2016 Map of Optima Dam

About this map

Optima Dam controls the flow of the Beaver River in this part of the Oklahoma Panhandle, creating the expansive basin of Optima Lake. The landscape is defined by the incision of watercourses like Coldwater Cr and Dry Cr into the high plains, where a regular grid of section-line roads such as Mile 46 and E0190 Rd organize the agricultural territory. Local heritage is preserved in sites like Hardesty Cem and Brethren Cem, which stand as markers of early settlement and community life in Texas County. The map captures the intersection of large-scale federal water management with the persistent rural infrastructure of the region, showing how modern engineering and historic land divisions coexist in this arid environment.