Corpstruction - Weekend Recreation and News Roundup 16 JUL 2021

WELCOME TO CORPSTRUCTION, A PODCAST ABOUT THE MISISONS OF THE TULSA DISTRICT U S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

IT’S FRIDAY, JULY SIXTENTH TWENTY TWENTY ONE AND THIS IS THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP WHERE WE GO OVER THE MAJOR NEWS EVENTS AND ISSUES IN THE TULSA DISTRICT.

LETS START WITH A TALK ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES.

THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS TAKING ACTION TO COMBAT THE DECLINING POLLINATOR POPULATION AND THE TULSA DISTRICT IS ON THE FOREFRONT OF THAT EFFORT.

POLLINATORS ARE SPECIES THAT TRANSFER POLLEN BETWEEN PLANTS. BELIEVE IT THAT INCLUDES BEES, BIRDS, BEATLES, BUTTERFLIES, BATS, WASPS AND EVEN FLIES.

AT KEYSTONE LAKE THE STAFF ARE CREATING AN AREA FOR POLLINATORS BY REMOVING INVASIVE VEGETATION LIKE JOHNSON GRASS AND EASTERN RED CEDAR AT BRUSH CREEK CAMPGROUND.

AT OOLOGAH LAKE, RANGER RANDI CLIFTON IS DEVELOPING A ONE ACRE POLLINATOR HABITAT NEAR BLUE CREEK CAMPGROUND

IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH PHILLIPS 66 THE KAW LAKE OFFICE HAS ESTABLISHED VARIOUS POLLINATOR FIELDS. THE TULSA DISTRICT’S LAKE OFFICES HAVE DEVELOPED ABOUT EIGHT ACRES OF WILDLFLOWER FIELDS TO REVERSE

AT MARION RESERVOIR, THE STAFF ARE PLANTING POLLINATOR STRIPS FIVE FEET WIDE BY UP TO 120 YARDS LONG TO CREATE MORE DIVERSE VEGETION.

AT CANTON LAKE RANGER JOHNNIE DUDLEY INCORPORATED SEVERAL ACRES OF WILDFLOWER SPECIES INTO THE DESIGN OF THE NEW DISC GOLF COURSE THERE. AMONG THE WILDFLOWERS RANGER DUDLEY AND THE LAKE OFFICE STAFF SEEDED NATIVE WILDFLOWERS IN AND AROUND THE BORDERS OF THE COURSE. AMONG THE WILDFLOWER MIX IS GALLARDIA, ALSO KNOWN AS INDIAN BLANKET, FIREWHEEL AND SUNDANCE WHICH ATTRACTS POLLINATORS LIKE BEES AND BUTTERFLIES.

COLONEL SCOTT S. PRESTON, TULSA DISTRICT COMMANDER AND TODD KILPATRICK DRAINAGE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER FOR TULSA COUNTY DRAINAGE DISTRICT 12, SIGNED A DESIGN AGREEMENT THAT WILL ALLOW USACE TO COMMENCE WITH PRE-ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN PHASE OF THE TULSA WEST TULSA REPAIR PROJECT. THE TULSA DISTRICT’S PROJECT DELIVERY TEAM CAN DESIGN THE TULSA WEST TULSA LEVEE REHABILITATION PROJECT. IN 2020 THE PROJECT WAS APPROVED AND RECOMMENDED FOR INCLUSION INTO THE USACE WORK PLAN BY THEN CHIEF OF ENGINEERS, LIEUTENANT GENERAL TODD SEMONITE.

SOME OF THE FEATURES OF THE REPAIR PROJECT FOR THE NEARLY 80 YEAR OLD LEVEE INCLUDE: 11.3 MILES OF FILTERED BERM WITH A TOE DRAIN, A TWO THOUSAND FOOT CUT OFF WALL AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF FIVE PUMP STATIONS.

TULSA DISTRICT’S HERO OF THE WEEK IS LINDSEY BYFIELD, A CONTRACTING SPECIALIST HERE. BYFIELD EXECUTES A VARIETY OF COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING PROJECTS AND PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS FORTHE ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING SECTION.

ARE YOU A CONTRACTOR INTERESTED GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS WITH A TULSA DISTRICT PARK OR AGENCY OR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT? VISIT WWW.SAM.GOV TO SEARCH FOR CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES.

TWO OF THE TULSA DISTRICT’S KANSAS LAKES ARE EXPERIENCING HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS. THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT HAS PLACED MARION LAKE IN MARION KANSAS AND BIG HLL LAKE IN CHERRYVALE, KANSAS UNDER HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM WARNINGS. AS A RESULT ALL SWIM BEACHES AT MARION RESERVOIR AND BIG HILL LAKE ARE CLOSED.

WHEN LAKES ARE UNDER AN ALGAE BLOOM WARNING IT MEANS HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS ARE EXPECTED OR PRESENT.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOMS VISIT THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT WEBSITE AT K D H E K S DOT G O V.

HERE ARE THE CURRENT RECREATION CLOSURES HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND. STARTING WITH THE KANSAS AREA:

AT COUNCIL GROVE LAKE SOME SITES AT CANNING CREEK PARK, SANTA FE TRAIL AND NORTH RICHEY COVE ARE CLOSED.

AT JOHN REDMOND LAKE THE DAM SITE LOW WATER BOAT RAMP IS CLOSED OTTER CREEK IS CLOSED. THE BOAT RAMPS AT HICKORY CREEK EAST, HICKORY CREEK WEST AND HARTFORD ARE CLOSED.

AT FALL RIVER LAKE, DAM SITE EAST IC SLOSED.

AT MARION LAKE ALL SWIM BEACHES ARE CLOSED DUE TO BLUE GREEN ALGAE COTTONWOOD POINT HAS SEVERLA CAMPSITE CLOSURES DUE TO FLOOD DAMAGES AND ELECTRICAL REPAIRS. HILLSBORO COVE ALSO HAS SEVERAL SITE CLOSURES. OVERLOOK IS OP