OKLAHOMA!!! 69,903 square miles of land 77 counties 10 geographic regions Bordered by 6 states – – Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado

Highways and Byways

Major ones to know…… Interstates will run in the following directions: – Even numbered = East and West – Odd numbered = North and South I-35 (right through center of state) is the busiest in the nation! Great for our economy – not so great for drug cartels…. I-44 – diagonally through state (Tulsa and OKC) I-40 – horizontally across state (by OKC) Highway 412 – horizontally through state from Arkansas to New Mexico border through Tulsa

Route 66 – ”The Mother Road” – Old Highway US 66 from Chicago to L.A., also known as “Main Street of America” – Most of it runs alongside I-44 – Think of the movie CARS – Route 66 Museum in Elk City

Rivers and Lakes 1,224 square miles of water 60 major reservoirs 200 man made lakes – More than any other state 78,578 miles of creeks and rivers 11,611 miles of shoreline 23 major ground water basins

Tallest waterfall – 77 feet Turner Falls State Park Most state parks built around lakes McClellan-Kerr Navigation System – 445 river miles – 5 locks and dams – 10 days to reach New Orleans Port of Catoosa – International shipping port – Most inland ice-free river port

Largest lake – Lake Eufala Grand Lake o’ the Cherokee’s – NE of Tulsa Illinois, Arkansas and Grand River nearby Longest river – Canadian – 776 miles Southern border –Red River 60% of water we consume comes from lakes and reservoirs, most for irrigation Typically flow NW to SE direction Different in different parts of the state

Aquifer- – Deep underground basin that stores fresh water Most important to us – Ogallala aquifer – Mostly in panhandle – Entire aquifer is across many states – Gives us millions of gallons of water for irrigation