First - please note the snake tried to get away from you and not harm you. Your dog tried to get it though so it swam away to escape being harmed by you and your dog. All wild animals bite if you mess with them, so leave it be. I could study my snake book to find out what kind it is by your description but I'm thinking what's the point if you are probably going to kill it because it IS a snake (if that is your plan). Maybe that is not fair because you didn't say your plan, but your post is the typical reaction of a person that is afraid of snakes, mainly because you are ignorant about snakes and fear what you don't know. You build a pond and frogs, turtles, salmanders, herons, and oh yes, snakes will come. It's part of the natural wildlife picture. Be thankful you have a snake left to see in the wild. They are slowly being wiped out. Shoo it away, but please don't harm it. Thank you. CT

Useful link you can search the snake you saw by name. From your description it appears to not be any of the venomous types found in OK.

Here is a link that might be useful: List of OK Reptiles and Amphibians

despite what you first thought I DO NOT plan on harming the snake. Yes it swam due to the dog. Cooter my dog and I let it be under the barrel this morning. I live in the country with woods and a creek behind my house snakes are nothing new to me but I have never seen one that color around here before. Last summer when it was so hot and dry with no rain for months I had a snake come up for the water even tho he went right beside my feet getting to the water/pond with me then hip hop dancing I went in the house and left him be to enjoy the cool water/pond.

I'm glad to hear you won't harm the snake. I guess I took you for a person that had no previous experience with snakes. That could have had something to do with the post title: HELP!!! Snake ????

Did it look like this?

http://kaweahoaks.com/html/snake_garter.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: garter snake

Yeap, thats it....Thanks :o)