Senate Appropriations Committee approves funding for Arkansas River Levee projects

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $50 million in funding Thursday for repairs and improvements to the Arkansas River Levee systems. Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, authored Senate Bill 1391, legislation that will drastically reduce risks of levee failure, offering security for residents and businesses along the Arkansas River.

“I greatly appreciate my colleagues in the Senate for recognizing the critical nature of these improvements and approving this funding,” Rogers said. “With more than $1 billion in infrastructure and thousands of Oklahomans in harm's way if the levee systems were to fail, it’s imperative that we work together at all levels of government to ensure these projects come to fruition.”

SB 1391 creates a revolving fund for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and designates the state’s portion of the funds to the project, which is estimated to total $191 million. Federal funding has been secured for the improvements, and Rogers continues to work closely with the Oklahoma House of Representatives, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Tulsa County on the project details.

Upon SB 1391 being signed into law, the appropriated funds would be available in Fiscal Year 2025.  

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Rogers: (405) 521-5600 or Cody.Rogers@oksenate.gov