Lake Kickapoo

Last updated
Lake Kickapoo
Relief map of Texas.png
Red pog.svg
Lake Kickapoo
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Lake Kickapoo
Location Archer County, Texas,
United States
Coordinates 33°39′40″N098°46′34″W / 33.66111°N 98.77611°W / 33.66111; -98.77611
Lake type reservoir
Basin  countriesUnited States
Surface area 6,200 acres (2,500 ha)

Lake Kickapoo is a reservoir located on the North Fork Little Wichita River in the Red River Basin of Archer County, Texas. It is neighbored by Archer City, Texas (population of 1,834) and Wichita Falls, Texas (population of 104,553) which reside within the Central Great Plains ecoregion. [1]

Contents

Hydrology

Lake Kickapoo reservoir was created by the impoundment of North Fork Little Wichita River, its only in-flow tributary, in 1946. [2] The out-flow tributaries are Kickapoo Creek, Brier Creek, and Slippery Creek. It has a mean water level of 1,038 feet, surface area of 4,312 acres, and elevation of 1,060 feet above sea level as of 2022. [2] The storage capacity, as of October 29, 2022, is 51,596 acre-feet with a maximum capacity of 86,345 acre-feet. [3] The reservoir storage has steadily dropped by 293 acre-feet/year since 1945 when it had a total capacity of 106,000 acre-feet, due to increasing drought events in the region. [4]

Ecoregion

Lake Kickapoo resides within the Broken Red Plains subdivision of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. The Broken Red Plains ecoregion is defined by red clay and sandy soils, with irregular sandstone and shrub-covered surface of the even more specific Wichita Formation ecoregion. [5] It is predominantly grass-/shrublands with plant species like Texas wintergrass, blue grama, buffalograss, sand bluestem, etc. The riparian vegetation includes species such as cedar elm trees, pecan trees, black willow trees, and tobosa grass. [5] This region has an annual precipitation of 30 inches and mean air temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit in January and 84 degrees Fahrenheit in July.

Uses

Water supply

The construction of Lake Kickapoo Dam began in January 1945 and was completed on December 15, 1945. However, the deliberate impoundment of the North Fork Little Wichita River, a tributary of the Red River, did not occur until February 1, 1946. [2] Lake Kickapoo Dam is classified as earth-fill embankment dam with a length of 8.200 feet (including spillway) and height of 62 feet. [6] This dam's maximum design water surface has the capability to reach 1,060 feet above sea level but has been experiencing much lower levels due to recent droughts in the area. The dam's uncontrolled spillway is classified as ogee concrete and has a crest elevation of 1,045 feet above sea level. [2] Lake Kickapoo reservoir is owned by the city of Wichita Falls and operated for the continued use as a water supply. [7] Although it is owned by the city of Wichita Falls, the dam is regulated by the government entity Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. [6]

U.S. Naval Space Surveillance

One of the nine Air Force Space Surveillance System (formerly NAVSPASUR) sites is located at Lake Kickapoo (33°32.764′N 98°45.763′W). Lake Kickapoo Field Station is one of three transmitter sites of the southern surveillance network, which is operated by the U.S. Naval Command. The purpose of these stations is to maintain an electromagnetic fence that has the capability to identify objects as far as 15,000 nautical miles. [8] The Lake Kickapoo field station was constructed in 1951 to fill a gap in the surveillance fence. It is considered unique due to its transmitting power of 560 kilowatts via the combination of commercial FM and TV power unit frequencies. [9]

Recreation

Sports fishing

The main source of recreation for Lake Kickapoo is sports fishing. The reservoir contains sports fish species, such as Blue catfish (abundant), Channel catfish, Flathead catfish, White Bass (abundant), Largemouth Bass, and White Crappie (declining in abundance). [10] These fish species are supported by prey fish, such as Gizzard shad (abundant) and Bluegill (decreased abundance).

Management plans have been enacted to support the genetic diversity of Largemouth Bass due to this species designation as a source for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department hatchery brood stock program. [10] This is due to the decline in habitat for spawning and nursery areas via decreased water elevation.

History

Namesake

The name was derived from the Native American Kickapoo tribe that was native to that area along with the nearby inflow stream, Kickapoo Creek. [2]

Land use

There is an elevated abundance of honey mesquite in the Broken Red Plains that has been associated with the 19th century cattle drives and subsequent grazing pressure via land use. [5]

Dam

Lake Kickapoo Dam was designed by F. M. Rugeley and A. J. Gates. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red River of the South</span> Major river in the southern United States

The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South to differentiate it from the Red River in the north of the continent, is a major river in the Southern United States. It was named for its reddish water color from passing through red-bed country in its watershed. It is known as the Red River of the South to distinguish it from the Red River of the North, which flows between Minnesota and North Dakota into the Canadian province of Manitoba. Although once a tributary of the Mississippi River, the Red River is now a tributary of the Atchafalaya River, a distributary of the Mississippi that flows separately into the Gulf of Mexico. This confluence is connected to the Mississippi River by the Old River Control Structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walnut River (Kansas)</span> River in Kansas, United States

The Walnut River is a tributary of the Arkansas River, 154 miles (248 km) long, in the Flint Hills region of Kansas in the United States. Via the Arkansas, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough River</span> River in Kentucky, United States

The Rough River is a 136-mile-long (219 km) tributary of the Green River in west-central Kentucky in the United States. It's located about 70 miles southwest of Louisville, and flows through Breckinridge, Hardin, Grayson, and Ohio counties. Via the Green and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as "Rough Creek". In the 1950s it was dammed, creating Rough River Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brady Creek Reservoir</span> Reservoir in McCulloch County, Texas

Brady Creek Reservoir is a reservoir on Brady Creek in McCulloch County, Texas in the United States. The lake is about 3 miles west of downtown Brady, Texas. The dam and lake are managed by the City of Brady. The reservoir was officially impounded in 1963. The reservoir is also sometimes called Brady Reservoir or Brady Lake. The dam for Brady Creek Reservoir is 8,400 ft. long and 104 ft. high and has a storage capacity of 30,430 acre-Ft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Waco</span> Reservoir in Texas, United States

Lake Waco is a man-made reservoir located on the west side of Waco, in McLennan County, Texas. It provides water to several cities in the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area, including Waco, Bellmead, Hewitt, Robinson, Woodway and others in the Cross Timbers and Prairies ecoregion of Texas. Lake Waco was formed by a dam built on the Bosque River basin. The lake has 79,000 acre-feet (97,000,000 m3) of water and is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lavon Lake</span> Reservoir in Collin County, Texas

Lavon Lake is a freshwater reservoir located in southeast Collin County, Texas, on the East Fork of the Trinity River near Wylie, off State Highway 78. It is commonly called Lake Lavon for commercial and recreational purposes, but Lavon Lake is its official name according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was originally called Lavon Reservoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crooked River (Oregon)</span> River in Oregon, United States

The Crooked River is a tributary, 125 miles (201 km) long, of the Deschutes River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The river begins at the confluence of the South Fork Crooked River and Beaver Creek. Of the two tributaries, the South Fork Crooked River is the larger and is sometimes considered part of the Crooked River proper. A variant name of the South Fork Crooked River is simply "Crooked River". The Deschutes River flows north into the Columbia River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wichita River</span> River in the United States

The Wichita River, part of the Red River watershed, lies in north-central Texas. Rising in northeastern Knox County at the confluence of its North and South Forks, the river flows 90 miles (140 km) northeast across Baylor, Archer, Wichita, and Clay counties before joining the Red River just west of Byers Bend in northern Clay County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waconda Lake</span> Reservoir in Kansas, United States

Waconda Lake, also known as Glen Elder Reservoir, is a reservoir in Mitchell County and Osborne County, Kansas, United States. Built and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for flood control and irrigation, it is also used for recreation. Glen Elder State Park is located on its north shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Palestine</span>

Lake Palestine is a freshwater reservoir in northeast Texas, created for industrial, municipal, and recreational purposes.

The exposed strata at the surface in and around Wichita Falls are the products of one ancient period of deposition with a modest amount of recent and modern alteration. In all cases, the strata are products of terrigenous (non-marine) environments dominated by fluvial depositional and erosional systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheney Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Sedgwick / Kingman /, Reno counties in Kansas

Cheney Reservoir is a reservoir on the North Fork Ninnescah River in Reno, Kingman, and Sedgwick counties of Kansas in the United States. Built and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for local water supply, it is also used for flood control and recreation. Cheney State Park is located on its shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antelope Dam (California)</span> Dam in Plumas County, California

Antelope Dam or Antelope Valley Dam is a dam in Plumas County, California, part of the California State Water Project.

Kirby Lake is a 740-acre man-made reservoir located on the south side of Abilene, Texas, just east of Highway 83, in the northeastern portion of Taylor County. Kirby Lake is within the Brazos River Basin, meaning that Cedar Creek, which feeds Kirby Lake, eventually feeds into the Brazos River. Kirby Lake resides in the Red Prairies portion of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. Management is under the City of Abilene.

Lake Athens is a 1,799 acre reservoir located to the east of Athens, Texas in Henderson County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Tyler</span> Reservoir in Tyler, Texas

Lake Tyler (West) is a man-made public water reservoir located south-east of Tyler, Texas, in eastern Smith County. While named after the town of Tyler (pop. 104,789), Lake Tyler is closer to the smaller cities of Whitehouse (pop. 7660) and Arp (pop. 970). Lake Tyler resides in the northern Neches River watershed, and was formed after the completion of Whitehouse Dam on Prairie Creek in 1949. The design engineer of the dam was T.C. Forrest (Now Forrest and Cotton, Inc.), and the earthfill dam was constructed to be 4,708 feet long, standing at a maximum height of 50 feet, with a width of 20 feet and a drainage area of 48 square miles, according to the Texas Water Development Board. Lake Tyler is found in the Piney Woods ecoregion of eastern Texas, a temperate coniferous forest hosting a great amount of biodiversity. Just to the east of the lake lies Lake Tyler East, created after the completion of Mud Creek Dam in early 1967. Just over a year later, in May 1968, the two lakes were connected by a canal to combine the water supply. Together, the two lakes have a combined safe yield of over 30 million gallons per day, and combine to encompass an approximate surface area of 4,714 acres, all maintained and operated by the city of Tyler to provide a source of public water to several surrounding communities.

Lake Tyler East is a reservoir on Mud Creek in the Neches River Basin of Smith County, Texas. It is neighbored by Whitehouse, Texas that is encompassed by Tyler, Texas which resides within the South Central Plains ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Leon (Texas)</span> Lake in Texas

Lake Leon is located in Eastland County and was created by the State Board of Water Engineers by impounding the Leon River. In reference to Abilene, Texas with a population of around 125,000, it is 68 miles east, and in reference to Eastland, Texas with a population of around 4,000, it is 10 miles southeast. Lake Leon is found in the Brazos River and in the Cross Timbers ecoregion, more specifically the Cross Timbers Grand Prairie ecoregion.

References

  1. "Texas ecoregion map". Native Plant Society of Texas. 2019-02-08. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Lake Kickapoo (Red River Basin) | Texas Water Development Board". www.twdb.texas.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  3. "Water Data For Texas". waterdatafortexas.org. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  4. "Volumetric Survey of Lake Kickapoo" (PDF). Texas Water Development Board. September 2013 via TWDB.
  5. 1 2 3 E., Griffith, Glenn (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. OCLC   839783957.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. 1 2 Democrat, Daily. "Lake Kickapoo Dam in Archer County, TX". Daily Democrat. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
  7. "Volumetric Survey of Lake Kickapoo" (PDF). Texas Water Development Board. September 2013 via TWDB.
  8. "US Naval Space Command Space Surveillance System". spp.fas.org. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  9. BREETZ,L.D., NAVAL RESEARCH LAB WASHINGTON D C (1962-01-05). U.S. NAVY SPACE SURVEILLANCE HIGH-POWER TRANSMITTER - LAKE KICKAPOO STATION. OCLC   669553664.
  10. 1 2 "Kickapoo Reservoir Survey Report". tpwd.texas.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  11. "Volumetric Survey of Lake Kickapoo" (PDF). Texas Water Development Board. September 2013 via TWDB.