Tulsa, OK Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing area
- Spavinaw Reservoir Area only
- New boathouses
- Barred since July 5, 1983
- Annual boathouse rent
- $24 per stall/year
- Open dockage fee
- $35 per month
- Removal notice
- 60 days written notice
Summary
Tulsa caps private boathouses on its Spavinaw Reservoir Area to those already permitted, charges annual rental, and can revoke the whole program with 60 days' notice.
Only privately owned boathouses, which are physically in existence and located on the Spavinaw Reservoir Area, pursuant to a valid permit, held by the original permitees or their assigns, as of July 5, 1983, are authorized to be located thereon. The owner of each such privately owned boathouse shall pay to the City of Tulsa, as rental, a fee of Twenty-Four Dollars ($24.00) per year, per stall, which shall be due on or before January 1 of each year. An annual boathouse permit shall be issued by the City upon payment of such fee. No privately owned boathouse shall be placed or erected upon such waters after July 5, 1983, except as provided in subparagraph C.
Full Breakdown
Under Title 11-C § 413, only privately owned boathouses in existence and permitted as of July 5, 1983 may sit on the City's Spavinaw Reservoir Area (Spavinaw and Eucha lakes, the City's water-supply reservoirs northeast of Tulsa). Owners pay $24 per stall per year, due January 1, and the City issues an annual boathouse permit. Docks not tied to a pre-1983 permit are not allowed; a narrow window let existing permit-holders without a physical boathouse build one by June 1, 2020, after which unbuilt permits lapsed. Open dockage runs $35/month and boathouse stall rental with an electric lift $45/month. The City can revoke the entire boathouse permit program on 60 days' written notice to all permit holders, forcing removal of every private boathouse at owner expense.
Violations & Fines
Unpermitted or dilapidated docks/boathouses can be removed by the City after 60 days' written notice to cure, with removal costs assessed against the owner; permits that lapse cannot be renewed or transferred.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a new private boathouse at Spavinaw or Eucha?
Does this apply to docks on other Tulsa lakes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tulsa
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