OKC Holiday River Parade Nov 28, 2008

The fifth Annual Devon Energy Holiday River Parade is scheduled for Friday, November 28, 2008 at 6 p.m. The day after Thanksgiving, the Oklahoma River will come to life and illuminate the night with decorated boats of every shape and size and FIREWORKS!
http://www.okcevents.info/

Admission and parking are free. The event will feature afternoon entertainment at Wiley Post Park and Regatta Park as well as a nighttime holiday parade concluding with a spectacular fireworks show. Last year the Devon Energy River Parade attracted more than 40,000 people to the shoreline of the Oklahoma River. This event is perfect for the entire family and the ideal way to kick-start the holiday season. Next, to OKC snow tubing, this may be the most fun event in OKC!

Net proceeds from the Devon Energy Holiday River Parade will benefit the Oklahoma River Foundation. The foundation was established in 2004 and is managed by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. In just four short years, the river parade has contributed approximately $400,000 to the Oklahoma River Foundation for future improvements to the Oklahoma River and the 14-mile trail system.

Anyone can enter and compete in the boat parade. There is no entry fee for the parade; however, participants are asked to make a contribution to the Oklahoma River Foundation.

Boat entry forms are at the Parade Registration link, metro-area boat dealers or Oklahoma City Events located at 100 Park Avenue, Suite 700 in downtown Oklahoma City. Corporate and individual sponsorships for the Devon Energy River Parade are available. For sponsorship or event information, contact the event chairman Mike McAuliffe at (405) 602-1531.

Lake Bixhoma by Kayak

Lake Bixhoma by Kayak
Originally uploaded by FreeWine

Bixhoma Lake is just off Highway 64 near the small village of Leonard, Oklahoma. It is a small, fairly clear, no-wake lake with no camping or facilities to speak of. Offering a mere 3 miles of shoreline and 110 surface acres, the lake is strictly for quiet boats.

Quiet little Bixhoma Lake is only a short drive from South Tulsa. If you are a Tulsa kayaker looking to get your new boat wet someplace safe, Bixhoma is a pretty good choice. Lake hours are Monday through Saturday from 6am-10pm. It is also quite near Haskell, Oklahoma which happens to be the home of two Oklahoma wineries: Stone Bluff Cellars & Lavendar Hill Farm & Winery.

Paddling Lake Bixhoma today was lovely. The water was still as glass when we first launched and a breeze developed just as the temps started to get hot. The ridge line that surrounds the lake was vivid green with a mixture of hardwood trees. The park only has a couple picnic tables and an outhouse. We saw a family of three fishing from a tiny Bass Scamp and a lone man float fishing in a tube on our visit other than that we had the lake to ourselves on this cool summer morning.

The late summer water level was too low to paddle very far up the feeder creek for Lake Bixhoma. However, as we drove down Highway 64 toward Leonard, I could not help but notice Snake Creek.

Snake Creek looked fairly wide and deep enough for paddling when we drove across the Highway 64 bridge, but I did not see any place to park and launch the kayaks.

Any folks out there who know where you can launch a boat onto Snake Creek outside of Bixby, Oklahoma?

More details on our OklahomaRoadTrips.com Lake Bixhoma webpage.

How Clean Are Oklahoma's Lakes and Rivers?

According to a draft report released last week by state environmental officials, the vast majority of lakes, streams and rivers in Oklahoma do not meet federal water quality standards for pollution. (Source: The News on Six)

94% of Oklahoma's lake acres do not meet water quality standards and this represents an improvement from previous years!

I think that this is a great reason to get our young folks out on the water paddling. In order for people to truly value our outdoor resources, they have to be present and aware of the delicate and beautiful ecosystems that surround them.


An Environmental History of the Illinois River: Agriculture, Urban Development, and Recreation in Northwest Arkansas and Northeastern Oklahoma, 1818-2005