Timber fire visible for miles across Grand Lake

DELAWARE COUNTY, Okla. — Sunday evening about 7 p.m. Seneca Cayuga Fire requested mutual aid for a timber fire near Paradise Point.

Amber Davis shared photos with KOAM showing the fire across the lake from Lee’s Resort. You can see the timber glowing from fire and EMS lights after the sunset.

Responding to the mutual aid request:

  • Grove Fire
  • Wyandotte Fire
  • Quapaw Tribe Fire
  • BIA Forestry & Wildland Fire Management
  • Cowskin Fire

It was described by firefighters as a “very large” timber fire, about 10 acres, near the Paradise Point area.

Nobody or any structures were harmed. All agencies did an awesome job of stopping and containing this fire.” — COWSKIN RURAL FIRE

This is a breaking news story, stay with Joplin News First on KOAM News Now as we continue to learn more.

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‘Toes in the Grand’ Summer Kickoff Festival feat. Thunder on Wolf Creek hydroplane boat racing


GROVE, Okla.
— Grand O’ Lake of the Cherokees boasts 45,000 acres of water and they say the most exciting place this weekend? Thunder on Wolf Creek at Wolf Creek Park during the 5th Annual ‘Toes in the Grand’ Festival.

Hydroplane speed boats can easily top out at 90 mph. Racing is Saturday and Sunday at noon both days.

MORE ‘TOES IN THE GRAND’ … Fly high in the Oklahoma skies with unparalleled views of Grand Lake! FLY TULSA helicopter tours are $40 available throughout Saturday. Seek the thrill and excitement of boats nearing 90 mph at David Kane’s Thunder on Wolf Creek, Saturday and Sunday, Noon – 5:00. See a stunning selection of cars, trucks, and corvettes on display at the Toes in the Grand Car Show. Saddle up for pony rides on Saturday.

Saturday night at 9:30 p.m. enjoy fireworks over the water.

Thunder On Wolf Creek hydroplane boat racing is conducted by the Oklahoma Boat Racing Association and sanctioned by the National Boat Racing Association.

The Toes in the Grand Festival is presented by the Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau.

Click the links for more information. Stay with Joplin News First on KOAM News Now as we continue to cover stories where you live. Scroll below to sign up for our JLNews1st email list so you don’t miss an article.

The longest multiple-arch dam in the world is a short drive from Joplin

MAYES COUNTY, Okla. — The GRDA (Grand River Dam Authority) operates the Pensacola Dam. The world’s largest multiple-arch buttress dam is located on the Grand River in-between Disney and Langley in Northeast Oklahoma.

It was built beginning in 1938 for purposes of hydroelectric power generation, flood control and recreation.

The idea to construct a dam on the Grand River originated in the late 1800s with Henry C. Holderman, a Cherokee Nation citizen, who wanted to provide electric power to the Cherokee Nation. Holderman and a few colleagues soon conducted the first survey of the river in 1895 on their own handmade houseboat. Holderman later left the United States at the age of 16 and worked on dam projects in India and Africa before returning to Oklahoma. He sold his land holdings and borrowed money from friends in order to purchase rights to the dam sites he had prospected.  Over several decades, Holderman and a group known as the “Rainbow Chasers” tried to secure funding to construct the dam; making several trips to Washington DC. Read more at WIKI.

The dam is a short drive from Joplin, Mo. Click here for directions, the trip one-way is about an hour.

GOOGLE MAPS VIEW OF THE DAM. USE =/- TO NAVIGATE.

For up-to-the-minute levels and conditions click here. Here are conditions the day we filmed this video, there was a gate change:

  • Tuesday, 10 May 2022 1300
    • Pool Elevation = 751.79 feet.
    • Total Release = 54762 (cfs)
      • Gate Release = 41370 (cfs)
      • Turbine Release = 13392 (cfs)
    • Gate Settings:
      • 3 Tainter Gates open 25.0 FT

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GRDA monitoring toxic algae bloom in Grand Lake’s Horse Creek

AFTON, Okla. – The Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) is urging caution around area of Grand Lake’s Horse Creek because of the presence of a toxic blue green algae (BGA) bloom.

Most recent testing by GRDA shows the Horse Creek bloom varying in toxin levels from 5 micrograms per liter to more than 20 micrograms per liter. Environmental Protection Agency recommends contact no more than 8 micrograms per liter.

At this time, GRDA’s ongoing monitoring suggests that the Horse Creek bloom remains the primary area of concern and will continue to monitor for additional blooms throughout the lake.

“Again, we want the public to be aware that the overwhelming majority of Grand Lake does not show any signs of BGA and is ready for visitors to come and enjoy,” said GRDA Vice President of Corporate Communications Justin Alberty. “However, we are continuing with our daily testing and surveys all across the lake because conditions can change rapidly.”

BGA may resemble thick pea soup, green paint or bluish, brownish or reddish-green paint. When BGA washes up on shore, it can form a thick mat on the beach. BGA can reproduce rapidly in water bodies with adequate amounts of sunlight and nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen. It is recommended that individuals avoid swimming or participating in water recreational activities in areas where the water is discolored or where you see foam, scum or mats of algae on the water.

If you see a BGA bloom, ODEQ recommends that you avoid all contact with the water, keep your pets and livestock away from the water and immediately contact ODEQ at (800) 522 0206 or GRDA at (918) 256 0911.

Lake Hudson’s Kerr Dam explosion kills two contractors

MAYES COUNTY, Okla. – Authorities say two contractors died in an explosion at Kerr Dam on Lake Hudson Thursday evening. The two men were trapped 80 feet below the dam for about ten hours after the explosion before recovery crews found their bodies.

Investigators say the explosion came around 6:00 p.m. Thursday evening while three contractors were performing routine maintenance. One of them was able to escape and was taken to the hospital but the other two remained trapped for more than ten hours. At 4:30 a.m. Friday morning, crews recovered the bodies of two men tapped in the dam.

It’s still unclear at this time what exactly caused that explosion. Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) officials say a full investigation is underway, and they do not believe there is any structural damage to the dam.

No GRDA employees were injured in the blast.