Guys I'm not sure many of you know but the Corp has opened all 8 gates to 24" yes 24" this is more than twice the opening of the 2009 floods, they are in and emergency situation and the lives of people out weigh the recreation on the river. I'm pretty sure that all of the restoration work that was done after the 2009 flood has been completely and utterly destroyed! I'm guessing that all the stop logs are gone along with the road at the cold hole and all of lost creek, the fly shop and the docks at the canoe rental. Any fish that you thought might be holding in the river are also gone. just the sheer force of the water iwill rip out 75ft tall trees all along the river. This is a sad day as it will take 5-10 years for us the get the river back to where it was just 3 months ago. I don't think the park will re-open anytime soon......

Sad deal for sure.
If you are wondering why the COE decided to repair the generators during the spring as apposed to the summer months when heavy rains and an event like this would be less likely to happen. The simple answer is money. Hydropower is at more of a demand during the summer months than it is during the spring months when less electricity is being used. Southwest Power Administration wanted the generators ready to go for the summer months so the work was completed during a low demand period.

Dang! Mother Nature will have her way, despite the best laid plans of mice and men.
Thank you for the update.

I still have my hopes up. Last time, although not this bad, people were catching fish just days afterwards. Rob W even was shooting a program and showing where the water levels had been.

I know it has gotten better after the 2009 flood but I personally had fun before that too. Since my wifes late gradparents and tons of family lived/live in and around Broken Bow I have been going since before they even put Trout in there and have always found it fun and relaxing. I will be going back.

Turf Dawg, the park has been destroyed! The cold hole road crossing is gone as is lost creek, the entire evening hole is now full of debris and I'm hearing the bridge may have been compromised as well. they have lost power and water to a majority of the park. The shear force of the water has blasted everything from fish to insects to crawfish completely out of zones 1 & 2 the park will be completely closed no access by anyone except state employees and game wardens until at least September and maybe thru the winter, our favorite fishing destination is gone and it will take 3-5 years if not more to restore the river habitat.....

It'll rebound faster than that. That water got real wide in several places and the fish likely pushed to the edges. Not no mention that a few stocking cycles and we're back in business again. There is no doubt that it'll take some time, but not 3-5 years before we are fishing again.

Yeah I was about to say - once it calms down they will just start dumping stockers in there again.

From the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation. Latest Update- It's not good

Brad-

You're correct, the LMF will recover in a few months, not years. I used to live in KY, and approx. ten years ago Wolf Creek Hydroelectric Dam which impounds Lake Cumberland was in danger of failure due to water leaking UNDER the dam. The Cumberland River tailwater is a cold water fishery with rainbows, & brown trout. The USACE had to significantly lower the lake to start repairs. For an extended period of time, the ACE was releasing 33,000+ CFS from the dam!
You could surf board the rollers below the dam, and some people did. This was through a river valley very similar in width and depth to the LMF.

When ACE closed the gates, we were catching rainbows within 3 months afterward.

The bridges, and log dams on Spillway will take some time to repair, but don't give up on LMF.

Bill

Gentleman no disrespect intended but what none of you are realizing is I am not asking about the river or the fish, I'm talking about the park! Where exactly do you think the sate of Oklahoma is going to come up with the millions of dollars it will take to repair the infrastructure in the park. Remember it is a state park and with the economy the way it is I just don't see the state jumping in to rebuild the bridges and roads that were washed out. Will we be fishing in the LMFR by the fall? I can't answer that but I'm pretty sure the park will remain closed to the general public for at least the next 3-4 months......

I wonder when the state will get back to stocking the river. there obviously will be some fish left but not sure how many will make the drive for only a few fish a day if they don't start stocking regularly again.

Guys HELLO! The river below the dam is nothing like it used to be! Zone 1 has been gouged out and blasted by water. 100ft tall oaks and pines have filled the river channel! Boulders the size of a f250 truck have rolled down river, the stop logs are all gone as is the cold hole and all of lost creek, the evening hole bridge has been destroyed and there is damage to the river bend crossing as well. What makes you think they will open the park to fishing anytime soon? It will take weeks if not months just to clear all of the debris from the road crossings before they can even start to build new bridges. Sorry but I'm pretty sure there will be no stocking of trout in the LMF until the park is reopened and the repairs to the roads are complete!

Lots of great info there Russell. Did they let you in the park to look around already? Did you get pictures of the damage?

Yes I have seen pictures, some of which are on the LMFR Facebook and website! I have been in contact with several friends that live there and they say pictures don't do it justice! The park has no potable water and have lost electricity to most of the RV camp grounds, the fly shop remained in place but will be a total loss, the cold hole road crossing was demolished within an hour of the gates going to 24" the evening hole bridge collapsed sometime in the middle of the night. Just remember the images from 2009 and multiply that by about 1000! I have fished the river and enjoyed the park for over 30 years it hurts my heart to know that a place that I spent so much of my free time camping, fishing and turkey hunting is gone and will never be the same. They will fix the roads and bridges and they will do their best to clear out the river channel but it is going to be years to get it back to what it was just a short 6 months ago.....

Great! Thank you for the updates.