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NatioNal Park Service • U.S. DePartmeNt of the iNterior Foundation Document Overview Lake Meredith National Recreation Area Texas Contact Information For more information about the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area Foundation Document, contact: [email protected] or 806-857-0300 or write to: Superintendent, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area P.O. Box 1460, Fritch, TX 79036 Purpose Significance Significance statements express why Lake Meredith National Recreation Area resources and values are important enough to merit national park unit designation. Statements of significance describe why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. These statements are linked to the purpose of the park unit, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Significance statements describe the distinctive nature of the park and inform management decisions, focusing efforts on preserving and protecting the most important resources and values of the park unit. • Lake Meredith National Recreation Area is the largest area of public lands in the Texas panhandle, providing opportunities for access to diverse, affordable, outdoor, land- and water-based recreation activities. • Lake Meredith and the Canadian River basin within the The purpose of Lake Meredith National national recreation area feature aquatic, wetland, and riparian habitats, as well as one of the few areas in the region Recreation Area is to provide public with trees. These habitats and the surrounding landscape access to diverse land- and water- support diverse plant and animal species, including based recreational opportunities in the migratory waterfowl. Canadian River breaks of the Texas panhandle, consistent with the protection • The natural and geologic resources of the national of the area’s scenic, scientific, and recreation area have enabled human survival, subsistence, cultural resources and with other values and adaptation resulting in a continuum of human presence that contribute to public enjoyment. in the Texas panhandle for more than 13,000 years. Cultural sites in Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and the adjacent Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument offer pathways to past cultures. • The exposed geologic features of the Canadian River breaks in the national recreation area reveal active geologic processes that are easily visible to an extent not present elsewhere in the region. The topography and geography of the Canadian River breaks create a divergence from the surrounding landscape that offers scenic values and opportunities not found elsewhere in the region. Fundamental Resources and Values Interpretive Themes Fundamental resources and values are those features, Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting smells, or other attributes determined to merit primary a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts consideration during planning and management processes communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of are derived from—and should reflect—park purpose, the park and maintaining its significance. Below are the significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive fundamental resources and values of Lake Meredith National themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary Recreation Area including the ones shared with Alibates Flint for park staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore Quarries National Monument. and relate to all of the park significances and fundamental resources and values. • Public Land. Lake Meredith National Recreation Area is the largest area of public land in the region. In a state • Sanford Dam was built by a consortium of 11 Texas where there is very little public land, citizens can engage in panhandle cities to provide a water source for the long-term activities such as camping, hiking, biking on trails, nature sustainability of urban life on the Texas high plains and it study, horseback riding, cultural resource interpretation, provides a variety of recreational activities. and hunting. • The Canadian River and its tributaries, which are the water • Recreation Opportunities. Opportunities at the national sources for Lake Meredith, have long provided a critical recreation area provide diverse, affordable experiences for resource to sustain human existence and success in the Texas visitors of different interests and abilities. panhandle. • Exposed Geological Features of the Canadian River • Lake Meredith National Recreation Area provides rare Breaks. The active geologic processes provide value in the public access to landscapes that have been the stage for topographic and scenic variety they create. dramatic events in the history of the American southwest. • Diverse Habitats and Ecological Transition Zones. The • The variety of habitats found at Lake Meredith National parks have an unusually high diversity of flora and fauna for Recreation Area weaves a rich tapestry of biodiversity, the region. The parks can be divided into 12 communities affording opportunities for discovery and understanding. that have supported indigenous peoples for 13,000 years. • The exposed geologic features of the Canadian River breaks • Wide Range of Sites and Artifacts. The sites and artifacts tell the story of ongoing geologic processes that continue to in both parks document cultural use of the area from shape life in the panhandle. Paleoindian hunters and gatherers approximately 13,000 • The confluence of the oasis environment of the Canadian years ago to early ranching operations. River breaks with the semiarid grasslands of the high plains • Opportunity for Scientific Research. The unique natural has attracted people and wildlife for thousands of years and and cultural resources present at both parks provide an exemplifies how landscapes shape and influence human opportunity for research. societies. Description Lake Meredith National Recreation Area is just east of U.S. to municipal and industrial water demands, rainfall in the Highway 287 approximately 40 miles north of Amarillo, watershed, and releases from upstream reservoirs. Recreation Texas. It consists of 44,978 acres of federally owned land. The is one of the other intended uses listed in its establishing Canadian River carved a narrow, steep-walled canyon from legislation. 200 to 300 feet deep and up to 2 miles wide. The resulting Popular recreation activities include boating, fishing, camping, exposed geologic features, known as the Canadian River hunting, off-road vehicle driving, hiking, swimming, and breaks, are a dominant landscape feature in the national sightseeing. Peak visitor use occurs from May through August. recreation area. Construction of Sanford Dam, which began in 1962 on the Canadian River between the canyon walls, Nonfederal oil and gas production occurs within the national created Lake Meredith, which began to fill in 1965. recreation area. Currently, there are 168 active well sites and associated infrastructure. The Canadian RiverLocation Municipal Map Water and Authority Unit Boundaries operates and maintains the dam and water supply infrastructure in addition Natural resources of special interest include wetland and to managing lake levels. Because Lake Meredith is primarily riparian areas associated with the floodplains of the Canadian a water supply reservoir, its water levels fluctuate according River and its tributaries. In addition, the Arkansas River B ig To Dumas N B u To Dumas B o g l r N shiner, a small fish that is u t 3395 b 1319 e ek h e O Cre Y 687 e T N u C 1913 A r r k C federally listed as threatened, e To Blue Creek Bridge y G Stinnett Off-road vehicle area C N I r e Bugbee R e P is present in the Canadian N k S C O Spring Canyon A R N T E N H E Y O O River near Rosita. Several B Y N G N Sanford Dam U A B Water Authority C S C O other species of federal or state Chimney A Headquarters U N T Hollow Arrowhead Y H O Sanford Island N W concern also are known or are O (beacon) L H d Sanford- L Blue West a 1913 Blue West Road O T Ro H I Yake ) ke likely be present in the national D m S Ya 1 anford- Marina E 88 Amphitheater NEY t ( IM R f Ranger Station CH 90 recreation area. E 28 Fr : i n tch M o Cedar Canyon MA ti RTIN a S C v F A e o N E l e rt YO e A cultural resource of special N K c re fa Fritch Fortress s E r F A s V u R A S IT Ro P N L C 687 l S H interest is the McBride Ranch u C a m Harbor C AN d Y A O C N Bay N r Y e O ek N House, which was built in Park Headquarters R o a Visitor Information d Harbor Bay FRITCH the early 1900s. This house Plum Creek represents the early ranching era r e v in the panhandle and is believed i R n a Pl i um d S to be the oldest standing home a h C n o r a rt e C e C k re in Potter County, Texas. The e k LAKE MEREDITH house is listed in the National NATIONAL RECREATION AREA yon Trail Visitor Contact an Register of Historic Places C s Station vil ALIBATES FLINT DE De VI and the NPS List of Classified LS QUARRIES NATIONAL C M C MONUMENT A C N A Y B Ranger-led tours only; O N Structures and it is a Texas N R Y Cas Johnson Road S reservations required. I D o O u E N th historic site. B T I u G McBride rk C House e ANYON y C A re l e McBride Canyon i k Mullinaw C b re a 136 e t k e l s i a C r Mullinaw Creek r T e S e w A k a D n i D l L l E H u OR M SE CANYON Co et as C r ee k 87 287 C hi Canadian ck River en B C R r o ee o Rosita n k s i i t t Off-road vehicle area a To Amarillo and 40 a C C r To 40 r North 0 1 5 Kilometers 0 1 5 Miles Unpaved road Campground Boat launch Overlook Picnic area Drinking water Off-road vehicle Fishing Sanitary disposal station area Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument 5 .

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