Nanih Waiya Lake is a small recreational lake in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma

Pushmataha County, Oklahoma

-Administrative History:* Ca. 1000-1500: Caddoan Mississippian civilization at Spiro Mounds* 1492-1718: Spain* 1718-1763: France* 1763-1800: Spain* 1800-1803: France* 1803–present: United States...

. It is located northeast of Tuskahoma, Oklahoma

Tuskahoma, Oklahoma

Tuskahoma is a community in northern Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, four miles east of Clayton, Oklahoma.-History:A United States Post Office was established at Tushka Homma, Indian Territory on February 27, 1884. On October 28, 1891, the spelling changed to Tushkahomma. On December 6, 1910 the...

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The lake, which was built in 1958, impounds the waters of several small creeks which are Kiamichi River

Kiamichi River

The Kiamichi River is a river in southeastern Oklahoma. A tributary of the Red River, its headwaters rise on Pine Mountain in the Ouachita Mountains near the Arkansas border...

 tributaries. It was named for Nanih Waiya, the first capital of the Choctaw Nation

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a semi-autonomous Native American homeland comprising twelve tribal districts. The Choctaw Nation maintains a special relationship with both the United States and Oklahoma governments...

 after its removal during the Trail of Tears

Trail of Tears

The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...

 to Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

, which is nearby. It is managed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is an agency of the state of Oklahoma responsible for managing and protecting Oklahoma's wildlife population and their habitats. The Department is under the control of the Wildlife Conservation Commission, an 8-member board appointed by the Governor...

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Nanih Waiya Lake comprises 131 areas of area and three miles of shoreline. Normal pool elevation is 594 feet above sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...

. Its normal holding capacity is 1064 acre.ft.