TULSA, OKLA (KTUL) — While driving around Tulsa, you may notice fields of wildflowers popping up. Those flowers are part of a bigger plan to help with the city’s water quality.
NewsChannel 8 has told you for months about water quality issues with the Arkansas River and bodies of water that feed into the river having bacteria like E. Coli.
The city of Tulsa is working to improve the water quality with wildflowers planted near the storm water operations sites throughout the city.
“The program is to filter and improve the water quality runoff before it gets into the waterway, so it acts a little bit of a buffer of vegetation before the water gets to that creek. It will help uptake pollutants, nutrients and chemicals that would otherwise get into the water and impact the water quality,” Jacob Hagen, manager of the Storm Water Operations, said.
He adds, the city’s storm water operations started testing out the wildflower theory by planting about 30 species in February that are now at four storm water locations.
The wildflowers act as a filter system by filtering any impurities before the rainwater hits the creeks and makes its way down stream.
According to Hagen, the wildflowers’ roots allow water to soak into the ground easier.
“And just naturally the plants uptake excess nutrients from the runoff if people are fertilizing their lawns or pet waste or livestock waste those kinds of things get taken by the plants and utilized,” he said.
Hagen said it will also attract bees and Monarch butterflies to pollenate. He adds, the wildflowers are also cheaper than building a filtering system.
They’ll only mow them twice a year and if it’s a success they’ll plant more flowers and other locations in the winter.
