Before we explore the Red River that forms Lake Texoma as a result of the Denison Dam, let's clear up one confusing detail. There is another well-known Red River and it flows up north in North Dakota, Minnesota and into Canada. Sometimes it is called The Red River of the North, but not always. Surprisingly, the northern Red River is the one made famous in the song Red River Valley, recorded by Marty Robbins and others. We can certainly sing it down south as well; it's a cowboy tune, after all. Here is the famous chorus: From this valley they say you are going. We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile, For they say you are taking the sunshine That has brightened our pathway a while. So come sit by my side if you love me. Do not hasten to bid me adieu. Just remember the Red River Valley, And the one that has loved you so true. Native peoples throughout time have referred to any flowing water that carries red dirt and therefore has a red appearance as a red river, or in Spanish as a rio Colorado. So, you'll find plenty of other rivers throughout the world that are also called The Red River if you choose to indulge in some research. But we are enjoying Lake Texoma now as a result of the damming of The Red River of The South, which occurred over a period of years beginning during WWII when the Denison Dam was completed in 1943. Naturally, the Army Corps of Engineers didn't build a dam primarily for recreation, although we may be focused on boating and fishing in the waters of Lake Texoma for personal enjoyment now. The intended purposes of the dam are primarily flood control, water supply, and hydroelectric power production. Our Red River flows from west to east as it travels across the United States. Wikipedia provides the following description: "The Red River is the second-largest river basin in the southern Great Plains. It rises in two branches (forks) in the Texas Panhandle and flows east, where it acts as the border between the states of Texas and Oklahoma. It forms a short border between Texas and Arkansas before entering Arkansas, turning south near Fulton, Arkansas and flowing into Louisiana. The total length of the river is 1,360 miles, with a mean flow of over 57,000 cubic feet per second at the mouth." Reading that description made me curious as to where our Red River actually begins. Because the mouth, or the end of our Red River is in Louisiana, this is how the Louisiana State University website describes its headwaters: "The origins of the Red River are two forks (branches) in the Texas panhandle. The southern fork, Prairie Dog Town Fork, is formed in Randall County near Canyon, Texas. Prairie Dog Town Fork is formed from the confluence of Palo Duro Creek and Tierra Blanca Creek. The northern branch, North Fork, flows east entering Oklahoma. It then joins the southern branch at the Texas-Oklahoma border, northeast of Vernon, Texas." Surface water and ground water join up to form our Red River that flows along, when there's enough rainfall, and forms a channel through Lake Texoma until it empties into the Mississippi River and the Atchafalaya River near Simmesport, Louisiana. In the drought conditions of the last few years there has been more red dirt showing than red river flowing in the riverbed across much of the watershed area. Stay tuned for more on the timeless topic of The Red River of The South next week here on LakeTexoma.com.