Although the Arkansas River is currently flooding at historic proportions, Mike Grogan from Tulsa’s KOTV News on 6 points out that the ongoing flooding is different from the flooding in 1986. Key points are (1) the weather systems contributing to the rains are different and (2) increased urbanization in the Tulsa metro over the last 30 years have increased the runoff potential causing more water to drain into the Arkansas River watershed instead of absorbing into vegetation and soil. Which is why proper city planning along rivers is critical, and to Tulsa’s credit, the city has maintained parks along the riverside to allow area for flooding. However, the city did discuss plans for development along and near the river over the last decade. But, with this flood, I hope that the city of Tulsa and its suburbs takes steps to ensure that the flood control systems are up to par and any improvements are dealt with before further large-scale river development continues.
