TULSA, Okla. — The public and members of the media are invited to attend a celebration commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Eufaula Lake and Dam. The ceremony will take place at Eufaula Dam Site South, Sept. 25 at 10 a.m.
President Lyndon Johnson presided over the Eufaula Dam opening in 1964, only ten months after becoming president. During the ceremony Johnson delivered an almost prophetic speech that outlined the positive economic and recreation and navigation impacts the lake would have on Oklahoma.
Fifty years to the day, Eufaula native and retired U.S. Representative, J. C. Watts, will deliver the keynote address honoring the historic event.
Watts, who represented Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional district from 1995 to 2003, was just six years old when the dam opened.
According to Watts, who worked at the Eufaula Power station during the summer of 1973, and played quarterback for the University of Oklahoma, Eufaula Lake and Dam are woven into the fabric of Eufaula and the communities surrounding the lake.
"One cannot think of Eufaula and not think of the Selmon Family and ‘the Lake’. I've been positively impacted by both,” said Watts, referring to the Eufaula family that produced three defensive stars for the Oklahoma Sooners football squads of the 1970s. “Lake Eufaula has been a tremendous asset to Oklahoma. I'm proud to call Eufaula home and I'm looking forward to being a part of the 50th anniversary of Lake Eufaula."
During the ceremony, a proclamation from the LBJ Foundation to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be read, and Michael Teague, Secretary of Energy of Oklahoma, will present a commendation from Gov. Mary Fallin.
Volunteers from Eufaula Middle School have prepared a future wildflower meadow near the dedication site. The meadow will be called the Ladybird Wildflower Meadow in honor of First Lady Ladybird Johnson.
With 800 miles of shoreline and 105,000 acres of water, Lake Eufaula is the largest reservoir completely within Oklahoma’s borders. The lake receives about 2.5 million visitors per year resulting in nearly 700 jobs.
Eufaula Dam’s three 30,000-kilowatt generators can supply the electric power of 130,000 homes. Eufaula Dam has prevented nearly $575.5 million in flood damages since its completion in 1964.