River restoration rejected

By David Arnett    
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
By 52.5 percent of the vote, Tulsa County voters rejected a package of river restoration Tuesday.

The proposition would have built new low-water dams at Sand Springs and Jenks and repair the one at 31st Street and Riverside.  The dams would have worked together to maintain three lakes and keep water visible in the river year-round.  The proposition was the beginning of implementation of the Arkansas River Corridor Master Plan which evolved from over 60 public meetings and four years of study by professionals from multiple disciplines.

Opponents began printing NO signs a year in advance of the vote and had numerous objections and general complaints about various levels of government.  Some elected officials opposed the package and suggested that there was not enough “in it for them.”  Most of the prominent opponent leaders were the same individuals who worked to defeat previously passed Tulsa County infrastructure programs Vision 2025, and 4-to-Fix and three; Rosco Turner, Jack Henderson, and John Eagleton are Tulsa City Councilors also promoting forced annexation of the Tulsa County Fairgrounds – Expo Square.   

Private developers have plans to build along the river, but several said their capital investment was dependent on passage of the proposition and “water in the river.”
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 October 2007 )