The Tulsa Port Of Catoosa Celebrates 50 Years

The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is celebrating 50 years this weekend.

On Friday, city and state leaders held a ceremony marking the milestone.

"This port right here ships products into America and then out to the rest of the United States of America," said Lt. Gov Matt Pinnell.

The port's history dates back to the 1940s, 50s, and 60s with the construction of a navigation system on the Arkansas River but it wasn't until 1971, that Tulsa's Port of Catoosa was complete.

"The new maritime states of Oklahoma and Arkansas can look forward to a whole new era of growth and development," said President Richard Nixon in a speech at the time.

On June 5th, President Nixon came to the port to dedicate the navigation system in front of a crowd of 20,000 people. In the years that followed, the port became a major economic boost for both Oklahoma and Arkansas and has shipped 87 million tons of cargo to date. Pinnell says many Oklahomans may not realize the products they use are connected to this waterway.

"Anything you're buying in a grocery store or in a small business owner shop, a lot of those products come right through this port," said Pinnell.

Friday's ceremony also looked toward the future and what the port may look like in another 50 years.

State and federal officials say their goal is to increase the depth of the channel from 9 feet to 12, which in turn would mean more products through the port.