Tulsa Holds Meeting On Zink Lake Ahead Of Opening

The City of Tulsa held a meeting about Zink Lake Tuesday night to give an update before it opens later this month.

The River Parks Authority outlined the rules including no swimming or wading, safety guidelines like having adult supervision, and showed the four access points into the lake.

The number one concern people had was if the water is safe.

Yvette Wiley lives in Tulsa and was at the meeting and says people need to feel comfortable when they use the new lake.

The City of Tulsa and the River Parks Authority created a website where people can see the stream flow levels and height of the lake, levels of E. Coli, and more. They say the information will let people make their own decisions about getting into the water.

Wiley says she plans to use Zink Lake but she thinks the website needs to be improved, so people will be able to understand the information posted in simpler terms.

"What we need is a calm, reasonable approach to this," said Yvette Wiley. "People need to understand a little bit about the water quality standards that our states base criteria on and which to measure for a water body. So, people can make an educated decision on whether they want to get in or not, because bottom line is if you don't feel safe don't get in the water, it really comes down to that."

The City will have a 4-day free event, Labor Day Weekend, called the Big Dam Party for the opening of Zink Lake. There will be live music, food trucks, the largest rubber duck in the world, and more.

People can kayak, surf, canoe, tube, whitewater raft, and more in the lake.

It will be the debut of the whitewater flume, the Williams Crossing Bridge, and Gathering Place's riverfront expansion.

People are not allowed to fish from the pedestrian bridge, and no combustion engines are allowed for use in Zink Lake.

The River Parks Authority says no one should be on or use any part of the low-water dam or any bridge abutment.

The River Parks Authority recommends everyone wear a life jacket.