TULSA, Okla. — A section of Catfish Creek runs between two east Tulsa apartment complexes, tucked between Highway 169 and South 107th East Avenue.
For neighbors Janet Zotigh and Bill Reed, the waterway has become a years long source of frustration as rain carries trash and debris into the creek and nearby pond.
Zotigh said the area looked very different when she moved there nine and a half years ago. “It was beautiful when we first moved here,” she said. “You could sit on the bank over there and watch the turtles and frogs and everything.”
But with each heavy rain, Zotigh said, water rushes through the drainage area and leaves more litter behind. “It just brings trash in, and it’s just gotten worse and worse over the years,” she said.
Years of calls and “passing the buck”
Reed said he has complained about debris, weeds and the storm drainage feeding the pond for about seven years. The hardest part, he said, was finding out who should take responsibility to ensure it is cleaned up.
“It’s been a lot of passing the buck,” Reed said. “I call DEQ (Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality). They refer me to county storm drain people. They refer me to the city of Tulsa, and everybody says somebody else owns it. It’s not their problem or their responsibility.”
Reed worries the accumulation is more than an eyesore. He said neighbors once saw beavers, turtles and other wildlife around the pond, but he believes the trash and debris have driven them away.
He described litter catching on the banks and in tall cattails after fast-moving water recedes.
City identifies private property owners
After 2 News Oklahoma contacted the city, Public Works Stormwater Division Manager Heath Kirkeby visited the site.
He said the city investigated and determined that the waterway on both sides of South 107th East Avenue is privately owned, with a different owner on each side.
Kirkeby said the property owners are responsible for the cleanup. “The City of Tulsa does not do any private maintenance or private cleanups on private property,” he said.
Using tax records, 2 News Oklahoma identified the owners. A message was left for the owner of one side of the creek; the listed number for the owner of the other side did not accept messages. Neither owner had responded at the time of the report, and it was not clear whether they were aware of the debris or their cleanup responsibility.
Kirkeby said the city would likely ask its code enforcement division to notify the owners. 2 News Oklahoma will follow up on when those notifications are made and to see whether the trash is removed.
What neighbors can do about a similar problem
- Start with 311. Kirkeby said Tulsa residents should call 311 and describe the location and nature of the problem. The call taker can route the complaint to the appropriate department, such as Public Works, Water and Sewer or code enforcement.
- Document the conditions. Note the exact location, dates, flooding or rainfall conditions and the types of debris involved. Photos can help show whether the problem is recurring or worsening.
- Ask for a complaint or service-request record. Keep the date of each call and any identifying number provided so you can follow up without starting over.
- Determine who owns the property. County tax records can help identify a private owner when responsibility is unclear.
- Contact your city councilor. Kirkeby said residents can also ask their councilor for help getting a complaint to the right place.
- Follow up. Resolution times vary with each situation, Kirkeby said, but residents can check which department received the complaint and what action is planned.
Contact the Problem Solvers:
- 918-748-1502
- problemsolvers@kjrh.com
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