As storm damage assessments continue at Mohawk Park, the biggest concern is the old landfill it’s partially built on that’s been exhumed by floodwaters.
The City of Tulsa has the needed approval from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to move ahead on a plan for immediate containment. Parks Director Anna America said the area is difficult to work in, but the goals are clear.
"Protect both the areas out there so we can enjoy them but most importantly to make sure that we’re not washing any more debris into Bird Creek, which flows into many communities," America said.
Long-term remediation of the now-exposed landfill will take years, and it’s unclear exactly what that will entail.
America said there may be some quick fixes at Mohawk, such as reopening roads and shoring up washed-out low-water crossings on the golf course.
"But it’s really highlighted that we’ve got to do a better fix for those. They’ve got to be constructed in a way that flash flooding or being inundated like we were for several days won’t destroy those. So, some of these things will take several years to get them fixed up where we want them to be," America said.
Besides damage, visitors will notice fewer butterflies this summer. Oxley Nature Center Director Eddie Resse said much of the park was under four to five feet of water, with some areas under as much as 10 feet.
"With all that water that was up for several days all the chrysalises and cocoons and things were damaged or killed, and then the plants that normally would be blooming right now that would be offering nectar, they’re set back. So, they may not bloom until later in the summer," Reese said.
Reese expects butterfly numbers to rebound next year.
