New Whitewater Park Coming to Arkansas/Oklahoma Border
Have you heard? There is a new kind of water park coming to the Arkansas - Oklahoma border, it's a Whitewater Adventure Park.
Construction continues at the old spillway of Lake Frances on the Upper Illinois River near the city of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and Watts, Oklahoma. The Grand River Dam Authority will manage the 30-acre park that falls within the Oklahoma state line and inside the reservation boundaries of the Cherokee Nation. The highlight of the park will be the 1200-foot-long, 100-foot-wide side channel off the river that features eight drops for a rip-roaring good time for kayaks, surfers, and tubing enthusiasts with different skill levels. There will also be standup paddle-boarding available, rafting, rental services, trails, and even waterfront spectator seating. A stair-step dam will be created to mitigate hydraulic conditions and to help control the water currents.
Most of the funding for the park will come from the Walton Family Foundation and the Grand River Dam Authority will manage the park and facilities.
WOKA as it is being called will give families across the U.S. the opportunity to come to the Arkansas Oklahoma border to enjoy the great outdoors in this one-of-a-kind water park. If everything goes as planned construction should be complete in 2023.
This is a cool video of blasting away big chunks of rock on the site.
WOKA HAVING A BLAST from Chelsea on Vimeo.
Visit their website for more information and updates about this new Whitewater Adventure Park coming soon!