Four Mile Creek Watershed Dam 1.pdf

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
This publication is issued by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, in cooperation with the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, as authorized by Mike Thralls, executive director. Copies
have not been printed but are available through the agency website, http://conservation.ok.gov.
October 2011


Four MileCreek Watershed Dam No. 1 CanadianCounty, Oklahoma El Reno LakeProtecting Our People -Protecting Our Natural Resources
Four Mile Creek Watershed Dam No. 1

The Four Mile Creek Watershed Project consists
of one flood control dam. The dam was
constructed in 1966 by the City of El Reno and the
East Canadian County Conservation District with
the assistance of the Oklahoma Conservation
Commission and the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) Watershed
Protection and Flood Prevention Program.

The primary purpose of the project is to control
flooding and sedimentation and reduce erosion.
The City of El Reno paid for an additional 700 acre
feet of water storage during construction of the
dam for recreational use.

Lake El Reno has 333 acres of open land around
it and 170 surface acres of water that is used for
water skiing, jet skiing, swimming, boating and
fishing. A twenty-two space RV park is nestled
behind the lake with water and electrical hook ups.
The newest addition to Lake El Reno is a P.B. Dye
Jr.-designed 18-hole golf course.

Unlike most watershed projects where a series of
dams are constructed on tributaries to a major
stream, Four Mile Creek Dam No. 1 is the only
flood control dam in the watershed. The dam was
constructed to provide flood protection for a large
portion of the City of El Reno including 750
homes. The dam provides an average annual
benefit of $770,000 in reduced flood damages.

The dam also provides flood protection for 35
farms and ranches, nine bridges and several
streets and roads.
The Four Mile Creek Watershed Project is one
of 129 projects in Oklahoma that have been
planned and implemented by local people with
assistance from the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service and the Oklahoma
Conservation Commission.

2,107 NRCS-assisted flood control dams
have been constructed in 61 Oklahoma
counties. These watershed projects, that also
include thousands of conservation practices,
provide over $81 million in average annual
benefits.

For additional information about watershed
projects in the state visit the Oklahoma
Conservation Commission website at:
http://conservation.ok.gov or visit your local
conservation district and NRCS office.
This is one of 129* examples of how local, state and federal government agencies have worked together to
utilize the Natural Resources Conservation Service Watershed Program to address natural resource needs and
improve the quality of life for thousands of Oklahomans.