Tulsa’s ‘Big Dam Party’ got off to a slow start as rain delayed some activities, like Saturday’s Hanson concert. However, crowds were out in force by Labor Day to celebrate the city’s newest attraction.
According to Jeff Edwards, executive director of Tulsa’s River Parks Authority, Gathering Place security counted nearly 100,000 people attending the long weekend’s festivities.
Zink Lake, part of the city’s Vision 2025 program, opened after decades of planning and a cost of more than $80 million. The price tag includes an accompanying low-water dam near 30th Street and a pedestrian bridge spanning the Arkansas River.
In an email, Edwards said that assuming waters levels in the Arkansas River stay sufficient, Zink Lake should be operational year-round.
Residents have voiced concerns about pollutants in the Arkansas River that feeds the man-made lake. The city has said it will regularly monitor the river’s water for E. Coli as well as pH balance. The public can access a real-time dashboard to check water quality online.
The wave park closed during the party on Sunday, but Edwards said reports of the shutdown being caused by water quality concerns were untrue.
“Our biggest concern was keeping the citizens safe and out of harm’s way from potentially swift moving large debris that could enter through the Wave Park gates from Zink Lake, which is fed directly from the Arkansas River,” Edwards said.
Sam Mulready went to Zink Lake to wake surf. He said his fears about the river’s water have been quelled.
“I know the Arkansas River has a bit of a reputation for being a little dirty, but it looks pretty clean and it says online that it’s all clean, so I’ve been loving it,” he said.
Mulready regularly wake surfs at Skiatook Lake, but said the new option at Zink Lake is even more convenient.
“This is right across the river from my house and I was, like, ‘I need to try that out,’” he said.
Laura Gregory, who spent time with her husband and child along the rocks that line Zink Lake’s shore, said it was simply a good way to spend the Labor Day holiday with family.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
