The new Zink Lake is just a few weeks away from opening to recreational boating on Labor Day weekend, and some have voiced concerns about health issues with regard to water quality, but people who have been rowing for decades on the lake say, based on their experience, there’s not that much to be worried about.

Since 2001, Dione Sturd has been on hundreds of rowing sessions on the Arkansas River and Zink Lake with the Tulsa Rowing Club and says that she’s never experienced any ill effects like illness or a rash, and never known anyone else in the group to have experienced anything bad either.

“I’ve been doing this about 25 years,” she said.

Even though the rowers don’t spend a lot of time in the water itself, she says there is considerable contact with the water, either caused by wind and waves or from being splashed accidentally by other rowers in the racing boat.

Occasionally, some boats have even tipped over, dunking rowers into the water completely, and even then she says there have been no problems.

“They didn’t get sick, you know, anything like that,” Sturd said.

She also points out that that city will be monitoring the water quality more closely now than ever in all her years of experience on the river.

She says people who have concerns should look at the city’s data which is available online here.

©2024 Cox Media Group