Elmer Thomas Lake is a lake in Comanche County in the state of Oklahoma in the United States.[3] It is located on the boundary between the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge and Fort Sill military base. The lake is named for an Oklahoma lawyer and politician, Elmer Thomas (1876–1965), who lived in Lawton and represented Oklahoma's 6th Congressional District in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1922 until 1926, then was elected as U.S. Senator, where he served until 1950.[4]
| Elmer Thomas Lake | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lake Elmer Thomas from observation deck of Mountain Scott | |
  Elmer Thomas Lake  Elmer Thomas Lake | |
| Location | Comanche County, Oklahoma |
| Coordinates | 34°43′29″N 98°31′14″W / 34.724769°N 98.520612°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Little Medicine Creek |
| Primary outflows | Little Medicine Creek |
| Catchment area | 4,377 acres (1,771 ha) |
| Basin countries |  United States |
| Surface area | 334 acres (135 ha) |
| Average depth | 35.92 ft (10.95 m) |
| Water volume | 12,000 acre⋅ft (0.015 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 1,383 ft (422 m) |
| Settlements | Fort Sill, Lawton, Medicine Park, Meers |
| References | [1][2] |
The lake has a stream source from Little Medicine Creek, encompasses 334 acres (135 ha), and primarily serves as a recreation area.[5]
Recreation
editLake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area (LETRA) which is on the Fort Sill military base, provides camping areas, cabins, a swim beach, water slides, picnic areas, boating ramps and boat rentals. On the refuge side of the lake, there are two fishing piers and a boating ramp.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Lake Elmer Thomas" (PDF). Oklahoma Water Resources Board ~ Beneficial Use Monitoring Program (BUMP). Oklahoma State Portal ~ OK.gov. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
- ^ "Lake Elmer Thomas Map". Oklahoma Water Resources Board ~ Lakes Of Oklahoma. Oklahoma State Portal ~ OK.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Elmer Thomas Lake
- ^ Webb, David D. "Thomas, John William Elmer (1876-1965). Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Accessed November 12, 2012.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Medicine Creek
- ^ Fort Sill MWR. "Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area (LETRA)". Archived from the original on 2011-12-10. Retrieved 2005-05-15.
External links
edit
Media related to Elmer Thomas Lake at Wikimedia Commons- Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area information, photos and videos on TravelOK.com
- Johnson, Kenneth S. (2009). "Lakes and Reservoirs". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
- Johnson, Kenneth S. (2009). "Rivers and Streams". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
- Johnson, Kenneth S.; Luza, Kenneth V. (2008). "Rivers, Streams, and Lakes of Oklahoma" (PDF). Oklahoma Geological Survey. University of Oklahoma. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
- Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
