City Gearing Up For Opening of Zink Lake; Multiple Projects Underway to be Completed for Grand Opening on Labor Day Weekend 2024

7/23/2024

Public Meeting on Zink Lake Scheduled for August 6

The City of Tulsa is gearing up for the opening of Zink Lake and Tulsa's new pedestrian bridge, Williams Crossing, on Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 30 - Sept. 2.

A public meeting about Zink Lake is scheduled for August 6 at 6 p.m. in the WaterWorks Art Center, 1710 Charles Page Blvd. At the meeting, the City of Tulsa, River Parks, and Visit Tulsa will discuss new amenities at the lake, what users can expect to do the lake, and what the celebration will look like. River Parks will also go more in depth on lake operations and safety guidelines and procedures. More information on the celebration spearheaded by Visit Tulsa can be found at www.bigdamparty.com. 

Various projects are underway to prepare for the opening and will be completed prior to opening weekend. All projects are focused in areas along the east bank, which is located along Riverside Drive near Denver Avenue, and on the west bank, which is located just south of the 23rd Street bridge on the west side of Zink Lake.

East bank improvements include:

• Construction of additional parking spaces, totaling 134
• Renovation of existing restrooms
• Installation of new artwork at the Zink Lake overlook

West bank improvements include:

• Construction of additional parking spaces that extend further to the south and north of the existing parking lot, totaling 222
• Concrete work to connect the parking lot and River Parks trails to the kayak launch at Zink Lake, which is also under construction
• Installation of two Portland Loo restrooms  
• Installation of new benches, a new water fountain with a water bottle filler, bike racks, and trash cans

Activities users can expect to see on Zink Lake will include individual and group ventures. Kayaking, canoeing, rowing, stand-up paddleboard use, and fishing will be encouraged. Kayaking, surfing, and tube-floating are all activities people can expect to take on in the whitewater flume. There will also be additional opportunities for events and planned activities around sailboat racing, rowing events, the return of the Great Raft Race, and more. Zink Lake will be a no-wake zone and is not intended to be a swimming lake.

For more information about Zink Lake, and to see the first water quality dashboard in the state of Oklahoma, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/Zink. 

For more information about additional Route 66 projects planned near the north side of the lake near Cry Baby Hill, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/Route66.