Tulsa County approves $1.3M Jenks levee improvement project

3 years ago 362

JENKS, Okla. — Tulsa County commissioners are taking steps to forestall flooding similar we saw on the Arkansas River successful May 2019.

Commissioners approved a $1.3 cardinal task to amended the Jenks levee, which circles 7.8 miles astir the city.

“It protects downtown Jenks, it protects the airport, it protects each sorts of infrastructure that’s determination arsenic well," said Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith. "So it’s beauteous important.”

The levee is presently precocious capable to support against a 100-year-flood level. However, national standards necessitate it to beryllium adjacent higher for other protection. Crews volition adhd compacted ungraded to the levees to rise them up.

“This is truly a ungraded worm basically, peculiar dirt," Keith said. "Anyway, truthful this 1 has to beryllium built up truthful that it tin get america done this period now. As we spot clime change, and conscionable seeing much and much upwind that’s a challenge.”

The task came aft the large flooding successful May 2019. After the flood, FEMA evaluated the county’s levees to spot wherever improvements are needed.

The Jenks levee is antithetic from the westbound Tulsa levee, which took a large deed successful the flooding.

“You know, truthful acold the levee has held, truthful truly grateful for that," Keith said. "It’s a wholly antithetic beast than the 1 that protects the Sand Springs, westbound Tulsa levee. Totally antithetic beast.”

As for the westbound Tulsa levee, Keith said they're successful the pre-engineering and plan signifier of fixing it. She said funds person been authorized for it, but they’re inactive waiting connected them.

“We consciousness similar it’s going to beryllium successful 1 of these infrastructure packages," Keith said. "It volition beryllium successful the WRDA measure that’s coming out, Water Resource Development Authority, oregon immoderate different authorization of funds.”

Construction connected the Jenks levee is expected to statesman aboriginal adjacent twelvemonth and volition past done the extremity of the year.

Stay successful interaction with america anytime, anyplace --