TULSA, Okla. — People in Tulsa are raising concerns about Zink Lake less than a month before its grand opening on Labor Day weekend.
The City of Tulsa held a public meeting on Tuesday where people could sit in on a presentation from the City and River Parks Authority and then ask questions.
However, some people said their questions were not answered and their concerns are going unheard.
FOX23 was at the meeting and heard from some of the people there.
The City said they’re doing their best to answer all the questions they can and make sure that when the lake opens it’s safe for everyone.
Some people on Tuesday sounded the alarm and said not enough is being done yet.
The City of Tulsa, the River Parks Authority, and Visit Tulsa all took part in a presentation to help inform the public and build excitement for the soon-to-open 2-and-a-half-mile recreational lake along the Arkansas River.
The groups listed the specifics of the lake such as dimensions and monitoring reports.
They also included the recreational activities that will be held there including kayaking, fishing, white water rafting, and more, despite the lake being a no-swim zone, which has people concerned about the water quality.
The City said people can fall and jump in the water, but its meant for activities like rafting and fishing. So for safety purposes, they’re not allowing people to show up only to swim.
Despite this, some people at Tuesday’s meeting didn’t trust the testing and said not enough has been done to make it safe from pollutants and bacteria.
“I wouldn’t kayak in that water, I wouldn’t risk it. I wouldn’t risk my children’s health or anyone I cared about. I encourage all parents to really consider is it worth it,” Kelsey Boyce said.
After the presentation, guests had about an hour to ask questions to the City or River Parks Authority.
They could also meet with them individually afterward, but several said their questions were not answered, nor was there enough time to do so.
“I had a number of different questions regarding what would be done about the streams draining in the water like creek watershed and what plans were in place to mitigate those,” Erin Griffith said.
Boyce shared a similar sentiment.
“I thought it was interesting there were 30 more questions that members of the public had asked and submitted which did not in fact get answered,” Boyce said.
FOX23 tried to speak with members of the City, but they were busy speaking to some of the people who attended on Tuesday.
They did say the City tries to meet them in groups and individually address their concerns.
They said every question unanswered today will get a response from the City or the River Parks Authority along with monitoring reports, dam output and new developments on the City’s website.
The link for those monitoring reports and lake levels can be found by clicking here.
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