Community Worries As Lawton Dog Park Suffers Serious Flood Damage

A Facebook user posted a live video commenting on the damage to the Vito Baxter Puppy Prominade dog park after the major floods on April 26. The rest of the Lawton community is wondering why the city has not yet made a move to repair the damage. Luckily, we've reached out to the city of Lawton and have answers to some of the most common questions posted in response to the video.

In the video, the Facebook user speculates that much of the flood damage was intensified by debri clogging what seems to be the only drainage area near the dog park. In the video, viewers can see the extent of the damage, which ended up destroying much of the fencing alongside the area usually used for small dogs.

After reaching out to the city of Lawton for a response to the video and our questions, they sent us a few statements. Check out their responses below.

Q: How did the debris in the video get where it is currently?

The flooding was a natural event, and unfortunately, no one could have prevented the debris from being carried in by the water. The debris that is currently present was not there before the storm. There was a tremendous amount of water that moved through that area and it brought a lot of debris from upstream. 

Q: Who would be in charge of fixing up the old small dog area fencing? 

The City’s Parks and Recreation Department will be handling repairs to all park areas affected by the flooding.

Q: Are there plans to get the area repaired?

Yes, repairs are planned and will be completed as soon as possible.

Q: Is there anything that can be done by the city to prevent this kind of damage from happening in the future from more rain or flooding?

The dog park was originally constructed well above the creek level - about six feet higher - so this level of flooding was unexpected. In general, locating parks outside of potential flood zones is ideal and will be considered in future planning.

Q: Would there be any possibility of moving the dog park to a different location in town since the area is prone to flooding?

Relocation could be considered as part of long-term planning to improve resilience.

We will be following up with more answers from the city of Lawton as the progress on the park continues. Hopefully, since the Vito Baxter dog park is the only dog park in service here in the city, there will be repairs in place soon. For the most up to date information, download our app.

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