Texoma Flooding

Water, water everywhere at Hagerman NWR. as Lake Texoma topped the spillway last weekend and the lake level continues to rise as more rain falls.  Today's blog is a reprise of past information about Lake Texoma, the Denison Dam and the Refuge.

For June 28, 2012:
"....July 7, 2007, Lake Texoma topped the spillway, 640’ and areas around the lake, including much of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, remained flooded for several months. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the lake's highest elevation was recorded on May 6, 1990 at 644.76’. The top of Denison Dam is at 670’ elevation. The photo of Dead Woman's Pond, below,  was taken in August, 2007:

For July 4, 2014, we wrote:
"...we thought a little history might be in order - locally, the Herald Democrat reported that 70 years ago this week the newly completed Denison Dam was dedicated. You can learn more by clicking Herald Democrat.

Hagerman NWR and sister refuge Tishomingo were established in 1946, following completion of the lake. Visitors to the refuge enjoy perusing the exhibit and scrapbook of photos and clippings about the town of Hagerman, removed to make way for Lake Texoma, and the early days of the refuge.

From "A History of Hagerman by Dr. Jerry Lincecum", quoted in the blog August 28, 2014:

Despite the ill effects of the Great Depression, the town prospered until 1940. When the U.S. government announced it was going to buy up the land adjacent to Big Mineral Creek for the reservoir which would become Lake Texoma, some of the Hagerman citizens began moving out. Gradually, this island of activity began to break apart and drift away. The cotton gin was sold and moved to Tioga. The moving of houses from Hagerman to other locations soon gave the town a half-empty look.

In 1939 the clearing of land for this flood control project on Red River started, though the actual construction of the dam did not begin until 1940. The Hagerman Presbyterian Church (below) had its building reinforced in 1942, so it could be moved to the Denison area to become Hyde Park Presbyterian.

The Hagerman Baptist Church was moved eastward about two miles, where today a more modern building houses the congregation.

 After the Denison Dam was completed in late December of 1943, the waters of Lake Texoma rose rapidly to cover most of the buildings that remained. The two-story school, (shown below) which stood on higher ground, was soon razed to reclaim the bricks. Thus the town of Hagerman died only about 40 years after it was founded.

The next photo shows the area where the school once stood, now flooded by the swollen lake waters. The Visitor Center/Refuge Office sits at 649' above sea level.

More history is available in Gene Lenore's  DVD, Denison Dam - Taming the Raging Red, which can be purchased from the Nature Nook, once flooding recedes and the Visitor Center re-opens!

Nestling Bluebird Rescued from Flood at HNWR

By the end of last week, it was apparent that Lake Texoma was starting to flood. The staff at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge began preparing for the changes that floodwaters would bring to the Refuge.  Preparations included: 

-Securing the L-Pad dock to prevent it from floating off.

-Moving the wooden trash can holders out of Day Use Areas.

-Removing the pump from Big Mineral Creek.

-Moving the D7 dozer from MSU 7 to the maintenance shop.

-Removing the traffic counter from Wildlife Drive.

-Checking the tern platform to ensure adequate slack in cables for additional lake level rising.

-Closing gates at each entrance point for Wildlife Drive.

Wildlife Drive, May 11, 3 pm, HNWR Staff Photo

- AND - Checking bird nesting boxes in the expected flood zone.

Box 28, Raasch Trail, HNWR Staff Photo

Refuge Manager Kathy Whaley checked the monitors' notebook for Meadow Pond/Raasch Nest Box Trails and did a run to look for young that needed to be rescued. The only one found that was in a major flood zone was Box 28 on Raasch Trail.  The nest box had two eggs that had failed to hatch and one partially feathered young bluebird, approximately 5-6 days old. Since this box would be inundated within a couple of days, the nest with the bird in it was removed and the young bird was taken to Rogers Wildlife Rehab Center near Dallas.  

Mary Maddux, in boat, preparing to open Nest Box 28, HNWR Staff Photo

Mary Maddux and Rusty Daniel remove the nest from the box. HNWR Staff Photo

Rescued Bluebird Nestling, photo by Laurie Lawler

Thanks to Laurie Lawler for transporting the bird to the rehab facility. 

The other Meadow Pond/Raasch Trail boxes that have birds were on the far east end of Raasch Trail and are outside any potential flood zone. One, Box 58 on Meadow Pond Trail has bluebird eggs, but the flooding is not expected to endanger the nest.  Boxes along the Harris Creek Nest Box Trail are all outside the flood zone.

Daddy Bluebird on Box 28 after baby bird removed.
Photo by Laurie Lawler

On Tuesday, Box 28 was completely submerged.