Overview

Little River has eroded its shallow valley in thick clastic sedimentaries of the Permain red bed series. The strata dip gently in an upstream direction. Widespread mantle of sandy soil obscures the bedrock, isolated outcrops and numerous exposures in road cuts in the area reveal the nature and structure of the rocks. Alluvial terrace deposits on the valley sides are poorly developed to absent. The river has deposited 35 to 50 feet of fine grained alluvium in building up the present floodplain, and it is in these deposits that the river was channelized about thirty years ago as a flood control measure. Sedimentary rocks comprising in descending order the Gerber, the Wellington and the Stillwater formations of the Enid group of the lower Permian age underlie the vicinity of the Norman damsite and reservoir basin.

Norman Dam is located at the confluence of Hog Creek and Little River about 13 miles east of Norman, and about 30 miles southeast of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The zoned earthfill dam impounds water, creating Lake Thunderbird.

General

Dimensions

Hydraulics & Hydrology