Photograph of Sorghum stubble held 9 inches of snow in field in spite of high witnds, very little drifting.

Photograph of a gully being shaped with a bulldozer. Gully will be planted to Bermuda grass.

Photograph of gullies caused by improper cultivation without terraces. The depth fo the gullies range from three to fifteen feet. This land has been abandonded for some time but the erosion is still prevalent.

Photograph of a huge roadside gully caused by run-off from improperly constructed terrace and unprotected outlets and outlet channels. OK-8673.

Photograph of bulldozer operator Gene Price, Stumper Construction Company, Luther, Oklahoma, discusses gully shaping plans and specifications with District Conservationist, Rob Maples, Konawa, Oklahoma . OK-3311-1.

Photograph of Roland Lee, UWC, in 1951 developing a plan between the City of Shawnee and the Shawnee SCD to treat the City Lake Watershed to control erosion and reduce the silt load of streams feeding the lake. M.D. Gamble, Agronomist, SCS, checks conservation treatment of this large, once active gully. Water was diverted from gully and it was making a good seed crop, controlling erosion and furnishing food and cover for wildlife. This area is also protected from fire and grazing. The application of this Soil Conservation District Plan is now saving the City of Shawnee many dollars on water filtration and guarantees storage capacity of this water system for many years to come.

Photograph of a Holstein heifer in a pasture of sericea lespedeza and native grasses that is kept for heifers and dry cows. Badly eroded and depleted when Mr. Kessler Teas bought the place, this upland range site is now in good condition. OK-10-818.

Photograph of Mr. T. Kessler (right) shows Soil Conservation Service [SCS] Technician Roland E. Lee the growth of sericea lespedeza in this pasture which also contains native grasses. Badily eroded and depleted when he bought place, this upland range site is now in good condition. Used by heifers and dry cows, it is to be put into wheat, rye and hairy vetch pasture after 8 months of grazing as it is. OK-10-817.

Photograph of a huge roadside gulley caused by water run-off from an improperly constructed terrace and unprotected outlets and outlet channels. OK-8673.

Photograph of producing a sepia copy of the general plan of a reservoir on a blueline reproduction machine. Shawnee DEI Office. OK-3263-10.

Photograph taken at Site # 18, Salt Creek Watershed. Equipment at work on the site. The first work done on Salt Creek Watershed. OK-1178-9.

Photograph of deep mud cracks in recent deposition on Salt Creek flood plain. OK-522-8.

Photograph of M. D. Gamble, Agronomist, SCS, looking at native grasses established on flood plain area to reduce silt load of water going into the Shawnee City Lake. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Watershed Treatment. Roland Lee, WUC, in 1951 developed a plan between the City of Shawnee and the Shawnee SCS to treat the City Lake watershed to control erosion and reduce the silt load of streams feeding the lake. M. D. Gamble, Agronomist, SCS, looking at native grasses established on flood plain area to reduce silt load of water going into the Shawnee City Lake. This grass is now making a good seed crop, controlling erosion, and furnishing food and cover for wildlife. This are is also protected from fire and grazing. The application of this Soil Conservation District plan is now saving the City of Shawnee many dollars on water filtration and guarantees storage capacity of the water system for many years to come."

Photograph of M. D. Gamble, Agronomist, SCS, checking the conservation treatment of a large, once active gully nine miles west of Shawnee. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Watershed Treatment. Roland Lee, UWC [sic], in 1951 developed a plan between the City of Shawnee and the Shawnee SCD to treat the City Lake Watershed to control erosion and reduce the silt load of streams feeding the lake. M. D. Gamble, Agronomist, SCS, checks conservation treatment of this large, once active gully. Water was diverted from gully and it was seeded to mixed native grass. The grass is now making a good seed crop, controlling erosion and furnishing food and cover for wildlife. This area is also protected from fire and grazing. The application of the Soil Conservation District Plan is now saving the City of Shawnee many dollars on water filtration and guarantees storage capacity of this water system for many years to come."

Photograph of Roland Lee, WUC, standing in a field nine miles west of Shawnee. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Watershed Treatment. Roland Lee, WUC, in 1951 developed a plan between the City of Shawnee and the Shawnee SCD to treat the City Lake watershed to control erosion and reduce the silt load of streams feeding the lake. Waster was diverted from this active gully on Class VII land, and it was seeded to mixed native grass. No longer is this a critical silt contributing area. Native grass now making seed, and, in addition to erosion control, it is an excellent wildlife habitat. This conservation treatment program now saves the City of Shawnee man dollars annually."

Photograph of Water Dept. Employee Tom McBride turning a settling basin valve at a water plant in Shawnee. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Water Dept. Employee Tom McBride turns valve in settling basin at water plant. Before grassland conservation program was applied in watershed of Shawnee Lake and water was full of soil from abandoned fields, settling basins had to be cleaned every two weeks. Now they are cleaned on an average of every 2 ½ months. Basins hold 750,000 gallons of water. When they are cleaned, city loses not only all the water but all the chlorine that has been added."

This is a film that was produced in 1960 by the USDA Soil Conservation Service (now named the Natural Resources Conservation Service). The 20-minute film shows the construction of flood control dams in the upper reaches of the Salt Creek Watershed project in Pottawatomie County. The dams are located approximately 15 miles northwest of Konawa, Oklahoma. The dams were constructed by the Konawa and Shawnee Conservation Districts with assistance from the USDA Small Watershed Program (Public Law 566).

Photograph of a huge roadside gully caused by run-off from improperly constructed terrace and unprotected outlets and outlet channels. OK-8673.

Photograph of watershed treatment. Roland Lee, WUC [= Work Unit Conservationist], in 1951 developed a plan between the city of Shawnee and the local SCD [= Soil Conservation District] for the conservation treatment of the City Lake watershed to control erosion and reduce the silt load of streams feeding the City Lake. Water was diverted from this active gully on Class VII land. This gully was not seeded. Mr. Lee points out the slow growth and absence of vegetation when left to natural means. Note recovery of native grass between gullies resulting from deferred grazing and protection from fire. OK-365-12.

Photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Bowen going over their accounts. OK-10, 826.

Photograph of the Water Department, City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. Employee Tom McBride turns a valve in settling the basin at the water plant. Before the grassland conservation program was applied in the watershed of Shawnee Lake and the water was full of soil from abandoned fields, settling basins had to be cleaned every two weeks. Now they are cleaned on an average of every 2½ months. The basins hold 750,000 gallons of water. When [unclear] are cleaned, the city loses not only all the water but all the chlorine that has been added. OK-10, 803.

Photograph of gullies to be shaped. The picture was taken before the work commenced. OK-455-2.

Photograph of Interstate-40 has several potential campsites that could serve tourists and other cross-country travelers. OK-3227-11.

Photograph of two farms on which erosion control is practiced to a large extent. There are two farm ponds shown here in which the water is supplied by excess drainage from the level terraced fields. Note the terrace channels filled with water from a heavy rain the nght before.