Tulsa District News (From DVIDS)

  1. Forestry judging event is an opportunity for USACE to support future conservationists

    BROKEN BOW, Okla. — Students from across southeastern Oklahoma recently competed in a forestry judging contest where they tested their environmental knowledge and land management skills.
    4/30/2025
  2. Tulsa District USACE partners with Kaw Nation on new Housing Services Center

    Tulsa District participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Kaw Nation Housing Services Center on April 17, 2025 in Newkirk, Oklahoma
    4/30/2025
  3. Construction to temporarily close Texas Damsite campground and fishing and day use area at Lake Texoma

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today announced that the Lake Texoma Project Office, the Texas Damsite Campground and the Texas Damsite Fishing and Day Use area at Lake Texoma will be closed to the visiting public from April 30 through May 22, 2025.
    4/24/2025
  4. USACE closes SH-251A Bridge over Fort Gibson

    Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed the Fort Gibson Dam Spillway Bridge, April 21 in the interest of public safety. Engineers identified critical findings during a recent inspection and recommended the closure. The bridge condition does not pose an immediate dam safety risk, nor does it affect powerhouse operations at Fort Gibson Dam.
    4/22/2025
  5. Tulsa District emergency management team joins partners for Domestic Operations Symposium

    NORMAN, Okla. –Members of the Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emergency management team joined emergency response agencies from across Oklahoma for the Domestic Operations Symposium hosted by the Oklahoma National Guard at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Norman April 15-16, 2025
    4/16/2025
  6. High water levels mean recreation closures at Pine Creek Lake in Oklahoma

    Elevated water levels caused by recent heavy rainfall prompted the closure of public use areas at Pine Creek Lake, April 7, 2025. The high water is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ flood risk management efforts. By holding back excess runoff, the lake reduces downstream flood risk and helps protect surrounding communities.
    4/8/2025
  7. Ranger encourages outdoor fun and exploration through Jr. Ranger Challenge at Kaw Lake

    TULSA, Okla. –Tulsa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kaw Lake Ranger Hannah Piper is challenging people of all ages to get outside and pay more attention to their environment with a fun, interactive program inspired by her visits to national and state parks.
    4/3/2025
  8. Engineering Excellence: Tulsa District USACE oversees Vance runway project

    TULSA, Okla. – The Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing a large airfield repaving project at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma, where the contractor, WW Clyde, is using an innovative approach to runway paving.
    4/2/2025
  9. Nesting eagles spotted at Kaw Lake

    A pair of eagles is nesting near Kaw Lake Dam for the second year.
    3/26/2025
  10. Data in the wind: Tulsa area winds cause incorrect data, damage at Skiatook Lake

    Recent, heavy winds in Eastern Oklahoma caused some strange inflow data to appear on the Skiatook Lake level page, March19. Despite no rainfall in Skiatook Lake’s watershed, the hourly inflow appeared to fluctuate between about 200 cubic feet per second and over 1,000 cfs, from midnight to 11 a.m. According to Joseph Large, chief of water management, Tulsa District, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, high winds in the area caused the gage at the dam to produce incorrect information.
    3/24/2025
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After action environmental assessment for the Webbers pool and Robert S. Kerr pool emergency dredging and placement

Tulsa District, USACE
Published Aug. 25, 2020

The Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is soliciting comments from the public and agencies on the potential effects of the emergency dredging and placement of dredged spoils activity that occurred during the spring and summer of 2019, as well as, the effects of the water drawdown, impact to the mussel population that was affected as a result of the drawdown, and mitigation efforts, on the Arkansas River, southeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

The Corps has initiated an after action Environmental Assessment (EA) for this activity that occurred in the Webbers Pool and Robert S. Kerr Pool in Oklahoma.  The EA for this after action is authorized in Section 216 of the River and Harbor Flood Control Act of 1970 and Section 1202 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016.  The EA will assess how the action affected the human environment and to make the determination if the action was compliant with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  Your comments will help the Corps in development of this EA.

In May and June 2019 record rainfall fell in Southeastern Kansas and Northeastern Oklahoma which caused widespread flooding in the region.  Approximately 15 Corps of Engineers reservoirs in the Upper Arkansas River Basin, Verdigris River Basin, and Grand (Neosho) River Basin, all within Tulsa District, flood pools were flooded to the top of their capacity.  With so many reservoirs at the top of their flood pool capacity, the Tulsa District managed reservoir releases so there was a balanced approach to evacuating flood waters from all pools.  Unfortunately, significant and in some cases, catastrophic flooding was unavoidable due to the received rainfall.  River flows, measured in cubic feet per second (CFS), were overwhelming within large portions of the river system.  Below Keystone Dam just west of Tulsa, the rate of river flow approached 300,000 CFS at its maximum volume and was flowing at 600,000 CFS at W.D. Mayo Dam Lock and Dam 14.

The McLellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) just downstream from the Arkansas River confluence with the Verdigris River and the Grand (Neosho) River had a sustained volume of well over 600,000 CFS over a duration of more than a week.  This increased river flow was carrying an enormous volume of sediment which was transported from the three upstream feeder river basins and was passed through upstream dams and into the Navigation System, where much of it was subsequently deposited.  Result of this increased sedimentation was 3 miles of river channel was clogged with an estimated 1,000,000 cubic yards of sediment.  This material had to be removed before the Navigation System could be reopened for navigable traffic and interstate commerce.  Therefore, the Tulsa District made the decision to commence dredging and dredge spoil operations prior to NEPA review so economic impacts to the region would be reduced.

There was another complicating factor other than three miles of river channel being clogged with sedimentation.  On May 23, 2019 two fully-loaded barges moored in the Muskogee area tore loose and were carried downstream, where they collided with the dam at Webbers Falls and sunk.  The barges were forced against three of the structure's open gates.  The two sunken barges impeded the operation of the gates and those gates could not be closed, resulting in the drawdown of the pools and subsequent negative impacts to mussel populations.  Removal of these barges was dependent on the emergency dredging action, specifically the portion within the Robert S. Kerr pool.  The salvage crew hired for this task utilized a tow barge which the only feasible means of travel was up the McLellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System to the Webber Falls Lock and Dam.

Pursuant to Section 102 of the NEPA as implemented by the regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508 and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering Regulation 200-2-2), an Environmental Assessment will be conducted to ensure compliance with the NEPA and appropriate environmental laws, regulations, agency policies and guidance, and executive orders, and to provide any necessary mitigation as a result of impacts from the emergency dredging, discharge of dredged material, and draw down of the pool. 

Our office would like to solicit any input you may have with respect to this after action environmental assessment for the Webbers Pool and Robert S. Kerr Pool Emergency Dredging and Placement to assist us as we progress through the NEPA process.  A brief presentation regarding this action is available starting on August 20, 2020, on the Tulsa District website:  www.swt.usace.army.mil.  

We look forward to receiving your written comments, which are due by September 20, 2020.  Please contact Mr. Jeff Knack, Chief, Natural Resources and Recreation Branch, Tulsa District, by mail U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2488 E 81st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma  74137-4290, email at jeff.knack@usace.army.mil, or telephone at (918) 669-7660 with comments, questions, or the need for further information.