Senate Approves Bill to Fund Arkansas River Levee Improvements
/Water Leaks from the Arkansas River levee near 65th West Avenue and Charles Page Boulevard in 2019.
OKLAHOMA CITY – House Bill 3288, by Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, received approval from the full Senate Wednesday, April 24th. The measure provides $50 million in funding for repairs and improvements to the Arkansas River Levee Systems, which are currently at high risk of failure.
“The Army Corps of Engineers has determined that the levees along the Arkansas River are among the worst in the country and are in dire need of repairs. After the devastating floods in 2019, it has become increasingly apparent that this infrastructure needs attention. I am appreciative of those who recognized the urgent nature of these projects and voted in favor of this measure,” Rogers said.
HB 3288 also establishes the Arkansas River Levee Improvement Revolving Fund for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. The $50 million in funds will be placed in the revolving fund to carry out the repairs, while the remaining funding for the $191 million project will come from federal funding and local partners.
Upon being signed into law, the funds would be available in Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1. Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, serves as the House author of HB 3288.
