Zink Lake
Zink Lake is a newly redeveloped man-made reservoir located along the Arkansas River in Tulsa, Oklahoma, designed as part of the city’s Vision Tulsa program to revitalize the riverfront with recreation, safety, and environmental improvements.The lake traces its origins to the Zink Dam, built in 1982 to maintain river flow levels. Over decades, sediment buildup and mechanical wear degraded the structure, limiting recreation. In 2020, Tulsa voters approved a $48 million reconstruction as part of Vision Tulsa, adding new gates, a stairstep dam design, and a 1,050-foot whitewater flume for recreation south of the pedestrian bridge. The redeveloped lake officially opened during the Labor Day weekend of 2024, attracting nearly 100,000 visitors.Today, Zink Lake functions as an urban adventure hub, offering canoeing, paddleboarding, and riverside trails connected to the popular Gathering Place Park. Several nearby services provide kayak rentals and shuttle transport for visitors.