High Water Hurts Lake Business

The rain is taking a toll on Tulsa-area lakes.  And, News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports that has business owners struggling to keep their heads above the high water.

Keystone is at 21 feet above normal.  Lake levels at Oologah are 18 feet higher than usual.  And, one of the worst is Fort Gibson where the water is high for the second year in a row.

"Mother Nature hasn't been good to us," said Matt Taylor of Whitehorn Cove Marina.

When Matt and Brittany Taylor bought the Whitehorn Cove Marina, two straight summer seasons of flooding wasn't exactly in their business plan.  But, here they are, coping for the second straight year with high water, and the high anxiety that comes along with it.

"Goodness.  Here we go again.  That's what goes through our minds.  We barely made it last year.  We were hoping to recover this summer," said Matt Taylor of Whitehorn Cove Marina.

The lake level at Fort Gibson is 23 feet above normal.  All that water, along with the wind has damaged seven docks, forced them to move RVs from flooded campgrounds, and tested the Taylor's nerves.

"No business on the lake wants this two years in a row.  No business wants it," said Brittany Taylor of Whitehorn Cove Marina.

The Taylors are doing what they can to salvage the season, including shuttling boat owners to slips.

Last year, high water cost the marina $300,000 in lost revenue and damage to docks.  This year looks like it could be just as bad.  And the Taylors think it will only get worse before it gets better.

Still, they're optimistic about the future.

"This is bad for us, but there's other places in the United States and the world that have it a whole lot worse than we do, so you can't get down on ourselves," said Matt Taylor of Whitehorn Cove Marina.

The couple hopes more water can be released from the lake, as long as it is safe for people downstream.  And, that the weather holds out.

"I just hope it goes down for the fourth.  That's all I can ask for and pray for," said Brittany Taylor of Whitehorn Cove Marina.

"We have faith.  We have faith.  We're good people.  Good things are going to happen to us," said Matt Taylor of Whitehorn Cove Marina.