Bricktown Canal, Oklahoma River Eastern Basin to be temporarily drained


(January 13, 2006) – On January 17 the City will drain the Oklahoma River Eastern Basin for a repair and the Bricktown Canal for cleaning.

The City will drain the Oklahoma River’s Eastern Basin river-lake between Eastern and Western Avenues on January 17 for repairs to a stacked-stone wall at Regatta Park just west of the Byers Avenue Bridge. Gates to catch floating debris will also be installed on the Eastern Avenue Dam. The work will take about 45 days.

The mile-long Bricktown Canal will be drained for cleaning January 17. City crews will spend about two weeks removing sediment and debris that have accumulated since the last cleaning in 2004.

The City chose the last two weeks of January for the cleaning because that time period will have the least impact on Bricktown tourism and business.

The $23.3 million canal and the $53.3 million low water dams creating the seven-mile Oklahoma River were two of the MAPS capital improvements projects approved by voters in December, 1993. The canal opened July 2, 1999, with additional improvements completed in 2003 and 2004.
Construction on the dams began in early 1999 and was completed in 2004.