TULSA, Okla. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District began constructing a cofferdam in the Verdigris River below the main spillway at Oologah Dam in Rogers County, Oklahoma, on May 26.
“We're installing a new stilling basin and repairing an old stilling basin,” said Capt. Benjamin Lawrence, Tulsa District lead engineer for the USACE. “The stilling basin is a platform that is designed to reduce erosion as well as slow down the rapids directly out of the gate.”
During a 2022 inspection, engineers identified damage to the concrete and began planning and securing funding for repairs.
Each of the two 19-foot conduits that discharge into the main spillway can release up to 17,500 cubic feet of water per second. The force...
06.04.2026 | OOLOGAH, OKLAHOMA, US |
Story by Brannen Parrish
TULSA, Okla. β In recognition of National Safe Boating Week, May 16β22, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, is reminding all recreational boaters to prioritize safety as they return to the water this season.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District will provide updates about the Tulsa-West Tulsa Levee Safety Project during a community meeting, 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30.
Address: The Common Good, Northwest Tulsa Hub 19 S. 49th W. Ave.
TULSA, Okla. βThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District will begin collecting day-use fees at Timber Hill and Mound Valley boat ramps at Big Hill Lake near Cherryvale, Kan., May 1.
A crawler dozer pushes material during construction of a coffer dam in the Verdigris River below Oologah Dam in Rogers County, Okla., May 26, 2025. The coffer dam will prevent water from re-entering the work area while concrete is replaced in the Oologah Dam stilling basin. The stilling basin reduces speed and force from water releases to prevent bank erosion near and downstream of the dam.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District has begun moving dirt to repair the stilling basin below Oologah Dam in Rogers County, Oklahoma. Contractors used heavy equipment to construct a coffer dam and are pumping the basin dry to allow concrete demolition and repair to take place. Tulsa District engineers identified damage to the concrete floor and baffle blocks during a dewatering and inspection in 2022. The project will take about 10 months to complete.
