Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s (PSO) Tulsa Power Station (TPS) has made a $20,000 donation to River Parks to help pay for the first phase of work needed to make repairs to the Zink low water dam, located on the Arkansas River south of downtown Tulsa.  The donation was presented today to Matt Meyer, executive director of the River Parks Authority.
 
With the donation, the first phase of the project can begin as soon as weather and river conditions permit.  Work will primarily involve construction of a temporary cofferdam, which will allow workers to pump out all the water around the dam’s gates.  With that area isolated and free of water, it will be inspected to get a complete work scope for repairs.
 
It’s anticipated work on the first phase will take about a week.  Phase two – the actual repair process – will be determined by what is discovered during the first phase and will obviously take much longer.
 
Doug Laney, the manager at TPS, says PSO’s contribution will help serve two purposes.
 
“Without the low water dam in top working condition, PSO generation facilities along the river can be negatively impacted, so we have a stake in its operation,” said Laney.  “However, this is also an opportunity to be a good neighbor and to do something that will allow everyone in our community an opportunity to enjoy to the fullest all the scenic and recreational opportunities the river offers when the dam is in top working order.”         
 
Mr. Meyer thanked PSO for their generosity and stated, “River Parks is fortunate to have a partner like PSO.  The Zink low water dam is an aging facility and this donation enables us to work in concert with them and begin the repair process for the three gates.”
 
PSO, an operating subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving approximately 520,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma.  Based in Tulsa, PSO has more than 4,100 megawatts of generating capacity, and is the largest provider of wind energy in the state.