Saving Kid Rocked
It's not that unusual for GRDA Police officers to be called into service for rescues on the lakes and rivers, and the saving of wildlife that are in jeopardy can also be a routine task. Officers did find themselves in an unusual position last week when they received a call about a goat in distress.
Officers were notified by a concerned citizen of a baby goat that was wedged between rocks on a cliff on Goat Island on Grand Lake. Yes, Goat Island is appropriately named because it is the home for a number of wild goats! Officers responded to the island where they found a female goat only days old that was trapped between the rocks. Officers were able to remove the baby goat from its place of entrapment and it was transported to Wild Heart Ranch in Rogers County for treatment, where it was found to be dehydrated and weak, but is expected to fully recover.
Officer Cody Marquis is shown in the photo above caring for the kid before transporting it to Wild Heart Ranch. Another day in the life of a GRDA Police Officer!
Protecting Our Dikes & Levies
GRDA Police are tasked with the protection of our dams, dikes and levies that surround our lakes and rivers that protect our lakeside communities. Officers recently investigated a couple of incidents in Salina where subjects were driving a motor vehicle up the embankments of the levy at Hudson Lake. What may seem to be a fun challenge can result in damage to the levy that can compromise the integrity of the levy. For this reason, it is a violation of the law for anyone to drive or operate a vehicle on a dike or levy, and violators can receive heavy fines or jail time for doing so. Should you see this type of activity, please call 911.
Did You Know?
Where cause of death was known, 80% of fatal boating crash victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 83% were not wearing a life jacket.
GRDA Launches “Adopt the Shoreline” Program
Thanks to the efforts of lake-area volunteers and business partners, the Grand River Dam Authority is set to launch its new “Adopt the Shoreline” program. The program’s new webpage -- grda.com/adopt-the-shoreline -- went live earlier this week.
GRDA worked with an advisory board consisting of various stakeholders on Grand Lake to establish the program which is focused on removing trash and debris from the shoreline. Participants will be involved in that effort by “adopting” sections of the shoreline and conducting cleanup efforts on routine basis. GRDA will assist by providing resources necessary to those efforts.
“We’re very excited to be able to roll it out to the lake communities now,” said GRDA Superintendent of Shoreline Enforcement Scott Horton. “We’re looking forward to working with our volunteer groups and hope the public will visit the new webpage.”
The webpage will be a place for the public to learn more about the program and also sign up to participate. A list of the program’s supporting partners and information on the program’s advisory board can also be found on the page.
Patterned after a similar program on Lake of the Ozarks, GRDA’s program will actually divide Grand Lake’s shoreline into 10 zones (the zone map can also be found on the webpage). Each zone will have a coordinator that will be in charge of establishing the volunteer team and organizing cleanup efforts.
GRDA will supply trash bags for the effort and will also be paying the disposal costs for all approved cleanups. Horton added that GRDA is also staffing its own full-time shoreline cleanup crew, complete with a barge and the equipment necessary to remove large debris from the shore.
“GRDA wants to continue to safeguard the ecosystem and enhance the quality of life for all those who use Grand Lake,” said Horton. “We’re going to do our part and look forward to working with all the program volunteers as well.”
Horton added that the “Lend A Hand For Lady Grand’ program has already been successful for many years due to lake-area volunteers and this new program will continue on with that effort, while working to expand both the reach and volunteer base for cleanup efforts.
For more information on the program, prospective volunteers can email GRDA at adopt@grda.com.
Adopt the Shoreline
Navigation Upgrades Continue
GRDA continues our commitment to improve the navigation aids on our lakes by upgrading the existing lighthouses on Grand Lake with LED lighting. The existing land-based lighthouses are currently being modified with the installation of solar-powered LED lights on the top of the lighthouses. These new lights should be visible for a distance of three to five miles. The lighthouses that currently operate with the clear flashing strobe lights will eventually be fitted with the new LED lighting. Esthetically, the only change you will notice to the lighthouses with the new lighting is the removal of the round dome on the top of the lighthouse, which allows the new lights to be installed at a greater height for better visibility.
We recently received a new shipment of No Wake buoys that can be purchased by private property owners on the lakes to protect their lakeside property and docks. GRDA will only allow buoys and other navigation devices on our lakes that are provided by GRDA and installed based on our installation specifications. You can click here to learn more details on how to purchase a private No Wake buoy.
Coats For Kids
TADD Contest
Each year many Oklahomans endanger themselves, their family, and their property by driving into flooded roadways. The Oklahoma Floodplain Managers Association in conjunction with several Federal and state agencies are partnering to reduce this risk through an education program called “TURN AROUND DON’T DROWN” (TADD).
As part of the TADD program, OFMA conducts education programs in schools statewide. Classes receive a brief educational presentation, but the students’ favorite part of the program is always the TADD poster contest. The contest promotes flood hazards awareness and safety education, and the contest is open to all of Oklahoma’s third through fifth graders. The posters are evaluated and the top ones selected for inclusion in the annual OFMA calendar. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded for the top winners. All participating students, teachers and schools receive a certificate of appreciation. All submissions are due by April 1, 2018.
Boating Tips from the GLSPS
The fall boating season is here on Grand Lake, but so is the lower lake level. Boat smart and study the charts for the area you are boating and watch your depth finder to prevent grounding. Slow down when in shallow or unfamiliar areas. Striking hard bottom or rock at high speed can severely damage the boat, prop and drive system.
If the boat becomes grounded, first check the crew for injuries from the sudden stop, then examine the boat for holes. For serious problems contact the authorities for assistance. To re-float the boat, it may be possible to have a crew member wearing a life vest and safety line to get out of the boat and push it off. Another method is to use a float or a dinghy to set a kedge anchor to pull the boat to deeper water.
Interested in learning more about boating? Consider taking a course from the United States Power Squadrons, America’s boating club. For more information visit our website at:usps.org/grandlake or on Face Book at GLSPS.
Get Connected
By the Book
The Administrative Regulations of GRDA describe the organizations, operations, and procedures for the Grand River Dam Authority with respect to its administration, rulemaking, and other activities and are intended to supplement and interpret pertinent provisions of state statutes.
The following information are excerpts of the GRDA Administrative Regulations Title 300 Chapter 35 that are provided in an effort to educate the public about what regulations are enforced on GRDA waterways and properties. Many of these regulations have changed effective September 11, 2017. All GRDA regulations are available for review at GRDA.com.
300:35-3-1. Free access
The public shall have free access to the waters of the lakes and no charges shall be made to the public for the right to engage in hunting, fishing, swimming or non-commercial boating. The public shall comply with all state hunting and/or fishing laws and rules.
300:35-3-2. Lake elevations
Grand Lake, Lake Hudson, and W.R. Holway Reservoir are flood control and hydro- electric power projects, and it is recognized and understood that the elevation of the waters in said lakes will vary from time to time as operations for flood control and hydro electric power generation demand. The water rights granted under these Rules shall be subject to these conditions and all laws governing the Grand River Dam Authority and shall be subject to all federal and state laws and rules governing the control, storage, release, and use of the waters of Grand River, Grand Lake, Lake Hudson, and W.R. Holway Reservoir.
300:35-3-3. Liability
(a) GRDA shall never be liable in any manner whatsoever because of the quantity or quality of the water in its lakes, nor shall GRDA ever be liable for any damage that the permittee may sustain to person or property which may be occasioned by or result from the construction, maintenance and operation of GRDA's projects and the Fort Gibson Reservoir.
(b) Neither GRDA nor any representative thereof assumes any responsibility for loss or damage to life or property by theft, storm, accident, or otherwise, in connection with or growing out of the exercising of the privileges conferred by any permit which may be issued in accordance with these Rules.
(c) Nothing contained in these Rules shall operate to relieve the owners of vessels from complying with, or from the obligation of complying with, the applicable laws of the United States and the State of Oklahoma.
2017 Grand Fishing Tournaments
Numbers to Call:
GRDA Police Dispatch 918-256-0911
GRDA Ecosystems and Education Center 918-782-4726
GRDA Lake Permits 918-256-0852
E-mail: lakepermits@grda.com
GRDA Pensacola Dam Tours & Facility Information 918-256-0899