Lake Wister

Lake Wister is a reservoir in Le Flore County, in southeast Oklahoma.^[1] The lake is created by the Poteau River and the Fourche Maline creek. Wister Lake was authorized for flood control and conservation by the Flood Control Act of 1938. The project was designed and built by the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers. Construction began in April 1946, and the project was placed in full flood-control operation in December 1949.

Lake Wister
Aerial view of lake and Wister Dam
Lake Wister Show map of Oklahoma Lake Wister Show map of the United States
Location	Le Flore County, Oklahoma
Coordinates	34°56′13″N 94°43′59″W
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Poteau River, Fourche Maline creek
Catchment area	993 sq mi (2,570 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Water volume	49,400 acre⋅ft (0.0609 km3) (conservation) 383,000 acre⋅ft (0.472 km3) (full flood control)
Surface elevation	478 ft (146 m)
Settlements	Wister, Oklahoma

History

Lake Wister was authorized for flood control and conservation by the Flood Control Act of 1938. The project was designed and built by the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers at a cost of $10.5 million. Construction began in April 1946, and the project was placed in full flood-control operation December 1949. It is now part of Lake Wister State Park. The lake is named for the nearby city of Wister, Oklahoma. Other nearby cities are Heavener and Poteau.^[2]

The area around the lake has been inhabited for thousands of years. Numerous mounds in the area were created by prehistoric Native Americans. During territorial times, the area was located in Sugar Loaf County, one of the counties making up the Moshulatubbee District in the Choctaw Nation.

Description

The lake has a surface area of 7,300 acres (30 km²) and a shoreline of about 115 miles (185 km).^[2] The normal elevation is 478 feet (146 m), minimum elevation is 450 feet (140 m) and the maximum is 503 feet (153 m). Design volume of water is 61,423 acre-feet (75,764,000 m³). It drains an area of 993 square miles (2,570 km²).^[3]