It’s no secret that it has been extraordinarily wet in northeastern Oklahoma over the past several weeks, particularly since Christmas weekend. Given the lower temperatures, a lower sun, dormant foliage and the added rain and snow this weekend, the ground here is saturated.

This has created some concern about the condition of the trails at Turkey Mountain. All accounts from visitors there indicate that while there are some dry areas, most of the trails are muddy, slippery or covered with standing water.

This has become a bigger issue, partly because of the success the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition has had in promoting the value of Turkey Mountain. People are visiting Turkey Mountain in record numbers, and many current users only recently started going there. Those higher numbers also mean more wear on the trails, something that is magnified when they are inundated by recent rains.

Another unfortunate fact to consider: The trails themselves were not all planned. Some grew organically, without much thought into how heavier traffic and natural erosion would affect them later. These sections are particularly susceptible to erosion. This wasn’t a big problem in the past, when there were fewer people, but is a larger concern now.

The TUWC has worked with the River Parks Authority to shore up some sections of the trails, but there is still work to be done. We will continue to do so in the future.

In the meantime, there are some things we, as users, can do to help, given the current conditions. Primarily, this is a good time to let the trails “rest” and absorb the recent moisture. Check out some of the River Parks paved trails on your next walk, run or ride. The temporary reprieve will help mitigate the problems of developing ruts that often come with heavy usage on soggy trails.

And when you are out there, avoid trying to go around muddy or wet spots on the trail. Go through them. By going around, this creates wide spots and social trails that add to trail degradation and erosion. This may leave you with muddy shoes, but it will help keep the trails intact.

Lastly, we know that increased traffic has also meant more trash filling the trash cans at the trailhead. We appreciate people using the trash bins and not littering, but the bins are overflowing. Please consider taking your trash with you when you leave to avoid overflowing trash blowing around the parking lot and into the woods.

This is a lot to digest, and may put a temporary crimp on your plans. But paying attention to trail conditions now will help us build on a sustainable and successful future for Turkey Mountain and its users.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the TUWC Trail Crew please contact Ryan Howell or Tyler Hanes

Monday, December 28, 2015

6:30pm CST

Tulsa Library Literacy Outreach & Volunteer Services Building 

(Former Genealogy Center)

2901 South Harvard  Tulsa, OK 

Please join us for the annual TUWC membership meeting on Monday, December 28^th.  Participate in the 2016 board member election, recap 2015, and discuss our future plans.  Board member nominations are now open and can be submitted via email to tyler.hanes@tulsaurbanwildernesscoalition.org; nominations must include nominees name, position nominated for and nominees contact information.     

All meeting attendees must be current TUWC members in good standing with annual dues up to date.  If you’re interested in becoming a member or your annual dues need to be renewed, please visit www.tulsaurbanwildernesscoalition.org.  

Happy Holidays and we look forward to seeing you soon!  

-The TUWC Board

The Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition Board of Directors wishes to extend an invitation to all those who have volunteered time to make the TUWC the strong volunteer and advocacy group we have become. If you have donated your time to assist in a cleanup day, town hall meeting, data collection, guided walk, race or any other TUWC event please mark your calendar for October 10. We will have fun sharing in one of Tulsa’s Urban Wilderness Treasures and making new memories with friends who love and care for our unique Urban Escapes!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND

About a year ago, the Tulsa World, local television stations and other Tulsa media broke the news: an outlet mall was coming to town, and the site was going to be at the corner of U.S. 75 and 61st Street.

Some people cheered this, but those who regularly visited Turkey Mountain knew differently. We knew that a hulking retail development at that site would permanently and drastically alter our local urban wilderness.

Through social media and a few phone calls, a group of cyclists, runners, hikers and nature enthusiasts — most of who had never met — gathered at a downtown church to discuss what, if anything, could be done to preserve what was left of Tulsa’s native woodlands. What we learned that day is that the bulk of those woods and the trails therein were practically unprotected.

What happened in the weeks and months that followed was remarkable. The common goal of preserving and celebrating urban wildernesses led to the creation of the Tulsa Urban Wilderness Coalition. The coalition proved to be energetic and effective.

Through intensive lobbying, public education, media campaigns and more, the coalition made the case that the space for the proposed mall was not the right location for such a development. In time, the public, numerous elected officials, and ultimately the developer, all agreed. The forest on the west side of Turkey Mountain would be spared and left wild.

This was a huge victory, but it was not by any stretch the only thing the TUWC accomplished. Under TUWC leadership or in partnership with other organizations, Turkey Mountain saw two of the largest and most successful cleanup and trail maintenance days it had ever seen.

The TUWC also headed a comprehensive user survey that gave us huge insights into who and how many people come to Turkey Mountain.

The coalition also organized education programs and events to help people understand more about what Turkey Mountain is.

Today, the TUWC is hard at work. We are an official nonprofit organization now taking contributions to acquire land to ensure the preservation of Turkey Mountain. We continue to engage with the public through this website as well as numerous social media outlets. We will continue to lead cleanup days and trail maintenance projects while also offering tours to those who want to see more of this unique park.  So much has been accomplished in the past year, and we know that more great things will follow in the near future as well as the long term. Stay tuned to see what’s next and how you can be involved.