Why Oklahoma Lakes Are More Dangerous Than Most People Realize

Every summer across the Sooner State, it seems like we hear about more and more drownings happening across Oklahoma. Even today, it's still a very real problem.

While it's always tragic to hear, what's most surprising is where these drownings happen. Most people naturally assume swimming pools and hot tubs are to blame, but you'd be wrong.

In reality, Oklahoma's lakes are where a lot of the danger lives, and the reason why is actually pretty interesting.

Believe it or not, Oklahoma doesn't really have natural lakes.

I mean, sure, there are a handful of oxbow lakes scattered around the state where rivers changed course and left part of themselves behind. Technically, those count as lakes, but nobody outside of the scientific community acknowledges that they're "lakes."

For all practical purposes, every major lake in Oklahoma was built by people.

Every single one.

And while we enjoy them on the weekends, recreation and enjoyment weren't even on the list of reasons to build them in the first place. That was just a bonus after the fact.

The original goal was flood control.

That might sound strange considering Oklahoma spends half the year talking about drought, but flooding used to be a huge problem here. Long before the reservoir system was built, rivers across Oklahoma would regularly jump their banks after heavy rains upstream.

And that's not after the rains in Oklahoma, either... Kansas, Texas, Colorado. Nebraska, etc...

When those states got drenched, Oklahoma often paid the price.

The Arkansas River was notorious for it. The Canadian River caused problems. The Red River did too. Add in hundreds of smaller tributaries feeding those systems, and it didn't take much for water to start spreading across the plains.

So Oklahoma started damming rivers, and the end result was a pretty good deal.

via GIPHY

Flood control became more predictable. The program brought hydroelectric power to the underdeveloped rural parts of the state. And Oklahoma suddenly had dozens of beautiful lakes that people could enjoy year-round, but with one big catch.

Because these lakes were never really lakes, the real danger presented itself beneath the waves of the flooded land.

Many of our lakes were natural valleys that rivers and creeks flowed through. And like every river across Oklahoma, the basins were filled with trees, brush, timber, fence lines, roads, and all sorts of things that didn't magically disappear when the reservoirs filled up.

Our lakes even swallowed up a bunch of towns, and a lot of it all is somehow still down there.

That's one of the reasons Oklahoma lakes can be deceptively dangerous. Even after decades underwater, the underwater hazards are the number one cause of drownings in our state.

Most people see open water. Underneath that water might be an old tree standing exactly where it was before the dam was built. More often than not, with changes in the weather, water levels, and storm events, a lot of trees and debris end up floating around beneath the surface.

You can picture it, right? A submerged branch catching clothing. A hidden tangle of timber. Something as simple as a loose limb underwater can turn a fun afternoon into an emergency.

Before you hop on Google and challenge that, here are the stats.

Officially, not wearing a life jacket is the number one cause of drownings in Oklahoma. That's why you constantly see life jacket billboards on the roads around our lakes.

Alcohol plays a role in plenty of lake accidents too. That's a solid number two reason... And "officially," the underwater hazards are listed at number three, but if you were wearing a life preserver, odds are you could at least float while waiting on someone to free you from the debris.

Then again, sandbars are just as much a hazard these days. The reservoirs are getting old, silted in, and you'd be surprised to know how many lakes are just ankle-deep right in the middle.

Out of sight, out of mind.

As Oklahoma heads into another busy stretch of summer lake weekends, it's worth keeping an eye on everyone in the water.

Drownings aren't nearly as common as they were decades ago. Life jackets are better. Water safety education is better. Awareness is better... But it still happens every summer because beneath every Oklahoma lake lies danger.