'The Levees Are Just Pitiful': Bill To Put $50 Million Towards Tulsa Levee System Advances

A bill that would put $50 million toward fixing the levees along the Arkansas River advances at the state capitol.

The bill would need to be passed up to the governor’s desk and signed into law for Oklahoma to get $141 million from the federal government to make repairs.

The bill also creates a revolving fund so improvements can be made in the future. 

Chris Rask and Lanny Watson have lived in their homes in Sand Springs for four decades, and experienced major flooding in 1986 and again in 2019.

They both say fixing the levees would bring their neighborhood peace of mind and protection they didn't get.

"We actually had eight feet of water in the house, but it was like, you know, just river water and sand, and it was in and out within a couple of days and we were back, able to start rebuilding our homes," said Rask.

"Water was four feet high in 1986 and the sheetrock was soft all the way to the ceiling, so we had to strip everything out to the ceiling and rebuild," Watson said.

It happened again 33 years later in 2019.

"It was river water, sand, but it was also chemical sewage, and other things you probably don’t want to see or say...we lost all of our furniture and everything like that on the inside, you know, and the carpeting and everything," said Rask. 

"In 2019 the water was only two and a half feet high in the house, but it was in the house for seven days, so again, we had to strip it all the way to the ceiling and rebuild," said Watson.

The Army Corps of Engineers says the levees along the Arkansas River are among the worst in the country, and Chris Rask knows that firsthand.

"The levees are just pitiful they are," said Rask.

Lanny Watson said the levees need to be fixed to keep people and their homes safe, so people don't have to rebuild their lives from scratch.

"The people that are protected by the levees will be more protected by the levees. I believe that they need to be improved," Watson said.

Rask said he's not worried about another flood, but he wants the levees fixed for his current and future neighbors.

"For people that want to live down here in the future and for those and the young families down here, it should give them peace of mind. It will alleviate possible flooding to the extent we had before," Rask said.

If the Governor signs the bill, the federal funds will be available on July 1st, 2025.