Haskell receives $1M federal grant to protect city’s water supply from aging bridge

HASKELL, Okla. — The City of Haskell is receiving a $1M federal grant to protect its water supply by relocating a major water line currently running across an aging bridge that city leaders fear could collapse.

The funding, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will allow the city to move the water line off the old Highway 104 bridge just east of town and install it underneath the Arkansas River.

Haskell City Manager Mike Keene said the bridge has been out of service for years, but it continues to carry a critical water line supplying the community.

According to Keene, years of deterioration and damage from the 2019 floods have weakened the bridge, raising concerns about its structural condition. If the bridge collapses, the city could lose its main water connection.

“We’ll lose our main water line coming across and coming into town,” Keene said.

Keene said the possibility of losing the water line has been a major concern for city leaders, who have been looking for a long-term solution.

The $1M USDA grant will allow Haskell to relocate the water line underneath the Arkansas River, eliminating the risk associated with relying on the aging bridge.

Keene said no local tax dollars are being used to fund the project.

“We’re always working on issues like this with trying to upgrade the infrastructure and things like that, so this is just fantastic because we would never be able to afford this on our own,” Keene said.

For Dana Gomez, who works at El Jalapeño in Haskell, the project is welcome news as she continues to see growth throughout the community.

“That’ll be great. I’m sure a lot of people will be really happy about that,” Gomez said.

Keene said preliminary work on the project is already underway, with completion expected by summer 2027.