Doing my open water this spring God willing! Is this about as clear as Oklahoma lakes get? Is there anything we can do to make our waters more visible for divers?
Most lakes in Oklahoma are not very clear and Tenkiller varies from year to year on it's clarity. That being said, there are jewels across the state that will have some very nice water, at least for Oklahoma. Don't restrict yourself to just lakes. There are rivers and strip pits that can have some incredible visibility. As far as making water more visible.... Nearly ALL Oklahoma water reservoirs are considered primarily a drinking water source for communities first and foremost. The fact that they are used for recreation is of no consequence to those departments using the water to supply townships. That being said, I'm a firm believer in having as much aquatic plants along the shoreline as possible to act as a filter. It will ALWAYS aid in the water clarity. I have an acreage with a pond right smack in the middle of red clay country. Most ponds here have zero visibility, yet mine has 2 to 4 foot visibility due to the thick vegetation that I've planted around the shore. Many of these lakes would be very clear if there was more emphasis on encouraging aquatic vegetation around the shoreline. Good luck on your open water. I absolutely love diving.
Thank you so much for responding! And at that thank you for the insight I really do appreciate it!!! I absolutely love the water and am ecstatic to finally get certified and start diving all of Oklahoma! I didn’t know that aquatic vegetation has so much to do with clarity but it makes sense!
@@RDB11B You are very welcome. While there isn't much that can be done after a heavy rain and run off, a lot of the turbidity could be mitigated by vegetation growing in the shallows as it provides a buffer from waves generated by boat traffic and wind. Those waves hitting a barren shore will drastically effect the water clarity.
Nice Vid! Loved seeing those crappie!
Yes, some of them were huge.
I’m doing my open water next month can’t wait!!!!
That's awesome. It opens up a whole new world.
Doing my open water this spring God willing! Is this about as clear as Oklahoma lakes get? Is there anything we can do to make our waters more visible for divers?
Most lakes in Oklahoma are not very clear and Tenkiller varies from year to year on it's clarity. That being said, there are jewels across the state that will have some very nice water, at least for Oklahoma. Don't restrict yourself to just lakes. There are rivers and strip pits that can have some incredible visibility. As far as making water more visible.... Nearly ALL Oklahoma water reservoirs are considered primarily a drinking water source for communities first and foremost. The fact that they are used for recreation is of no consequence to those departments using the water to supply townships. That being said, I'm a firm believer in having as much aquatic plants along the shoreline as possible to act as a filter. It will ALWAYS aid in the water clarity. I have an acreage with a pond right smack in the middle of red clay country. Most ponds here have zero visibility, yet mine has 2 to 4 foot visibility due to the thick vegetation that I've planted around the shore. Many of these lakes would be very clear if there was more emphasis on encouraging aquatic vegetation around the shoreline. Good luck on your open water. I absolutely love diving.
Thank you so much for responding! And at that thank you for the insight I really do appreciate it!!! I absolutely love the water and am ecstatic to finally get certified and start diving all of Oklahoma! I didn’t know that aquatic vegetation has so much to do with clarity but it makes sense!
@@RDB11B You are very welcome. While there isn't much that can be done after a heavy rain and run off, a lot of the turbidity could be mitigated by vegetation growing in the shallows as it provides a buffer from waves generated by boat traffic and wind. Those waves hitting a barren shore will drastically effect the water clarity.
That is very good to know. Who do we talk to in order to advocate these changes?
@@RDB11B That's a good question. One that I haven't looked into.