Roman Nose State Park Resource Management Plan Blaine County, Oklahoma Lowell Caneday, Ph.D. Michael Larson 8/1/2019 Chang-Heng (Hank) Yang With Alyson Greiner, Ph.D.; Amanda Thomas; Nicole Pauley; and Christina Woehrle This page intentionally left blank. i Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the assistance of numerous individuals in the preparation of this Resource Management Plan. On behalf of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department’s Division of State Parks, staff members were extremely helpful in providing access to information and in sharing of their time. The essential staff providing assistance for the development of the RMP included Kyle Bernis, manager of Roman Nose State Park. Assistance was also provided by Kris Marek, Doug Hawthorne, Don Shafer and Ron McWhirter – all from the Oklahoma City office of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. Bruce Divis, Regional Manager of the Western Region of Oklahoma State Parks also attended these meetings and assisted throughout the project. The November 2018 kick-off meeting also included Jennifer Cuykendall, lodge manager from Roman Nose State Park. Ryan Bruner, golf manager from Roman Nose State Park, was unable to attend the kick-off meeting, but provided input and assistance along the way. Dr. Alyson Greiner served in a lead role as the head of the Department of Geography at Oklahoma State University. The field crew of Amanda Thomas, Nicole Pauley, and Christina Woehrle gathered GPS data and served important functions in processing GIS data, reviewing documents, and providing insight into the RMP process. It is the purpose of the Resource Management Plan to be a living document to assist with decisions related to the resources within the park and the management of those resources. The authors’ desire is to assist decision-makers in providing high quality outdoor recreation experiences and resources for current visitors, while protecting the experiences and the resources for future generations. Lowell Caneday, Ph.D., Regents Professor Department of Geography Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 74078 ii Abbreviations and Acronyms ADAAG ................................................. Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines CDC ...................................................................................................... Centers for Disease Control CFR ...................................................................................................... Code of Federal Regulations CLEET ........................................................ Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training CPSC ................................................................................... Consumer Product Safety Commission EPA ............................................................................................. Environmental Protection Agency ESA ............................................................................................................ Endangered Species Act GIS ............................................................................................... Geographic Information Systems GPS ......................................................................................................... Global Positioning System NEPA ........................................................................................ National Environmental Policy Act NHPA ......................................................................................... National Historic Preservation Act NPRM ........................................................................................... Notice of Proposed Rule Making OSU.................................................................................... Oklahoma State University – Stillwater OTRD .................................................................... Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department OWRB........................................................................................ Oklahoma Water Resources Board PBCR ............................................................................................. Primary body contact recreation RMP ...................................................................................................... Resource Management Plan RMP/EA ................................................... Resource Management Plan/Environmental Assessment ROS ............................................................................................. Recreation Opportunity Spectrum SCORP ............................................................ Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan SHPO ......................................................................................... State Historic Preservation Officer USFWS .............................................................................. United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS ............................................................................................ United States Geological Survey WBDO .............................................................................................. Waterborne Disease Outbreak WROS ............................................................................... Water Recreation Opportunity Spectrum iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... ii Abbreviations and Acronyms ........................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii Mission Statement of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department .................................. xi Vision Statement ............................................................................................................................ xi OTRD Values................................................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1 – Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 Resource Management Plan: Purpose and Process ..................................................................... 1 Planning Process ..................................................................................................................... 1 Authorization and Agencies Involved .................................................................................... 2 Chapter 2 – Project Description ...................................................................................................... 4 About Roman Nose State Park ................................................................................................... 4 Purpose and Significance of Roman Nose State Park ............................................................ 4 Geographic Location of Roman Nose State Park ................................................................... 6 Roman Nose State Park History ............................................................................................. 8 Physical Setting ..................................................................................................................... 15 Community and Regional Context ........................................................................................... 19 Brief History of Blaine County ............................................................................................. 19 Demographic and Socioeconomic Conditions and Impact ................................................... 21 Brief History of Human Settlement ...................................................................................... 25 Competing and Complementary Recreational Opportunities ............................................... 27 Natural Resources in the Park ................................................................................................... 28 Climate and Air Quality ........................................................................................................ 28 Geology of Roman Nose State Park ..................................................................................... 28 Topography ........................................................................................................................... 31 Soil ........................................................................................................................................ 31 Hydrology ............................................................................................................................. 36 Water Quality ........................................................................................................................ 36 iv Vegetative Cover .................................................................................................................. 38 Fish and Wildlife ...................................................................................................................... 39 Endangered/Threatened Species in Blaine County ..............................................................