Broken Arrow City Council
Meeting of: 12/02/25
Title:
title
Approval of and authorization of the cancellation and subsequent closing of the Covington Creek Drainage Improvements project and re-allocate the $500,000.00 of 2018 General Obligation Bond funds to the appropriate basin (Case No. 25-005)
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Background:
On May 20, 2025, the Council to approve the Drainage Advisory Committee’s recommendation for the expenditure of $500,000.00 to enter a partnership with the Forest Ridge HOA and the individual affected property owners in Wagoner County to share in the construction costs to construct a new channel for this portion of an unnamed branch of Covington Creek. Council expressed the importance that all affected property owners agree on the proposed mitigation effort and activity.
Staff has continued to work towards agreement with said property owners since the Council’s approval. On November 18, 2025, a public meeting was held with the affected property owners and their legal counsel. Only four (4) of the seven (7) Wagoner County residents attended. However, two (2) of the residents who did not attend already provided their responses to the City. The City asked three (3) crucial questions of the residents during this meeting: (1) are the residents willing to move forward with the project; (2) are the residents willing to donate an overland drainage easement to the City; (3) are the residents willing to enter into a three-party release of liability agreement. Five (5) of the seven (7) Wagoner County property owners stated that they “no” to one or more of the City’s questions.
Based upon the responses provided, the project cannot move forward with the full support of the property owners as required by the governing body in conjunction with its allocation of the $500,000.00 for the construction of the channel. Staff recommends the cancellation of the proposed project and the re-allocation of the funding to the Adams Creek Watershed.
Background Summary of the Proposed Project History. Deer Creek, an Unnamed Tributary to Covington Creek, and Covington Creek are experiencing increased erosion due to high velocity. The higher velocities create an erosive force that breakdown creek embankments, transports suspended soil particles and deposits sediments along these drainage ways. The sediments build up and trap floating debris, which blocks and impedes flow in the creek. In addition, the increased velocities due to the blockages under cut and erode away embankment material that supports vegetation as well as public and private infrastructure along the creek banks.
All 3 creeks are located on private property owned by an HOA or individual homeowners.
The Drainage Advisory Committee recommended on July 20, 2020, and Council approved on August 18, 2020 the expenditure of $35,000.00 for design and construction plans to mitigate the creeks mentioned above.
The Drainage Advisory Committee recommended on February 28, 2022, and Council approved on March 21, 2022 the expenditure of $30,000.00 for applying for an Individual 404 Permit from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and to finalize the construction documents.
The USACE Individual Permit has been processed and was executed by the City of Broken Arrow on April 17, 2025.
The conceptual construction cost estimate was approximately $480.000.00 (2020 dollars). After the design was complete the construction cost estimate increased to about $1,137,000.00 (2022 dollars). The current construction cost estimate is $1,200,000.00 (2025 dollars).
Cost: ($500,000.00)
Funding Source: 2018 GO Bond
Requested By: Kenneth Schwab, P.E., S.E., CFM, Assistant City Manager Operations
Approved By: City Manager’s Office
Attachments: None
Recommendation:
recommend
Approve and authorize the cancellation and subsequent closing of the Covington Creek Drainage Improvements project and re-allocating the $500,000.00 of 2018 General Obligation funds to the appropriate Basin
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