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Welcome to the home of the Friends of Lake Hefner
We are dedicated to Lake Hefner. This includes the lake, trails and surrounding greenbelt. Lake Hefner is home to over 35 organized groups and is used regularly by thousands of individuals.
TRAGEDY ON THE DAM
Bernard Montgomery “Monty” Maughan, 67, was riding west on the Lake Hefner dam about 7:00 pm on Tuesday May 1st when he collided with two bicyclists traveling east. He later died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries.
Sunday at 1:00 pm there will be a ride honoring Monty Maughan. The ride will begin at Stars and Stripes Park and proceed counter-clockwise on the Lake Hefner Trails to the dam where the accident occurred. After a moment of reflection the Honor Ride will proceed across the dam and west on Hefner Road for about 30 or so easy miles.
SPRING RAINS REPLENISH LAKE!!!!
Over two inches of rain fell in north Oklahoma City bring Lake Hefner to its highest level since it was filled from Lake Canton in July of 2011!! Hopefully this will be the start to wet spring and mark the end of the drought. The onset of springs brings an increase of activity at the lake.
2012 BRINGS HEAVY TRAIL USAGE!!!
With mild weather at Lake Hefner during the Christmas/New Years break many people are enjoying the beauty of the season. Walkers, runners, bikers, bird watchers, boaters, fishermen and many others are flocking to Lake Hefner.
Trail usage is up so we urge everyone to be thoughtful, considerate and safe. There are no gold medals being given out for faster times!!
Lets all have a wonderful 2012!!!!!!!!!!!
NEW YEARS DAY 5K!!!!!
Start the new year off with a brisk 5k run!! January 1st 2012!!!
Bring family and friends!!
Stars and Stripes Park on the South side of Lake Hefner!!
Starts at 9:00 am.
Go to Landrunners website or DG productions to register
OIL WELL UPDATE
The proposal to put oil wells on the south shore of Lake Hefner was once again on the agenda at the Water Trust meeting today. Although not present at the meeting the geologist and the drilling company are reportedly engaged in ongoing discussions with the utilities staff in an effort to find an acceptable location for the wells.
I requested permission to speak before the Trust and after thanking them for allowing the Friends and our member citizenry the opportunity to express opinions and concerns about this project I was asked several questions by trust members that led me to believe that the Trust is still very interested in seeing these wells drilled and that the south shore location is not yet off of the table.
I have been in contact with personal friends that have many decades in the oil and gas well business and they have all said that the potential liability of drilling so close to the water supply reservoir is not even remotely offset by the potential returns from these wells. Marsha Slaughter (Utilities Manager) was asked by Councilman and Trust member Pat Ryan if the well could be drilled at the south shore site with relative certainty that the reservoir would not be harmed and she answered in the affirmative.
The Friends of Lake Hefner has to be non-political and our place is to express the stated desires of our member constituency. We are advocates for the lake as a recreational area and our credo is information and communication. Under those guidelines we the elected officers and spokespeople of the Friends will continue to serve you but be advised that in these efforts we walk a fine line and ultimately you must work to protect your own.
For Your Information: The Board Of Adjustment hears requests for zoning variances and meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 1:30 pm in the Council Chambers on the third floor of the Municipal Building (City Hall) at 200 North Walker Avenue. The City Municipal Code grants the Board of Adjustment the authority to hear and rule on zoning requests pertaining to subsurface mining, and the production and transportation of oil and gas. Their meeting agendas are available at http://www.okc.gov/AgendaPub/meet.aspx and should be posted at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
Don’t forget the Board of Directors meeting Tuesday, November 15th at 7:00 pm at Keel Hall. Everyone is welcome and there will be opportunities for open comments and questions. There may be snacks but please don’t bring your left-over Halloween candy because I have issues in the will power department. The Board will be electing the Executive Committee for the upcoming year and remember, you do not have to be present to win!!
PROPOSED OIL WELLS
The Friends of Lake Hefner Executive Committee Meeting last night was attended by an additional fifty people who came to discuss the proposed oil wells on the south shore of the lake. The consensus decision of those attending was that drilling on the south shore so close to the lake and neighborhoods was a bad idea and that it would be vigorously opposed. Friends of Lake Hefner representatives will present that information at the upcoming meeting with utilities staff and the well proposer and will offer alternatives that are more palatable to the lake community.
The other important agenda item covered last night is the proposed paved road/parking lot/boat ramp at Hobie Point. This is an issue that has been popping up every year or two for about the last five years and a week from Thursday we will have the opportunity to discuss it with City staff. Hobie Point is one of the areas of the lake that really suffers from the dearth of routine police presence. It is utilized by young sailors from the YMCA, the retractable keel boaters, and the kayakers all of whom launch from the beaches. Basically what we would like to discover at this meeting is the underlying philosophy motivating the continual resurgence of this proposed installation. Once we understand that we hope to achieve a compromise between the intent of the City and the desires of the area users.
The recently written and accepted Lake Hefner Recreation Master Plan is a part of the comprehensive Oklahoma City Master Plan the latter of which is currently undergoing a much-needed revision under the title planokc. It is important that the years of work put into the revision of the Lake Hefner Plan by the City Planning Department and the many citizens of Oklahoma City who volunteered their time and efforts in creating it not be lost in the City Plan revision. We need to keep the recommendations and promises of the Lake Hefner Plan vital and we can do that by participating in planokc and injecting our wishes for the lake into the process. This Friday, September 23rd, there is a Goal Development Workshop at 3:00 p.m. in the Rosser Conservation Education Center at 2101 NE 50th Street at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Please consider attending and continuing our work to preserve our lake. The website for this meeting is http://www.planokc.org/default.asp?p=newsitem&id=19.
You can make a difference but it takes dedication and perseverance. Thanks so much for all your efforts.
DEMOLITION DAY AT YMCA (SAILING)
The YMCA Sailing Building at Hobie Point was damaged in one of the recent storms and the Y needs volunteers to help finish demolishing the building (they call it the Jimmy Buffett Mansion?!) and clearing the pad for reconstruction. This is a feel good project folks because the Y teaches kids to sail and that skill can give them lifetime rewards. So grab a pair of work gloves and some tools of destruction and show up at 8:30 AM on Saturday August 20th and give them a hand.
Water wise we are on a roll! Keep up the good work and keep those rain showers and cloudy days coming! We will forego watering the trees this weekend so volunteers can help the YMCA and we’ll catch up on Saturday the 27th. The long term is for La Nina to persist and give us a warm, dry winter maybe all the way to May 2012 so we need all the help we can get.
I met with Matt, a Sea Scout from Ship 131, and gave FOLH approval for his Quartermaster project at the east shore trees. That work should occur in the next couple of months! Thanks Matt and thanks to all the Sea Scouts and to Kenna who shepherds Ship 131 along with all of the other great things she contributes to the lake community!
REDMAN TRIATHLON JUST AROUND THE CORNER
Official are preparing for the September 24th Redman Triathlon!!
consider the east side of the lake to be clogged up that day.
Call here to volunteer
FOX TROT RUN TO BENEFIT MARINE FAMILIES
5k Fox Trot run to start at Stars and Stripes on July 30th at 7pm
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