$1.3M In American Rescue Plan Funds Will Go To Jenks Levee Improvements

The levee in Jenks will see some improvements soon thanks to federal stimulus money because of the pandemic.  

The levee in Jenks is more than seven miles long. Federal and local officials said parts of it do not have enough freeboard, which means the levee needs to be taller.  

Tulsa County commissioners said after the 2019 flood, FEMA identified the Jenks levee as one of several levees across the country that needed improvements. Tulsa County said it used Vision money to develop an engineering design plan to fix the levee. 

This week, county commissioners decided more than $1.3 million will be used from American Rescue Plan funds to make the levee stronger and taller by adding more clay. 

Commissioner Karen Keith said that federal money will pay for the construction in its entirety. She said it is a relief to know Jenks will be more protected than it is now. 

"We discovered after the 2019 spring flood that it did not have enough freeboard, enough height on it. And so we've got to add to it. And it protects all of Jenks, really. The downtown, the airport, south lakes golf course, the entire area,” Keith said.

Construction is expected to start early next year and only take a few months to complete.