The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

Northwest Oklahoma 1

Related Photos

  • Debbie Fowler uses a garden spade to scrape the sides of a hole while digging for selenite crystals at the Salt Plains Wildlife Refuge digging area.

    Salt_Plains_Crystals_BH.jpg

  • A flock of pelicans stand in the shallow water of Sand Creek Bay at Salt Plains Wildlife Refuge.

    Salt_Plains_Pelicans_BH.jpg

  • Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge visitor’s center is a good place to start when planning an outing at the facility.

    Salt_Plains_Visitor_Center_BH.jpg

Discussion

March 6, 2010

Wolff: Everything’s improved at Salt Plains

By Violet Hassler, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

Becky Wolff didn’t know anything about Salt Plains Wildlife Refuge before she began her application process through U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

But when she learned her new job would be taking her to northwest Oklahoma she began investigating. The visitation numbers pleased her.

“I thought, “Great, I’ll be busy,” Wolff said. Then she arrived in March 2008. “What? Where are these people.”

Attendance at Salt Plains fell dramatically in the months prior to Wolff’s arrival, after a Boy Scout unearthed a chemical vial on the crystal salt flats April 21, 2007.

The selenite crystal digging area was closed while Army Corps of Engineers investigated and subsequently hired Parsons Corp., a clean-up firm that found many more vials on the flats designated for crystal digging.

All vials have been properly disposed of, Wolff said, with none remaining, although the refuge has replicas on display at the visitor’s center.

After two years, Parsons officials said it was “highly unlikely” any vials remained, but educational literature describing the possibility was mandated before the popular crystal digging site once again opened to the public.

That grand opening was held May 30, and “everything definitely has improved,” Wolff said.

Traffic records were broken last year, and the digging sites were busy every time the outdoor recreational planner visited. And while Wolff — who plans all events for the refuge — had plenty of work while the crystal beds were closed, she added to her list last summer 30 scheduled programs teaching children how to dig up the delicate selenite crystals, as well as other activities related to the digging area.

Wolff said the system used to count the number of visitors at the numerous areas of the refuge has been broken, so some counts — including those at the digging area — have not been recorded.

However, the count at the headquarters shows there were 3,108 visitors in May 2009 as compared to 1,888 in May 2008. That number usually represents about 25 percent of the visitors who just go to the digging site, Wolff said, so the crystal digging numbers would be estimated at 7,552 and 12,432 for May 2008 and 2009, respectively.

The refuge draws from several areas of interest, Wolff said, attracting visitors who want to focus on birds or geology. The crystal beds are the biggest draw, however, she said, because of the family entertainment value and the fact the digging is free and “you get something out of it.”

Crystal digging opens this year April 1 and will extend through Oct. 15, Wolff said. The annual Salt Plains Birding and Heritage Festival has been set for April 23-25 and will feature a crystal digging contest.

Other activities will include birding tours, night walks, live music, youth contests in archery and casting, art exhibits, campfire programs and historic artifacts.

Wolff said the complete agenda for the three-day event has not been finalized.

The headquarters office is open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays now and will be extended to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. Sundays starting April 1.

The refuge is open during daylight hours.

In addition to the crystal digging site, there is an auto trail and several walking trails and bird-viewing sites.

A Feb. 23 bird count shows the current waterfowl population consisting mainly of Canada geese and mallard ducks. The American white pelican count was at 70, and the sandhill crane population was at 7,000. The bald eagle count was at 33, and Wolff said some nests can be seen off the roadway on the way to the refuge.

The refuge headquarters is located off Oklahoma 38, just south of Oklahoma 11. The entrance to the crystal digging area is located off Oklahoma 8 just south of Cherokee.

Text Only
Northwest Oklahoma 1
  • NW_Okla_Cover_2_BH.jpg Going back to school

    “Enrollment is very good at this point,” said Steve Valencia, associate vice president for university relations. “In the fall we had our highest enrollment number since 1971.”

    March 6, 2010 3 Photos

  • Salt_Plains_Crystals_BH.jpg Wolff: Everything’s improved at Salt Plains

    Traffic records were broken last year, and the digging sites were busy every time the outdoor recreational planner visited.

    March 6, 2010 3 Photos

  • Farmers_Exchange_Bank_BH.jpg Banking on the future

    Loren Rieger started working at the bank in 1982, only six months before the failure of Penn Square Bank in Oklahoma City and the subsequent oil bust.

    March 6, 2010 1 Photo

  • Hunting_Property_BH.jpg No land in sight

    Terrel doesn’t believe there are any challenges getting people to buy farmland in Oklahoma, the problem is there’s not enough to go around.

    March 6, 2010 1 Photo

  • Farm Bureau gets involved in agriculture

    There are approximately 1,100 Farm Bureau members in Grant County, including associate members.

    March 6, 2010

  • Wakita.jpg Wakita tries to lock-in an all-Christian prison

    The idea for the prison — which would have Christian administrators, staff, programs and prisoners — comes from a man who once was himself a convict.

    March 6, 2010 2 Photos

  • Cherokee_Main_St_1_BH.jpg Cherokee Main Street revitalizing community

    “We’re a small town so we don’t draw the borders at just the downtown area.”

    March 6, 2010 3 Photos

  • Progress_NWOK-1_1_SY.jpg Healthy boost to the economy

    Center officials hope to create about 20 to 25 in construction jobs as the project is ongoing, and once renovation is complete, they want to add more health care-related positions.

    March 6, 2010 2 Photos

  • Candy_1_BH.jpg Business in Alva is sweet

    Candy Bouquet’s owner, Amanda Schroeder, has been looking for more than three years for a franchise business she thought would fit Alva.

    March 6, 2010 3 Photos

  • Relay_for_Life_BH.jpg Life support: Fundraising relay event faring well

    This year’s Alfalfa/Woods County Relay for Life event will be 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. June 4-5 at the Cherokee High School track and football field.

    March 6, 2010 1 Photo