TURNER FALLS, OK: BUILDING AWARENESS OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE OLDEST (AND MOST CENTRALLY LOCATED) PARK BETWEEN DALLAS-FT. WORTH AND OKLAHOMA CITY

The geologic and ecological setting of Turner Falls Park (TFP) - a 1500 acre park in the Arbuckle Mountains of southern Oklahoma - can provide an opportunity to engage diverse audiences in exploration of the natural world. The Park is located just west of I35 midway between DFW and OKC, 100 miles away. Owned and operated by the small city of Davis, OK (pop. 2800), the rugged parkland encapsulates especially the Paleozoic and Quaternary geologic history of the region and harbors numerous flora and fauna. 300,000 to 350,000 people visit it annually to camp, picnic, and swim. Honey Creek, which flows through the park on its way north to the Washita River, drains a karstic terrain dominated by Ordovician carbonate sedimentary rocks of the Arbuckle Group. These carbonate rocks were deposited ~500 Ma on shallow seafloor and deformed by the ~300 Ma collision between Lauarasia and Gondwana; these are unconformably overlain by the slightly younger Collings Ranch Conglomerate. Because of the rocks it flows over, the waters of Honey Creek are saturated in Ca and carbonate ions, causing it to deposit travertine where it flows over obstacles; these have built out a travertine edifice – the 77’ high Turner Falls – which is the main attraction of the park. TFP can be subdivided into a more accessible canyon downstream from the Falls and a more isolated rocky drainage basin upstream from the Falls. Except for the developed valley floor downstream of the Falls and the camping ground just above the Falls, TFP has not been disturbed much by humans. Consequently, it harbors many wild species of birds, mammals, reptiles and other critters. TFP provides unparalleled opportunities for informal education, specifically teaching visitors about natural science and the environment. We propose to facilitate public engagement in TTP through the as yet unrealized opportunity to create a guide to TPP. The purpose of this talk is to alert experts in all aspects of natural science that we are working to generate such a guide and we need your help! We have also generated a Facebook Group “Turner Falls Park Nature” for sharing information. Please join our FB group and/or email one of us if you’d like to help.