Tulsa Wave

[GregK]

I've been searching online trying to get some information on the Tulsa Wave. Does anyone know what the plans are for the wave or know where I can find information on it?

[RandyJ]

Nothing much on line that I'm aware of. River corridor development is centered on building two new low-water dams (LWD's) - one in Sand Springs, one in Jenks. Also includes doing a make-over on the existing LWD on Riverside in Tulsa, and creating a whitewater park just downstream of that dam in area around old Tulsa Wave. There a possibility that whitewater features will be designed into the run-out of the two new LWDs. The LWD in Sand Springs will be designed to capture water during periods of release from Keystone Dam, then slowly release it at 500-1000-ish CFS to keep some flow in the channel as much as possible. Hopefully, there will be whitewater features that can take advantage of this low flow, as well as features that will rock at normal release flows of 6-12K cfs.

Timing/timelines: SLOW, YEARS. Design work may start this summer, last I heard. A full Environmental Impact Study (EIS) will be required for the whole project, since all the pieces mentioned here interrelate.

[GregK]

Is there anything that can help the process? petitioning, fund raising, editorials to papers, attempts to get media attention?

[RandyJ]

Oh, that question is so loaded...

Two biggest obstacles I see are 1) bureaucracy and red tape, and 2) funding. Public support is a very mixed bag on the project...plenty of naysayers out there...but I'd be concerned if there wasn't. Most visionary projects have their fair share of skeptics.