Lake Wister is a reservoir in Le Flore County, in southeast Oklahoma.Crain, Harold. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Wister." The lake is created by the Poteau River and the Fourche Maline creek. Wister Lake was authorized for flood control and conservation by the Flood Control Act of 1938. The project was designed and built by the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers. Construction began in April 1946, and the project was placed in full flood-control operation in December 1949.
History Lake Wister was authorized for flood control and conservation by the Flood Control Act of 1938. The project was designed and built by the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers at a cost of $10.5 million. Construction began in April 1946, and the project was placed in full flood-control operation December 1949. It is now part of Lake Wister State Park. The lake is named for the nearby city of Wister, Oklahoma. Other nearby cities are Heavener and Poteau.TravelOK. "Lake Wister State Park." Retrieved February 5, 2014.
The area around the lake has been inhabited for thousands of years. Numerous mounds in the area were created by prehistoric Native Americans. During territorial times, the area was located in Sugar Loaf County, one of the counties making up the Moshulatubbee District in the Choctaw Nation.
Description The lake has a surface area of and a shoreline of about . The normal elevation is , minimum elevation is and the maximum is . Design volume of water is . It drains an area of .Lakelubbers.com "Lake Wister, Oklahoma, USA." Retrieved February 5, 2014.
References
External links U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Wister Lake U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Corps Lake Gateway U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: lake level Lake Wister State Park Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Wister Wildlife Management Area.