Water. Once, it was oil; now H2O is said to be king in Oklahoma. Last summer, streams and rivers in the state ran dry as we gasped through drought. Now that our waters lap at their normal levels, the flush of supply invites some celebration.

Use this list as a dowser, a guide to the best water in Oklahoma. You’ll discover pools with deep ends that beg for a cannonball and underwater somersaults; splash pads for sunning your shoulders and modeling your new flip-flops; and swimming holes and lagoons perfect for a game of mermaids with the kids, while wet sand massages the bottoms of your feet.

Don’t see your favorite place to float? Email us at mail@thislandpress.com.

Best Oklahoma lakes and swimming holes

Oklahoma Water Parks

Tulsa-area Pools

Tulsa water playgrounds and splash pads

(open daily, free of charge, noon-8 p.m.; details on Tulsa water playgrounds and splash pads and map)

Archer, 2831 E. Archer Street

Benedict, 1630 E. 12th Street

Braden, 5036 E. 7th Street

Carbondale, 2802 W. 28th Street

Chamberlain, 4940 N. Frankford Avenue

Cheyenne, 1622 N. Main

Crutchfield, 1345 E. Independence Avenue

Dawson, 2035 N. Kingston

Florence, 1936 S. Gary Avenue

Helmerich, 7301 S. Riverside Drive

Highland, 4909 E. 36th Street

Hunter, 5804 E. 91st Street

Johnson, 6002 S. Riverside Drive

Kendall-Whittier, 2645 E. Fifth Street

Lacy, 2134 N. Madison Place

Maple, 404 E. 15th Street

Maxwell, 5251 E. Newton Street

Owen, 560 N. Maybelle Avenue

Penney, 531 S. 49th W. Avenue

Pielsticker (Mohawk Park), 5701 E. 36th Street North

Reed, 4233 S. Yukon Avenue

Schlegel, 3825 W. 53rd Place

Springdale, 2223 E. Pine Street

Tracy, 1134 S. Peoria Avenue

Veterans, 1875 S. Boulder Avenue

Vining, 6502 N. Cincinnati Avenue

Wheeling, 2209 W. Wheeling Avenue

Zeigler, 3903 W. Fourth Street

Zink, 3216 S. Trenton Avenue

OKC-area Pools

OKC-area spraygrounds and splash pads

(details and hours for OKC-area spraygrounds and splash pads)

Douglass Park, 901 N. Frederick Douglass Avenue

EB Jeffery, 4432 NW 16th

Harvest Hills Park, 8235 NW 104th

Lippert Park, 5500 S. Shartel

McCracken Park, 425 SE 64

McKinley Park, 1300 North McKinley

Melrose Park, NW 5th and Council

Memorial Park, 3600 North Classen

Minnis Lakeview Park, 12518 NE 36

North Highland Park, 301 NW 81st Street

Reed Park, 1217 N. May Avenue

Schilling Park, 537 SE 25th Street

Sellers Park, SW 82nd and Villa

Taylor Park, 1113 SW 70

Wiley Post Park, SW 17 and Robinson

Woodson Pool, 3405 S. May Avenue

Youngs Park, SW 44 and Youngs

Andrews Park, 201 W. Daws, Norman

The Waterway at OKC Zoo, 2101 NW 50th Street, OKC

Thunder Fountain, the Myriad Gardens Splash Pad, 301 W. Reno, OKC

Editor’s note: Molly Evans contributed to this article.