Broken Arrow City Council
Meeting of: 05-19-2026
Title:
title
Acceptance of the Drainage Advisory Committee’s recommendation to approve expenditure of 2018 General Obligation Bond funds to design mitigation plans for the outlet structure at the Boy Scout Pond near 23rd St and New Orleans St
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Background:
The case was brought before the Drainage Advisory Committee on April 27, 2026, for design funds to design erosion mitigation of the outlet structure of the Boy Scouts Pond near the intersection of 23rd St and New Orleans St. The Committee unanimously voted to recommend approval of expenditure of funds.
Indian Nation Council Boy Scouts of America (Boy Scouts) contacted the City requesting assistance with a drainage concern. The land has changed over the last 100 years. In the early 1920s, the Seneca Coal Company began coal mining operations on the property. By the 1940s, operations had ceased and eventually the owner of Seneca donated the property to the Boy Scouts. Since then, a portion has been reclaimed for beneficial use. The northeast portion is currently owned by Northeastern State University, NSU. NSU appears to have started reclaiming the land around 2002, according to aerial photographs.
Based upon the original Indian Territory land survey drawings, prepared dated April 9, 1898, the land surveyors showed that Broken Arrow Creek originally drained across what would become the Boy Scouts property. When the private corporations began coal mining operations on the property, they constructed a diversion channel around the southwestern portion of the coal mining operation and re-direct the flow back into the creek just north of New Orleans Street. The actual creek still flowed into the strip mines at some point. See Attachment for more details.
The outflow structure of the Boy Scouts pond is a low water crossing. A low water crossing is a structure that is designed to overtop before the 1% chance (100-Year) rainfall event. The structure is calculated to overtop by about 5 ft - 9 in during a 1% chance event. The Boy Scouts state the outlet structure does overtop several times a year. This overtopping has caused erosion concerns around the structure. The Boy Scouts have previously repaired some damage and are requesting assistance with the current conditions.
New Orleans St. is calculated to overtop by about 11 inches during the 1% event storm. City staff does not have records of New Orleans St. overtopping in the last 38 years.
This area is in a FEMA regulated floodplain and a blue line stream governed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
This is in the Broken Arrow Creek Watershed.
Staff is requesting $70,000.00 of the 2018 General Obligation Bond Proposition 6 funds for design of erosion mitigation of the outlet structure of the Boy Scouts pond near the intersection of 23rd St and New Orleans St.
Cost: $70,000.00
Funding Source: 2018 General Obligation Bond, Proposition 6
Requested By: Charlie Bright, P.E., Director of Engineering and Construction
Approved By: City Manager’s Office
Attachments: Drainage Report, Exhibits
Recommendation:
recommend
Accept the Drainage Advisory Committee’s recommendation to approve the expenditure of 2018 General Obligation Bond funds to design mitigation plans for the out structure at the Boy Scout Pond near 23rd St and New Orleans St. (Case No. 26-009)
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