Lake Thunderbird is a reservoir within the city limits of Norman, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The lake was constructed between 1962 and 1965 for the purpose of providing municipal water to nearby communities. It is formed by an earthfill embankment (dam) 7,300 feet long and up to 144 feet (44 m) high on the Little River. In addition to being a source for drinking water, Lake Thunderbird's secondary uses include numerous recreational activities.
The lake is named for the Native American legend of the Thunderbird, a supernatural bird of power and strength. Many locals commonly refer to the lake as "Lake Dirtybird" due to the very murky lake water.
Read more about Lake Thunderbird: Norman Dam, Recreation, Lake Thunderbird State Park, Eagle Watching, Lake Monster Controversy, Reservoir Details, Pop Culture References
Famous quotes containing the word lake:
“What a wilderness walk for a man to take alone! None of your half-mile swamps, none of your mile-wide woods merely, as on the skirts of our towns, without hotels, only a dark mountain or a lake for guide-board and station, over ground much of it impassable in summer!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)