Grand River Dam Authority Police Department |
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EMERGENCY 911 GRDA Police 918-256-0911
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Boating Safety Courses Offered by GRDA Police
GRDA Police are again offering free “Kyle Williams Boater Safety Courses" that will be held on two dates in June. The courses will be held from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. on June 12 and June 19 in Langley. The courses will provide instruction for new and experienced boaters on how to properly launch, load, retrieve, operate, maintain and dock a boat.
Boating is a fun family activity with proven mental health benefits. Since the pandemic began, many people have found their way to the water but find launching, retrieving, and docking boats the most challenging or intimidating parts of boating. The pandemic also temporarily shut down our boating education classes, but we will again offer the courses for the entire family to attend.
The classes are designed to help new and returning boaters feel confident in their skills, learn about boating safety, boating regulations and how to keep them safely on the water boating and fishing for many years to come. The courses are taught by GRDA Police officers who will also provide you with a vast amount of information about operating vessels on Grand and Hudson Lakes. The courses will also certify kids 12 to 15 years of age to legally operate a boat or PWC once they complete the one-day course. Even experienced boaters will gain new knowledge about operating a vessel, and many insurance companies will give you reduced rates by attending this course.
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Police Respond to Water Rescue During River Flooding
GRDA police officers were dispatch to the Sparrow Hawk area on the Illinois River in reference to a water rescue during flood stage. Lt. Nate Cooper, Officers Bobby Robertson, Tyler Bruce and Raymond Hendricks deployed the rescue Connector boat to save an individual that was stranded during flooding on the river. With assistance from the Illinois River Fire Department during the night operation, the juvenile male subject was rescued from the gravel bar without incident.
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A section of the off-road area below the Pensacola Dam has been closed to public access due to nesting Bald Eagles.
The map shows the Eagle Nesting Area that is restricted access.
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Illinois River Point of Contact Named
In order to maintain continuity in communication between police and the Illinois River float operator’s, GRDA Chief of Police Brian Edwards recently named Lieutenant Tyler Cooper as the primary point of contact for communication between the float operator’s and GRDA. Lt. Cooper has been assigned to the Illinois River for several years and is familiar with operations as well as the operator’s and resources in the area.
Should any Illinois River float operator’s have any routine issues to address regarding police services or the river condition, you may contact Tyler Cooper on his cell phone number 918-323-1626 or you can contact him by email at tyler.cooper@grda.com.
Should you have a problem of high priority, you should contact GRDA Dispatch at 918-256-0911 in order that the on-duty supervisor can respond to your request.
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Protect Yourself from Thefts
As temperatures increase, so does the amount of loss that we see on our lakes and rivers from criminal activity. Officers are currently investigating several thefts that have occurred from docks and boats in the area of Patricia Island on Grand Lake.
Property owners are reminded to secure your valuables before you leave your boat at the dock. Don't leave anything that is not secured or you are willing to lose!
Report suspicious activity to GRDA Police at 918-256-0911.
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Review Safety Requirements Now for Boating Season
Boaters are heading out on the water on pleasant spring days, and GRDA Police are reminding boat owners and operators to check their watercraft and their safety checklist to avoid encountering problems on Oklahoma lakes and rivers this boating season.
No matter when you are on the water this season, make the safety of you, your passengers, and other boaters your most important consideration. Review a boating safety checklist, and make sure your boat is tuned up with a good battery and ready for the season before you back down the boat ramp or push off from the dock.
Some items on the boater safety checklist should be:
• Coast Guard-approved life jackets/personal floatation devices (PFDs) for everyone onboard, and must be easily accessible - and all persons under age 13 must wear a PFD while a vessel is underway;
• If the boat is 16 ft. or longer, it must have a throwable floatation device (ring, cushion with straps) available;
• Working fire extinguisher properly charged;
• Working horn and/or a whistle;
• Navigation lights must function properly;
• Fresh flares (whether required or not); and
• Current proof of registration/copy of registration.
Police strictly enforce boating safety laws and regulations, patrolling Oklahoma lakes, rivers, and other waterways throughout the year to encourage safe boating and prevent boating accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Wearing life jackets and staying sober while operating a boat are two of the most important things boaters in Oklahoma must do – for their safety and the safety of others. Our officers aggressively enforce the law against operating a boat under the influence. Our message to boat operators is simple: You booze, you lose.
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GRDA Police Recover Body Near Miami
GRDA Police are investigating the death of a male adult whose body was discovered on Saturday in Tar Creek near Miami. The body was found in the Neosho River south of Riverview Park. Police have identified the body recovered on Saturday morning May 8 as Casey Hampton, age 24, from Miami.
Hampton's body was discovered by a citizen who then contacted the GRDA Police. Recovery was made in Tar Creek, just north of the confluence with the Neosho River, near Miami. The body was taken by the medical examiner’s office.
No other details are available at this time, as the investigation is still ongoing.
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SH-28 Closed
at Spillways
All lanes of east and westbound SH-28 are closed at the Spillways for the Pensacola Dam that are located on the east side of Disney. This is part of a $14 million project to improve the three bridges on SH-28 at Grand Lake.
Work on the SH-28/Pensacola Dam bridge was recently completed and is open to traffic, but the two SH-28 bridges at the spillways will be closed to traffic for resurfacing and repairs to the bridge structures.
The official highway detour utilizes SH-82 and SH-20. We anticipate the bridges over the Spillways for the Pensacola Dam to be closed till Memorial Day.
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U.S. Coast Guard Changes Certificate of Documentation to
5 Years
The change to a five-year documentation period will be a time-saver, and the new rule also eliminates some options that were formerly available. Going forward, the five-year Certificate of Documentation is the only option available for recreational vessels as the 2018 Act did not allow for alternatives.
Formerly, documentation was $26 per year and boaters could select the number of years, from one to five. The new five-year documentation cost for is fixed at $130. Additional fees apply for initial documentation as well as exchanges. The Coast Guard will not issue refunds if an owner chooses to cancel documentation before its five-year expiration or if a vessel is sold during the renewal period.
Boat owners generally choose to federally document vessels with the U.S. Coast Guard versus the more common practice of state registration, for one of two reasons: the boat was purchased with a bank loan and the lender required it or the owner plans to travel beyond U.S. waters. A Certificate of Documentation is internationally recognized and makes it easier for American vessels to enter and leave foreign ports. Documented vessels must also be a minimum of 5 net tons, which is about the size of a 26-foot boat.
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ATS Program Coordinators (photo above) are making plans for the 2021 shoreline clean up activities. |
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Adopt-the-Shoreline Moves Forward
for 2021
GRDA personnel recently met with ATS Program Zone Coordinators to begin making plans to get the shoreline clean up program running for the 2021 season. Because of COVID-19, the ATS program was put on hold last year, but everyone is excited to get the program going again to make improvements to our shorelines on Grand Lake this year.
The Adopt the Shoreline program is a wonderful way for lake-users and residents alike to give back to their communities by preserving the clean condition of the water and shores of the lake through organized clean up programs. The program is totally dependent on volunteers, so everyone is encouraged to do your part for Lady Grand by getting involved in the ATS. More details on the ATS program can be found on the Adopt the Shoreline Grand Lake Facebook page.
Project coordinators have already scheduled the date of July 16 for volunteers to work in Zones 2 and 4 with Hi-Lift Marina in Drowning Creek being the designated location for dumpsters to be dropped for refuse disposal.
If you are interested in volunteering to help in a particular lake area, you can contact the area zone coordinators to sign up for the ATS events. The 2021 Zone coordinators for the program are:
Zone 5 Vacant
Zone 7 Vacant
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Normalizing
GRDA Services
As COVID-19 pandemic exposure numbers continue to improve, GRDA moves forward with normalizing services at our facilities. The majority of our personnel have returned back to work at our facilities, under compliance with state and federal regulations to ensure a safe working environment. While we continue the process of returning to normal work operations, the following conditions will remain in effect:
- All GRDA facilities will remain closed to the public, including the Eco Center in Langley. No public meetings or events will be allowed with strict access control maintained at all GRDA facilities. The Pensacola Dam will not be open for public tours at this time.
- GRDA Police continue to allow permitted public events on GRDA lakes and properties, as long as organized events adhere to health guidelines published by the Oklahoma Department of Health and United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- GRDA Police will continue to participate in public information and education events with some restrictions.
- The GRDA Police Department will continue to follow procedures established by state and federal authorities to protect you and our personnel by maintaining personal distances and limiting personal contacts. This may require that officers conduct more of our investigations by phone and email, prioritizing responses and reducing contacts for minor violations.
- We ask that you continue to abide by protocols and guidelines published by the Oklahoma Department of Health and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for social distancing requirements.
As we return to normalized services, we will continue to maintain contact with you through electronic communication to keep our social distances appropriate. Please continue to invoke the strategies needed to maintain appropriate distances from other people, practice good hygiene and protect your personnel and the public.
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ABC Continues
Life Jacket Programs
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GRDA Police and Americas Boating Club – Grand Lake formed a partnership years ago in an effort to decrease the number of drownings on Grand Lake by increasing the availability of life jackets for lake users. The GRDA has once again partnered with America’s Boating Club – Grand Lake to continue the successful partnership of providing life jackets through distribution programs offered by the ABC. The GRDA provided $6,000.00 in funds to purchase life jackets for distribution by the ABC last year, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the programs had to be canceled. However, the funds will be used in 2021, with an additional $2,000.00 provided by GRDA to enhance the life-saving programs.
The ABC is making plans to attend the Grand Lake Camp Bandage event on Saturday, June 5 where they expect to give away hundreds of free life jackets. Camp Bandage – Grand Lake will be held at the Grand Lake RV Resort on Duck Creek. While ABC was not able to attend the Grand Lake Boat show this year, they are planning to attend the Toes in the Grand Festival to hand out free life jackets for children on June 11 and 12 at Wolf Creek Park in Grove.
Part of the life jacket distribution program has been the installation of life jacket loaner stations. The members of the ABC volunteer their time to purchase the life jackets and maintain the stock of PFD’s at the loaner stations at popular public use areas of north Grand Lake that are stocked with a variety of sizes of life jackets for adults and children throughout the boating season.
Anyone that does not have an appropriate sized life jacket is invited to borrow a life jacket at any of the loaner life jacket stations that are located at Bernice State Park, Wolf Creek Park, Honey Creek State Park, Elk River ramp and Twin Bridges State Park.
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FOCUS on GRDA:
Ecosystems & Watershed Management and
Scenic Rivers Operations
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Educational Outreach Programs
The Guard the Grand program is a watershed education program designed to involve the public in improving water quality throughout the Grand Lake watershed. Currently, the program is funded through an Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Education Grant. The grant targets three audiences; residents/lake users, educators and businesses. Each audience receives information specific to them and ways they can easily implement some best practices.
Residents/Lake Users:
We held six virtual workshops beginning in May 2020 on five topics. On average, we had 29 people register for each workshop, with the one on landscaping received over 50 registrations and about 30 people in attendance. The workshop topics included the Grand Lake Watershed, the Adopt-the-Shoreline Program and Boat and Dock Maintenance, Landscaping for Water Quality and Conservation, Septic System Maintenance and Shoreline Erosion and Vegetation. Each of the workshops was recorded and have been posted to the GRDA YouTube page. As a result of the workshops, 26 rain barrels and soil test kits were distributed to attendees along with yard signs signaling they are Guardians of the Grand. A mailing list was developed based on workshop registrations and currently has 111 subscribers. Emails are sent to announce new events, when videos become available and to provide information on simple things, like how they manage yard waste and leaves can have an impact on water quality.
Two community presentations were made in 2020, one to the Lakeside Garden Club and one to the Neosho River Advisory Panel.
Educators: To help educate students about the watershed they live in, GRDA again partnered with the Oklahoma Water Survey at the University of Oklahoma to develop science curriculum for 4th grade students that includes specific information about Grand Lake and the surrounding watershed. To help familiarize the teachers with the curriculum two one-day in person workshops were held in July 2020. Seventeen teachers, one local resident and one representative from the Kansas Water Office participated in the workshops, giving them the opportunity to apply for a grant to help implement the curriculum in their classroom.
Additionally, a demonstration of the Enviroscape was given to about 30 high school FFA students who also participated in a cleanup event as part of the Adopt-the-Shoreline program.
Other Accomplishments: GRDA staff have developed a Guard the Grand app that was recently released. The app provides watershed information, lake information and how bugs and fish are used to help determine water quality. All workshop videos and pamphlets are available for download on the app and interested users can join the email list.
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Participants in the Guard the Grand program with their yard signs |
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Do You Need Current Lake Information? |
Go to the GRDA Storm Ops web page to get current data including lake levels, lake parameters, storage details, flow conditions and much more.
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Did You Know?
Always file a float plan. File a float plan with someone you trust that includes details about the trip, boat, persons, towing or trailer vehicle, communication equipment and emergency contacts.
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"Updates" on the Web
If you didn't receive our latest GRDA Update or you have a friend that wants to see our Updates, go to our website at https://www.grda.com/grda-police/ and click on the GRDA POLICE UPDATE for the latest version of our email release or to Join Our Email List.
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NAV TIME
A Summary of Boating Laws, Navigation Regulations & Tips
That All Boat Operators Should Know
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Designate an Assistant Skipper
Make sure more than one person on board is familiar with all aspects of your boat's handling, operations, features and safety. If the primary operator is incapacitated in any way, it's important to make sure someone else can follow the proper boating rules to ensure a safe trip back.
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Boating Tips From
Americas Boating Club
Grand Lake
A Grand Lake favorite outing is boating to an on-the-water eatery. When approaching their docks, slow down or stop a distance away to not cause congestion and start your preparations. Get out the necessary dock lines and boat fenders to protect the boat. Attach them as needed and instruct your crew what you expect of them. If they are not experienced, the choice may be for them stay seated while you handle docking and tying off the boat.
Next look at the wind direction and its strength. Approach your chosen slip slowly at minimum control speed recognizing the effect the wind will have on your boat. Be prepared to abort docking should a wind gust occur or you have misjudged your approach. Make the necessary adjustment to your approach and try again. Gently reverse the boat if needed to stop in the slip, put it in neutral and tie-off the boat bow first, followed with the stern line. Aft and forward spring lines are helpful to hold the boat in the slip. Turn-off the engine when completed. Time to eat.
Are you interested in joining a boating club on Grand Lake to have fun, plus the opportunity to take courses online or in the classroom to improve your boating skills and knowledge? Visit online americasboatingclub.org or usps.org/grandlake, on Facebook: America’s boating club-grand lake for more information.
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2021
Special Events Schedule
May 15: Water Safety Night, Salina High Banks Speedway
June 5: Camp Bandage Grand Lake, Duck Creek, Grand Lake RV Resort
June 5: Lake Hudson Free Kids Fishing Tournament, Lakeshore RV Park, Salina
June 11-13: Toes in the Grand Festival, Wolf Creek Park, Grove
June 11-13: Thunder on Wolf Creek, Grand Lake
June 12: GRDA Police Boater Safety Course, Eco Center in Langley
June 19: GRDA Police Boater Safety Course, Eco Center in Langley
June 19: Rock the Dock, Check In Bay, Grand Lake
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Do you have a Special Event Planned?
PLEASE let us know about your lake or river events so we can provide the resources you may need to make it a positive experience!
If you have a special event you would like for us to help you promote,
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GRDA Police Dispatch 918-256-0911
GRDA Ecosystems and Education Center 918-981-8470
GRDA Lake Permits 918-256-0852
GRDA Pensacola Dam Tours & Facility Information 918-981-8470
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