Before construction of the Tulsa-West Tulsa Levee, homes and businesses along the Arkansas river in Tulsa County had few defenses from floods. The 1908 and 1923 floods displaced over four thousand Tulsans and caused seven hundred fifty thousand dollars in damages, about one hundred twenty million dollars in modern construction costs. Passage of the Flood Control Act of 1941 authorized the levee’s construction, and in 1945 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District turned over the completed twenty-mile levee system to Tulsa County Drainage District 12 for operations and maintenance. The Tulsa West Tulsa Levee didn't eliminate Arkansas river floods, but it has helped prevent billions of dollars in flood damages during its 80-year history. In 1986, remnants of Hurricane Paine dropped up to twenty inches of rain in the Arkansas River watershed in six days forcing Keystone Dam to release 307,000 cubic feet of water per second. The storm caused flooding along the Arkansas River in Tulsa County, but volunteers and emergency responders helped secure the Tulsa West Tulsa Levee with sandbags, and the levee stood its ground. In 2019, a series of storms produced record rainfall and forced keystone dam to release between 190,000 and 275,000 cubic feet of water per second over an 11-day period. During this time, the levee endured more prolonged stress than in any prior flood. Federal, state, and municipal agencies monitored the levee, mobilized auxiliary pumps, and constructed ring dikes to support the structure, and once again, through extraordinary efforts, the Tulsa-West Tulsa Levee held its ground. The Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Oklahoma, Tulsa County, and the City of Tulsa are working to keep the levee in the flood fight through the Tulsa-West Tulsa Levee Safety Project. The project includes placement of filtered berms, installation of new and improved toe drains, and construction of additional emergency access routes to fight erosion, improve drainage, and promote levee access for construction and maintenance. Addressing critical needs today will help the levee fight Arkansas River floods in the future. If you live in the leveed area, or if you have questions about this important levee safety project, please reach out to us at the email or phone number on the screen or visit the Tulsa Levee Safety Project webpage for project updates. We welcome your questions and look forward to hearing from you. Credits: - This project Includes copyrighted music licensed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through Megatrax. - 00-01:58- "Birds Will Be Singing,"Moritz Bintig, Margomat",Intervox Italiana srl (SIAE) 100% [615322480],Longing For Landscapes: Electric Guitar Ambient Atmosphere,ICO,ICO052, ICO052-2,IT9LL2505202 01:58-02:58 - "Donau Walk" ICO052_09 ISRC IT9LL2505209 Longing For Landscapes: Electric Guitar Ambient Atmosphere Code ICO052 “Moritz Bintig PRO GEMA IPI 461227377 Share 50 Margomat PRO GEMA IPI 685334421 Intervox Italiana srl PRO SIAE IPI 615322480

Tom Henry, Powerplant Manager, Keystone Powerhouse, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District explains how Keystone Powerhouse provides peak power when needed to support the electric grid. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is performing hydroelectric power generation as needed during Winter Storm Jan 2026. Tulsa District's eight powerhouses were expected to provide a combined 6,628 megawatts or 6.62 gigawatts to support power demands, Jan. 25. The Tulsa District operates and maintains eight powerhouses in Oklahoma and Texas. Tulsa District's hydroelectric dams include: Keystone Dam Sand Springs, Okla. Fort Gibson Dam Fort Gibson, Okla. Webbers Falls Lock & Dam 16 Webbers Falls, Okla. Broken Bow Dam Broken Bow, Okla. Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam 15 Sallisaw, Okla. Denison Dam Denison, Texas Tenkiller Dam Tenkiller, Okla. Eufaula Dam Eufaula, Okla.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District is supporting the power grid through hydroelectric power generation as during the Jan 2026 Winter Storm. Tulsa District's eight hydroelectric dams and powerhouses were expected to provide a combined 6,628 megawatts or 6.628 Gigawatts to support the electric grid, Jan. 25, 2026. The Tulsa District operates and maintains eight powerhouses in Oklahoma and Texas: Keystone Dam Sand Springs, Okla. Fort Gibson Dam Fort Gibson, Okla. Webbers Falls Lock & Dam 16 Webbers Falls, Okla. Broken Bow Dam Broken Bow, Okla. Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam 15 Sallisaw, Okla. Denison Dam Denison, Texas Tenkiller Dam Gore, Okla. Eufaula Dam Eufaula, Okla.

Just hours before the Jan. 23 Winter Storm hit Tulsa and surrounding areas, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District Senior Controller, Nick Hicks was on duty, waiting for the call to activate hydropower units if power was needed from the Fort Gibson Powerhouse in Fort Gibson, Okla. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District powerhouse personnel are responsible for maintaining and activating hydropower units when the grid needs peak power. Fort Gibson is one of eight Tulsa District powerhouses that can provide peak power to the electric grid in 15 minutes or less. Their efforts help ensure municipalities and end users have electricity when demand is highest.