Elk City, OK – A long-awaited project aimed at protecting the east pond at Ackley Park from continued soil erosion has been completed, addressing concerns about the pond’s shoreline and nearby infrastructure.

Elk City Mayor Micah Kilhoffer said the project had been in the works for some time and was bid out multiple times as city officials searched for the right solution.

“This has been a long time coming,” Kilhoffer said. “It’s not like a cookie cutter approach.”

Years of wind and wave action along the pond had gradually eroded portions of the shoreline. Kilhoffer said the erosion was beginning to work its way toward areas near 3rd Street and was also concerning because of the nearby railroad tracks.

“The waves, kind of chopping up against those sides, was working its way up underneath, really towards parts of 3rd Street there and just all around the pond,” Kilhoffer said. “It was getting concerning, especially with the train tracks right there.”

Kilhoffer said allowing the erosion to continue toward the roadway could eventually create a much larger problem.

A Different Approach to Shoreline Erosion

Rather than relying on a more traditional solution such as riprap, the project uses a different method to stabilize and protect the pond’s banks.

Kilhoffer credited Cody Crow with Hutton Incorporated with helping develop the approach used for the project.

“It kind of changes the look, but I think once all the seed comes up and we get some regrowth and hopefully some rain, it’ll look good and kind of stop that erosion,” Kilhoffer said.

The design was also selected with Ackley Park’s recreational use in mind. The east pond is a popular fishing spot, including for children, and city officials wanted to avoid creating additional hazards along the shoreline.

“There was a lot of people wanting to put riprap down, but we’ve got kids fishing there all the time, and so that’s just a hazard,” Kilhoffer said. “This just seemed like a better method.”

With construction now complete, the next stage will be allowing vegetation to become established around the improved shoreline. City officials hope the combination of the erosion mitigation work and new growth will provide a long-term solution while maintaining the pond as an accessible area for fishing and recreation.

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