01-15 at the Wayback Machine
  3. http://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.6417 accessed on 6-25-2010
  • U. S. Army Corps of Engineers: Robert S. Kerr Reservoir
  • U. S. Army Corps of Engineers: Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam Reservoir
  • "Oklahoma Water Resources Board: Robert S. Kerr Reservoir" (PDF). (1.41 MiB)
  • Robert S. Kerr Reservoir information on TravelOK.com Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma.
  • Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
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