Grayson County TXGenWeb

Dallas Morning News
April 30, 1930

Rayburn Backs Reservoir Plan for Red River
Construction of Dam at Bears Ferry is favored by Texas

Special to The News
Washington, April 29 - Reservoir control of floods of the Red River were advocated Tuesday by Representative Sam Rayburn of the Bonham district at a hearing before the House Flood Control Committee on the Sears bill for flood control of all rivers between the Rockies and the Allegheny Mountains. The Texas Representatives urged construction of a dam at Baers Ferry, six miles west of Denison, which, he said, would hold out of the Mississippi in a minimum of 300,000 second feet of water.
"We and the Upper Red River Valley were practically unanimously committed to reservoir control of the flood waters," Mr. Rayburn said. "We do not believe that levees on the Mississippi River will ever control overflows as we think the past has demonstrated. Therefore we advocate building of reservoirs on tributaries of the Mississippi River for impounding of excess flood waters and holding it out so that the Mississippi can carry the natural flood of water."

FAVORS BEARS FERRY LOCATION
Commenting upon the proposed reservoir at Bear's Ferry, Mr. Rayburn added that "everyone who has studied the problem believes this to be the ideal location." He also contended that the reservoir would afford power development , navigation on the Red River and irrigation.
Reservoir control of the Red River floods was also endorsed by Dr. Alex W. Acherson of Denison, the 88-year-old honorary president of the Red River Valley Association. Efforts of committee members interested in flood control of other rivers to draw the witness into controversial matters pertaining to the Ohio River brought the retort of Dr. Acherson that they had better consult "home talent" on that river.

NOT DOWN OHIO IN 82 YEARS
By way of explanation, he added he had not been down the Ohio River for "eighty-two" years.
The committee was much impressed with Dr. Acherson's intimate knowledge of the Red River, as disclosed by his replies to questions. His knowledge of the Red River country is said to be surpassed by few.
In urging approval of an appropriation for flood control of the Canadian River, E.E. Blake of Oklahoma City declared that the river during its flood in 1923 destroyed $25,000,000 worth of property and flooded 852,000 acres of land. Ninety-four thousand acres of land in Washington County, north of Tulsa, were completely destroyed, he said.

HEAR OKLAHOMANS
He also urged flood control of the Arkansas River, of which the Canadian is a tributary.
Mr. Blake is chairman of the commission for drainage and reclamation for the State of Oklahoma and also represented the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce.
Others who appeared in behalf of flood control of the Arkansas River were G.E. Bryan of Oklahoma City, member of the Oklahoma conservation commission and Representatives McKeown and Hastings of Oklahoma.
The board of army engineers for rivers and harbors reported adversely to control of floods on the Canadian by reservoir system in papers filed with Congress Monday.

Dallas Morning News
September 13, 1944

LAKE TEXOMA NAME GIVEN RESERVOIR
Washington, September 12. - The lake formed by impounding the waters of Red River above the Denison Dam is to be known officially as Lake Texoma by act of the Senate. The name, compounded from the names of the states of Texas and Oklahoma, is to proclaim the fact that the lake lies in both states. The Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent Tuesday.

Dallas Morning News
January 1945

LAKE TEXOMA STOCKED
Denison, Texas, Jan. 4 - Approximately 300,000 channel catfish are being place in Lake Texoma this week. The entire stock of fingerling catfish from the Lake Dallas Hatchery is to be placed in the lake, according to Eddie F. Laird, state game warden. Laird said the fish varied in length from three to eight inches.

Dallas Morning News
April 1945

4,000,000 FINGERLING BASS IN LAKE TEXOMA
Denison, Texas, April 6 - Four million fingerling bass fish are being planted in Lake Texoma, according to Game Warden Eddie Laird. Additional fish are scheduled to be planted in the lake this year.
Seven loads of fingerling from the state hatchery at Tyler were placed in the lake. Last year the State Game, Fish and Oyster Commission placed 11,000,000 bass, crappie and catfish in the lake with the result that some of the bass now weigh almost three pounds.