Tulsa County Does Not Own River

I recieved this press release from The South Tulsa Citizens Coalition.

The South Tulsa Citizens Coalition (“STCC”) has uncovered new evidence which indicates that Tulsa County has no ownership rights in any of the land or riverbeds associated with the IVI Toll Bridge deal. It has always been known that the ownership of the banks of the Arkansas River reside with the Cities of Tulsa and Jenks at the proposed IVI Toll Bridge location, but new information reveals that Tulsa County has no rights in the Arkansas River either. STCC has obtained copies of a title opinion commissioned by the City of Tulsa’s Public Works Department that concludes that the landowners abutting the Arkansas River are the rightful owners of the Arkansas River, not Tulsa County. The title opinion clearly eliminates the State of Oklahoma and likewise Tulsa County from owning any portion of the Arkansas River at the IVI Toll Bridge location. A copy of the title opinion is enclosed with this press release. The applicable portions of the title opinion are highlighted in yellow.*

The landowners abutting the Arkansas River in the location where the proposed IVI Toll Bridge is to be located are the City of Tulsa and the City of Jenks. This means that the City of Tulsa and the City of Jenks own that portion of the Arkansas River from the banks of their respective land to the middle of the river. As a result, Tulsa County owns absolutely no land or the body of water where the proposed IVI Toll Bridge is to be located.

In response to the newly uncovered evidence, STCC spokesman Michael Covey said “The County Commissioners’ conduct with regard to this whole IVI Toll Bridge deal has been nothing but smoke and mirrors. They can’t sell what they don’t own and they can’t build a bridge where they don’t own the land.” Covey went on to add, “We knew this IVI Toll Bridge was a bad financial deal for the citizens of Tulsa County when we discovered a $35 million bridge would cost the citizens over $650 million, but to now find out that the County doesn’t even own the rights they gave away, well, that kind of bad government must stop!”

*Here is one of the afore mentioned highlighted areas. I can't host PDFs so I turned the relevant portion into a Jpeg. Click to enlarge.

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