TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla.—Before he even understood the engineering behind it, Stephen Sewell loved to build. From an early age, models, forts and nearly anything that required instructions caught his attention.
As he aged, he excelled at math and science, making engineering a perfect fit.
“My parents always said I would spend hours in my room building things as a kid,” said Sewell.
He earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of Memphis.
Today, Sewell is the area engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, where he leads a team responsible for delivering critical military construction projects. He leads a team responsible for delivering critical military construction projects that help the Air...
02.27.2026 | TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, OKLAHOMA, US |
Story by Stacey Reese
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District has extended the public comment period for the Keystone Master Plan Draft Supplement to Feb. 23, 2026.
TULSA, OK – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today announced that State Highway 151 will be restricted to one lane of traffic over Keystone Dam from Feb.13 through March 9, 2026.
Stephen Sewell, area engineer, Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Matt Martinez, project manager with SGS Design Build, discuss progress on the roadway and supporting infrastructure for the commercial vehicle inspection facility at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Feb. 18, 2026.
The facility will serve as the single point of entry for all commercial vehicles entering the installation. The project includes a security control center, enclosed inspection station for large commercial vehicles, overwatch facility, roadways and supporting infrastructure. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Stacey Reese/released)
The history and challenges of the Tulsa West Tulsa Levee.
Before construction of the Tulsa-West Tulsa Levee, homes and businesses along the Arkansas river in Tulsa County had few defenses from floods.
The 1908 and 1923 floods displaced over four thousand Tulsans and caused seven hundred fifty thousand dollars in damages, about one hundred twenty million dollars in modern construction costs.
Passage of the Flood Control Act of 1941 authorized the levee’s construction, and in 1945 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District turned over the completed twenty-mile levee system to Tulsa County Drainage District 12 for operations and maintenance.
The Tulsa West Tulsa Levee didn't eliminate Arkansas river floods, but it has...
