Now We Move Beyond Perception …
When I last wrote about the Oklahoma River, organizers and participants in a triatholon that included swimming were very upset that I suggested that even the appearance of the river water causing some to get sick is a problem for the waterway’s image.
Now comes the hard part: it was the river water.
It’s easy to say “yes” to everything. For anyone who is a leader, a policy maker, I suspect it’s far more difficult to say “no.” I ask again – are Oklahoma City’s river dreams being jeopardized with some of these events? To quote former Councilman Jack Cornett, is there a risk with the river we could “love it to death”?
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Comments
The Oklahoma River water Can be dangerous. I think it is irresponsible to allow a swimming competition there. My friend who was a part of the OU crew team developed a very serious Staph infection from the water, which infected an open blister. Boating is probably pretty safe and my friend’s infection probably isn’t all that common, however swimming in the water would increase those heath risks. Honestly I was shocked that this event took place.
A lot of people are tickled to death that the previously sandy-creek-river is now the industrial-canal-river. Certain images are evoked when the word “river” is used, and the Oklahoma River is a very long way from fulfilling that image.
I think there is some risk of negative feedback because of promoting it as something it’s clearly not. People’s first impression will likely be their only impression… bad coffee in a riprap-lined canal.
Hopefully there are plans for transforming it into a more scenic amenity, but right now it’s not quite the picnic paradise that it should be. Boating, yes… fishing docks, not yet.
You were spot-on to critique the Oklahoma River’s safety, particularly when the sponsored events could, and apparently did, cause harm to those who participated.
While the swimmers’ illnesses can be nothing but a black eye to Oklahoma City, one (at least, me) would suppose that it is in the city’s best interests to have a reputation for honesty and integrity.
If the river poses hazards to participants in certain types of events, then the events should NOT BE SCHEDULED. If the city hasn’t got the wherewithal to fix the problem(s), then events which expose participants to those risks should be prohibited until the problem(s) can be and are solved.
If the problems CAN BE FIXED, then they should be fixed post-haste, perhaps even coupled with an apology … there is nothing wrong with being straightforward and humble and there is everything right with honesty.
HOW the river’s problems are handled boils down to integrity and if Oklahoma City can be trusted to tell the truth. Unless the city wants to develop a reputation for being untrustworthy, it needs to get with the program.
Is there anything the city can do to clean up the river?