Nature Communing On Lake Wichita Dam Whilst Staying Off The Dam's Hazardous Spillway

With the weather forecast forecasting thunderstorms and heavy rain for this next to last Friday of the 2025 version of October, it was to Lake Wichita Dam I ventured for some salubrious outdoor nature communing and potential lightning strike dodging whilst totally exposed to such on the Circle Trail on top of the dam.

But, no lightning struck, or could be seen striking in any direction. And nary a drop of rain dripped whilst I was out and about, exposed to the elements.

In the photo above I am about to walk out on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk. This is an extremely nice addition to the lake, which was added a couple years ago.

And now we are at the end of the boardwalk, looking northwest at the Mount Wichita pseudo volcano, in the distance.

It has been a few years, I think pre-COVID, when last I trekked to the summit of Mount Wichita. The trek had seemed to have become a tad treacherous, so not wanting to twist an ankle, or worse, I terminated doing any local mountain climbing.

The bizarre sign you see above has been added since last I visited this location, where a spur off the Circle Trail leads to overlooking the Lake Wichita dam's spillway.

The bizarre sign says...

DANGER!
HAZARDOUS RECIRCULATING

CURRENTS BELOW THIS DAM

CAN TRAP AND DROWN A VICTIM

So, why would I say that this sign is a bit bizarre. Well. It has been years, maybe also not since pre-COVID, that I have seen Lake Wichita at a high enough level that water was spilling over the spillway.

There may have been a time or two in the past several years where enough rain fell to cause some water to spill over the spillway for a short period, but not long enough to drown the vegetation that has grown thick near the dam's spillway.

And certainly not at a level to present any sort of danger to anyone foolish enough to climb out on the dam's spillway that was currently spilling water.

We are no past noon. And still not even a hint of anything stormy....

Hot May Day Board Walking Lake Wichita Dam

On this second Monday of the 2025 version of May, it was a short distance to the south, I ventured, to Lake Wichita Dam, to do some well-heated nature communing.

As you can see, via the view through the cyclone fence atop Lake Wichita Dam, water is still spilling over the dam's spillway, well over a week since North Texas got drenched with a lot of rain.

In the above view we are on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, looking across the Boardwalk towards the dam's spillway we were at in the previous photo.

Still on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, now looking Northwest, across Lake Wichita, with Mount Wichita making a slight poke to the sky, on the horizon.

Now we are back on top of the Lake Wichita Dam, looking north at a trio of bikers riding off the dam. This paved trail atop the dam is part of the Circle Trail which trails around most of Wichita Falls.

Now we are once again looking Northwest, across the Lake Wichita floating fishing dock, with Mount Wichita again being a slight poke on the horizon.

It has been a few months since I have done my daily nature communing at today's location. The temperature bordered on being HOT today. With virtually no wind blowing, there was no wind chill factor mitigating the HOT.

Walking this location, which I have walked frequently over my years of living in the Wichita Falls location, for some reason a recent email came to mind.

That being an email from a person who had been reading my blog posts and felt she needed to share with me that she was greatly enjoying her new living location, and the bedroom she had turned into an office where she spent hours reading, writing and drawing.

Whilst, she opined, I appeared to be doing the same thing, day after day. But that was okay if I enjoyed it.

For some reason I found this, what seemed to be a totally pointless judgmental comment, to be off putting. Particularly since it was coming from what I had come to see as a bloviated bore, doing basically nothing, day after day after day.

But, of course, polite gentleman that I am, I never shared that opinion. Til, now...

Wichita Falls Friday Holliday Creek Hail & Rain Deluge With Egrets

Earlier on this second Friday of the 2025 version of May, I found myself driving north on Kemp Boulevard, a route which took me by Lake Wichita's dam spillway. Which I saw was still spilling a lot of water, after having been spilling no water for several years.

The water which spills over the Lake Wichita dam spillway spills into Holliday Creek.

Yes, that is spelled correctly. This particular version of that word has two l's, one more than the one l one is used to.

Holliday Creek eventually makes it way to the Wichita River, flowing by my abode on its way. The Circle Trail trails beside Holliday Creek, for a few miles, including by my abode.

And so, late this afternoon I took a rare late afternoon walk along the Circle Trail, hoping to get a good photo of Holliday Creek in its current state of flowing a lot of water, after having been dry for several years.

As you can see, via the above photo documentation, I was able to get a photograph of Holliday Creek, with a small white bird posing for me. I think this may be an Egret, maybe.

Soon after taking the photo, I began being hit by big drops of rain, plopping quite vigorously. 

And then some balls of hail were added to the mix.

I was only a couple hundred feet from getting under the cover of my carport. I made it there to wait out the deluge.

After about 10 minutes of waiting, I got bored and opted to make fast tracks back to my hail and rain-free interior space.

And now, a half hour later, no rain is falling, the sun is shining bright. And the A/C just turned on...

Final April Fishing Under Lake Wichita Falls Dam Spillway

Yesterday's weather forecast for last night, and today, with today being the final day of the 2025 version of April, turned out to be accurate.

Rain began falling in pounding downpour mode around 8 o'clock last night, with one loud burst of hail.

Thunder began storming a couple hours after midnight, with more downpours.

By dawn's early light it was not too bright, due to the dark clouds and heavy rain.

A couple hours before noon I headed to downtown Wichita Falls, to my favorite prescription drug dealer, and the library, to do some book returning.

And then it was on to Lucy Park, finding all three entries to Lucy Park blocked, with it assumed the blockage being due to the anticipated overflow of the Wichita River, flooding Lucy Park.

I have seen Lucy Park flooded once, a few years ago.

Today's flood is expected to be worse, possibly as bad as the flood of 2007, several years before my arrival in this town.

After being denied entry into Lucy Park, it was on to rain-free Walmart for my daily dose of endorphins acquired via high-speed walking.

And then I headed south, to Lake Wichita, to see if water was falling over the Lake Wichita dam spillway for the first time in years.

As you can see, via the above photo documentation, water is spilling over the Lake Wichita dam today.

And some guy is standing in the water, near the spilling water, fishing.

Multiple fish were seen leaping out of the water at the bottom of the spillway. Where did these fish come from, one could not help but wonder. What with the area below the dam being totally free of any water for years.

Perplexing..

Two Months Til Christmas Walking HOT On Lake Wichita Dam

It was to windy Lake Wichita I ventured on this Final Friday of October, day 25, to be precise, making it two months til Christmas.

As is usually the case, I am already done with all my Christmas shopping.

The Wichita Falls area officially went into water restriction mode this week, due to the ongoing drought.

As you can see, it has been a long long time since any water has spilled over the Lake Wichita Dam Spillway.

Acres of vegetation has sprouted up on both sides of the dam's spillway, as you can see via the view of the back of the dam's spillway from the Lake Wichita Boardwalk perspective.

Currently there is no precipitation in the 30-day forecast. That dire prediction can quickly change.

I know I am ready for reliably cooler temperatures to arrive. I was enjoying needing to wear long pants those couple chilly days we had earlier in the month...

Cooling Tuesday Breeze With Flies & Snakes At Lake Wichita Dam

 

Today's weather forecast is once again rain and thunderstorms. The current condition, sporting a mostly clear blue sky, makes such seem a tad unlikely.

On this first Tuesday of June it was to the Lake Wichita Dam I ventured for some nature communing with no shade from trees, but with a nice cooling breeze blowing in from across the lake.

In the above photo documentation we are on the Lake Wichita Boardwalk, looking northwest across the lake, with Mount Wichita being that little pimple you see slightly rising above the horizon.

It does not look like the water level of Lake Wichita has gained any depth from the downpour two night's ago.

When I looked down on the murky lake water from the end of the Boardwalk I saw something in the water I'd never seen before in Lake Wichita.

A snake.

Was it a Water Moccasin? I don't know. I was not successful at getting a photo of the water slitherer.

I think it has been well over a year since any water has spilled over Lake Wichita dam's spillway. 

In the above view we are at the end of the boardwalk, looking at the lake side view of the dam's spillway. It has been so long since water has reached the dam's spillway that green foliage has sprouted up.

The floating fishing dock is no longer floating. It is resting on the lake bed.

When I walked out on the dock I was attacked by a nasty swarm of small flies. This was unpleasant. I hightailed it out of there, back to the top of the dam, which was fly-free...

Post Christmas Windy Waddle On Lake Wichita Dam

Though suffering a bad case of Christmas COVID bloat I worked up sufficient energy this Saturday after Christmas to haul my carcass to Lake Wichita to do some dam waddling.

In the above photo documentation we are standing at the base of Lake Wichita Dam. You see a trail worn into the dam dirt with a biker at the top, on the Circle Trail, which trails on top of the dam.

A strong wind blew whilst doing my dam walking. Waves with whitecaps were rolling across the lake. I saw no one surfing, but did see several people fishing.

Prior to walking the dam I walked the Walmart. I was appalled at the number of idiots I saw defying the sign telling shoppers that a mask is required. These sorts all seem to have the same vacant stupid affect to their faces, like such as what one sees at a Trump rally.

ALDI is totally strict with the mask mandate. Wear one or leave the store. Earlier in the week I was in ALDI chatting with my favorite ALDI employee. She told me earlier in the day a woman created a screaming disturbance when told she had to wear a mask or leave. Another customer came to the ALDI employee's defense and so the maskless moron turned her wrath on that customer.

How can people be this ignorant? It's appalling...

Sunday Catching Fish With Egrets Biking On Lake Wichita Dam

If I remember correctly, yesterday I mentioned I was tired due to a tiring loud long thunderstorm the night previous which had hampered my ability to be peacefully horizontal, rendering me tired, real tired, all day yesterday.

But today, the morning of the second Sunday of the third to last month of 2017 I found myself not tired when I got vertical after a long night of peaceful slumber and disturbing nightmares.

And so, fully of energy, I decided to get myself some endorphins via aerobic activity by rolling wheels against the wind on the Circle Trail, heading south to Lake Wichita Dam, where I saw the lake level has somewhat fallen, thus making it easier for a flock of egrets to assemble on top of the dam's spillway to facilitate the easy catching of fish funneled over the spillway.

Multiple humans were also seen, joining the egrets in the fish catching thing. Also, unlike with the egrets, with two of the humans I saw a successful catching of fish, with the species appearing to be either perch or sunfish or both.

Judging by the throngs joining me today on the Circle Trail, biking, roller blading, skateboarding, jogging, walking, fishing, and pushing baby carriages, we are at that temperature sweet spot where Texans are more willing to engage in outdoor activity, weather babies that they usually be.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I also saw mountain climbing to the summit of Mount Wichita, which apparently has already dried out from yesterday's deluge. However, something looked oddly flattened about the top of Mount Wichita which had me momentarily wondering if it had suffered a height reducing lightning strike.

Tomorrow I will likely go for an up close look at the summit of Mount Wichita to see if the summit has suffered some sort of reduction calamity...