Stitt sends a letter asking to shore up Tulsa’s levees

Gov. Kevin Stitt and three Tulsa area mayors sent a letter the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking that they speed up the feasibility study on the Tulsa-West Tulsa Levee System.

Stitt wants it completed by the end of December.

The levee system protected much of Tulsa along the Arkansas River during the recent major flooding. Frantic efforts to reinforce the aging levees were successful but Stitt wants further upgrades and improvements before another flood hits.

The letter states: “We specifically want to draw your attention to the historic flooding experienced in Eastern Oklahoma. This area was fortunate that the Tulsa-West Tulsa Levee System held back water for weeks, compared to the last major flooding event in 1986 that lasted less than a day. If these 75-year-old levees had been breached, the damage would have been catastrophic to the communities of hard-working Oklahomans protected by the levee system.”

The 2018 Water Resources Development Act instructed the Corps of Engineers to conduct a feasibility study on the nation’s levees, for completion by September 2020.

“Oklahomans simply cannot wait that long,” the letter states. 

In 2008, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rated the Tulsa-West Tulsa Levees as “unacceptable.”

Completion of the study would allow a request for funding before the close of the 116th Congress.

“The Tulsa-West Tulsa Levees provided protection to tens of thousands of Oklahomans, spanning from as north as Skiatook to as far south as Muskogee and Webbers Falls,” according to the letter. “These levees also protected $2 billion in infrastructure and two major oil refineries, both of which provide gasoline to a large section of the mid-continental United States. The risks are too high for this not to be resolved soon, but there is a clear solution and path forward for expediting upgrades if the Corps will finalize this important report by the end of this year.”

The letter, addressed to Assistant Secretary James and Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, was also signed by Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, Bixby Mayor Brian Guthrie and Jenks Mayor Kelley Dunkerly.

State Rep. Lonnie Sims, R-Jenks, requested an interim study to conduct a state-level review of the actions taken leading up to and in response to the historic Arkansas River Flood of 2019.

“We experienced the second most significant flood event along the Arkansas River since 1986,” Sims said. “The flooding spared no community along its banks as it traversed through Northeastern Oklahoma, nor the cities and towns inundated by the overflows of lesser-known creeks and streams that feed into it.”

Sims seeks to facilitate an after-action study with key federal, state and local governmental agencies as well as public and private stakeholders that were negatively impacted up and down the river.

“How did we forecast, plan and ultimately respond to protect the people, property, wildlife and environmental treasures of this state?” Sims asked. “We owe it to all who have suffered greatly to gain every lesson possible to better respond and, if at all possible, prevent the next one.”

“There will be considerable interest to participate,” said Terry Simonson, director of Tulsa County Governmental Affairs. “From what we have learned, there may be some legislative action needed that could be helpful. Counties need to have a way, like cities do, to proactively fund the flood control and storm water infrastructure improvements needed, especially in the unincorporated areas where many live in a flood zone. We hope that in addition to the scope of the inquiry looking back, we can look forward as well on how counties develop a fundable floodwater plan.”

Sims emphasized this event is far from over, especially for those Oklahoma families who have lost everything.

Representatives may request interim studies to examine a policy issue in depth, but ultimately, the decision on whether the studies are approved resides with the Speaker of the House.

Decisions on which interim studies requests are approved will come from the Speaker’s office by July 19.