Flood News From Three Rivers Fly Shop Broken Bow Oklahoma
Lower Mountain Fork River flood damages #flooding #oklahoma fly fishing
From Linda at Three Rivers Fly Shop:
Many of you are sick and tired of all the flooding conditions across Oklahoma and Texas. Some of you are actually thankful to be out of the drought now. And I know that there are probably a few who still could use more rain. I’m trying my best to send that YOUR way!
The Lower Mountain Fork River has sustained extensive damage in the last several days from massive amounts of water released from the reservoir through the spillway gates. There are a lot of rumors and assumptions floating around as to the extent of damage, the time-line for closing the trout stream and Beavers Bend State Park, but the best information can be found on the web site for the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation.
From Patrick Waters, LMFRF President:
I want to thank everyone for their desire to help the Park and the river get back to some sense of normalcy – or at least up and running. I spoke with Jim Miller (Park Director) today and here are the facts:
- The Park is closed.
- There is no running water.
- Main water lines ran along Fly Shop Bridge and Evening Hole bridge.
- ODOT is coming to structurally assess the Swim Beach bridge and Jim is doing the same with the Fly Shop bridge.
- Evening Hole Bridge and Cold Hole bridges are gone and will need to be replaced. Culvert for Cold Hole bridge is about 20′ downstream.
- You cannot get around in the Park.
- Very high and unstable bluffs all along Spillway Creek which is now about 60′ wide.
- Lake is still practically at full flood pool and rain is in the forecast.
- Even if there is no more rain, if the Corp gets Pine Creek down, they may open the gates back up.
- The Park’s priorities right now are to get basic necessities back.
- Clean up is not going to be done until the gate opening chances have completely passed. There will be a time and a need for volunteers to help the Park but that is a ways out.
- There is no time frame for getting the Park open other than ASAP. If you see anything different elsewhere, ignore it.
- Trout were rising at the fly shop and the Corp guys were throwing trout back into the stream from pools right at the base of Spillway dam.
I will continue to keep in touch with Jim Miller, Mike Carter, Eddie Brister, Aaron Brister. They will be keeping me updated and I will post them here. Three Rivers Fly Shop and Beavers Bend Fly Shop web sites will be carrying the same or similar info as we are sharing.
I will continue to post updated photos they send me on the “Photos of the 2015 Flood” post.
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You can find the dramatic pictures at http://lmfrfoundation.org/photos-of-the-2015-flood/
Three Rivers Fly Shop remains open. However, please give us a call if you are coming this way just to make sure we are here. It’s quiet (obviously). We may decide to take a break. As always, feel free to contact us if you have questions. We will be posting the same information on our web site that is also on the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation site. Take a look at either one for up-to-date information.
Category: Causes, Complimentary Reading, Oklahoma Report, Reader Contribution, Science and Environmental
