For immediate release: 4/16/06

Seeking stakeholders' help for process, set to begin in May,... GRDA to develop Lake Hudson Shoreline Management PlanLocust Grove

-- The history of Lake Hudson is well known around Mayes County. And now, the Grand River Dam Authority is asking the public to help plan the lake’s future. GRDA is announcing it will move forward this summer with the development of a comprehensive shoreline management plan (SMP) for Lake Hudson.

The SMP is a comprehensive plan to manage the multiple resources and uses of the Hudson’s shoreline in a manner consistent with license requirements and public purposes. (In September of 2006, GRDA received a new license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to operate Lake Hudson and Robert S. Kerr Dam).  In essence, the SMP is the blueprint for the shoreline now and in the future.

And, similar to the SMP process that is ongoing on Grand Lake, the effort relies on much public input.

“We’re encouraging Lake Hudson area stakeholders to get involved in this process from the outset,” said GRDA Chief Executive Officer Kevin Easley. “An SMP can have a tremendous impact on the future of the lake, and GRDA wants these stakeholders to help determine what that future will look like.”

GRDA is announcing it has scheduled a public meeting to discuss the development of the Lake Hudson SMP for Tuesday, May 8, at 6 PM, at the Holiday Inn Express in Locust Grove. All Lake Hudson area stakeholders are encouraged to attend. Also at that meeting, volunteers will be sought to serve in the Stakeholder Working Group (SWG), which will help draft the Lake Hudson SMP.

“We realize Hudson is not only a recreational destination but also part of the economic engine that helps drive this area of Oklahoma,” said Easley. “Development of this SMP, with help from the public, allows GRDA to not only achieve its goal of being a proper steward of the lake, but also helps keep that economic engine running properly in the future.”

With 200 miles of shoreline and 12,000 surface acres surrounded by the Ozark foothills, Lake Hudson has been enjoyed by countless people since its creation in 1964. The lake’s waters have encouraged the casting of a fishing pole by many children, and witnessed the wonder of that first successful catch. For over four decades, Hudson has been a backdrop for thousands of summertime memories involving boats, skis, or simply an air mattress and a lazy afternoon.

Constructed to be the reservoir for the Markham Ferry Project (Kerr Dam), the lake brought abundant water recreational opportunities to the middle of Mayes County. At the same time, more hydroelectric generation capability was added to the GRDA system, further enhancing the agency’s role as a conservation and reclamation district for the waters of the Grand River. And, along with Grand Lake, Hudson is one of only two lakes in the state where residents can own property along the shoreline. Yet another reason why GRDA is encouraging public involvement with the upcoming SMP development.

“The goal is to insure all stakeholders are represented in this comprehensive plan,” said Easley, “and by working with the public through meetings like these we hope to achieve that goal.”

As stated earlier, the SMP process is ongoing on Grand Lake, and much of that effort has been documented. The public can view this information, along with frequently asked questions and other SMP facts at www.grda.com.

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