100 Years of Water Service: City Gears Up to Celebrate Centennial Anniversary of Spavinaw Water Project

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The City of Tulsa is gearing up to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the completion of the Spavinaw Water Project, a historic infrastructure project that ultimately helped Tulsa grow and thrive thanks to the clean, reliable water it provided to the city. Celebrations and activities are planned for November 16.

The City will be hosting a 5K and one mile Fun Run on November 16 at 9 a.m. beginning at the Mohawk Water Treatment Plant, 3600 E. Mohawk Blvd. Tulsa, OK 74115. Attendees will enjoy scenic views of Lake Yahola, food trucks, activities, music, and remarks from City officials and others.

"As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Spavinaw Water Project, I want to recognize its profound historical impact on Tulsa's growth over the last 100 years and its testament to the innovation that continues to move Tulsa forward," said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum "When built, this project was a groundbreaking feat of engineering that transformed Tulsa, ensuring a reliable supply of clean water that helped Tulsa grow into the city we know today. I am excited to join the community in celebrating this historic anniversary and can't wait to see how Tulsa celebrates during the centennial weekend."

"The Spavinaw Water Project fundamentally changed Tulsa and has been a foundational part of Tulsa's water infrastructure for the last century, ensuring a reliable supply of clean, safe water that is essential to public health and the city's continued growth," said City of Tulsa Water and Sewer Department Director Eric Lee. "Its completion was a monumental achievement in infrastructure and paved the way for Tulsa's growth and development. Today, it remains a vital part of our water supply and ability to deliver clean water to every household and business. As we look ahead to the next 100 years, we remain committed to maintaining and advancing our water supply infrastructure to ensure clean water for generations to come."

To register for the 5K and Fun Run, please go online to https://runsignup.com/Race/OK/Tulsa/SpavinawCentennialCelebration5k

Registration costs $20 and all participants will receive a t-shirt and medal. The 5K course is USATF certified.

The History of Spavinaw

In the early 1900s, Tulsans used water from springs, wells and the Arkansas River which was full of gypsum, salt and silt. In 1908, it was discovered that Spavinaw water could flow by gravity to Tulsa, leading to the innovative water system project which included the dam, a flowline, the Mohawk pumping station, a terminal reservoir and a storage tank at Reservoir Hill. A visionary project at a cost of $7.5 million, it was the largest per capita bond issued in U.S. history at the time, which passed by a 5-to-1 margin.

Spavinaw Dam was constructed by the City of Tulsa in 1922 on Spavinaw Creek and took two years to complete. The dam is two-thirds of a mile long, five stories high and impounds 8.5 billion gallons of water in Spavinaw Lake. When first built, the reservoir became the largest lake in the state of Oklahoma. Water from Spavinaw Lake flows by gravity to Tulsa 54 miles away. This original flowline was the longest raw water line in the U.S. at the time of construction. The last piece of pipe was laid on the west bank of the Grand River on October 19, 1924. Water began flowing to Tulsa taps on November 17, 1924.

W.R. Holway, the engineer for the Spavinaw project, was only 28 years old when he was hired to design and build what was one of the largest water projects in the nation. After opening his engineering firm, Holway's first client was the City of Tulsa, and his first major job was the Spavinaw water system. After construction was complete, Holway allowed the Tulsa mayor to put his final $15,000 paycheck in a bottle to float through the flowline, where he caught it as it came out at Mohawk.

For more information and to read more about the history of the Spavinaw Water Project, please visit cityoftulsa.org/spavinaw