Foss Reservoir
Foss Reservoir, also known as Foss Lake, is in Custer County, Oklahoma on the Washita River, about west of Clinton, Oklahoma. The reservoir was constructed during 1958–1961 by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. The project was known originally as the Washita Basin Project. The lake and dam were named for the community of Foss, Oklahoma, about south of the site. The primary purposes are to regulate flow of the river and to provide water for the cities of Bessie, Clinton, Cordell and Hobart. It is western Oklahoma's largest lake and lies entirely within Foss State Park . Description. The reservoir has a surface area of and a shoreline of . The capacity of the reservoir is . The reservoir serves a catchment area of . The reservoir has a mean depth of and a maximum depth of . Foss Dam. Dam construction began in October, 1958. The dam is high, wide (at the crest) and long. Foss State Park. Foss State Park encompasses of land and contains 8 campgrounds, swimming beach, 6 boat ramps, a playground, marina, and a restaurant. It also has of equestrian and multi-use trails. Foss State Park is often mentioned as a target for sale or  closure to help close the state's current budget deficit. Already the state has sold a herd of bison as "surplus property." The bison had recently been moved into Foss State Park from another location in western Oklahoma. Water treatment. The water quality in Lake Foss is extremely hard. The Bureau of Reclamation built one of the first electrodialysis plants in the United States to process the water before it is delivered to users. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality constructed a new, updated plant to replace the original in 2002. The new plant, built by Ionics, Inc., would also  increase production of potable water for its municipal customers from 3 million to 4.5 million U.S. gallons per day. Water is transported from the dam to consumers via three pumping stations and of aqueducts.