Lake Chickasha attracts large numbers of visitors on certain holidays but could be a year-round tourist attraction – if it had better amenities.
“We should treat Lake Chickasha like we do Shannon Springs Park,” Chickasha City Councilman Kelly Boyd said last September.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board drove to the lake on June 5 to tour the facilities there and discuss its needs. “We’re trying to do some master planning,” Boyd explained.
Restrooms, security and trash receptacles top the list of needs.
Both of the restroom buildings at the lake are in a deteriorated condition and are closed because, “It’s just not possible to monitor them constantly and to keep replacing the toilets and sinks every week,” Parks and Recreation Director Spencer Winzenried said. “They got ripped out as soon as we put them in.”
Consequently, the only comfort stations at the lake are port-a-potties that aren’t serviced regularly, Southwest Ledger was told.
Security cameras are needed at both restrooms, but that would require a significant financial investment.
“Security is a big issue at this lake,” Councilman Brian Gerdes said.
Boyd suggested asking the Caddo County Sheriff’s Department whether any deputies might be interested in part-time paid security duty at Lake Chickasha, which is in Caddo County northwest ofVerden, about a 20-minute drive from Chickasha.
Litter is commonplace at the lake; only a couple of trash barrels were seen during the tour.
The lake typically draws a crowd on holidays. “It was packed out here on the Memorial Day weekend,” camp host Jodi Nation told Winzenried. Other popular holidays are Labor Day and July Fourth, she said. “People love that lake” but need showers.
Potable water is provided by a rural water district but service reportedly is spotty.
Lake Chickasha also “needs to be stocked with fish,” Nation said. “It’s been years since it was stocked.” That suggestion piqued Boyd’s interest. “Maybe we could host some fishing tournament,” he said.
Thirteen aged wooden docks at the lake are in “various states of disrepair” and are expected to be demolished, perhaps later this year.
The eastern side of the reservoir has been neglected for about a decade,” Sheldon Glass told the Ledger last year. He and his wife, Fredia, have had a camper at Lake Chickasha for more than 20 years and have a waterfront site.
Several years ago “there were 110 to 120 permanent leases out here, and almost every one was occupied,” Glass recalled. “But then we started having trouble with the well water. So the number of leases was cut back to 50 spaces.”
Of the 50 leases, “Only four are occupied today,” Glass told the Ledger last September. Several people are still paying for their leases “but they haven’t been out here for quite some time,” he said.
Besides the three city officials, others who participated in the June 5 lake tour were Parker Denton, George Hector, Jeannie Mather and her husband Mike Mather.
According to an Oklahoma Water Resources Board report from 2018, Lake Chickasha encompasses 820 surface acres, has a maximum depth of about 25 feet, contains 41,000 acre-feet (13 billion gallons) of water, and has approximately 10 miles of shoreline. The reservoir was constructed in 1958.