Ports in Oklahoma process more than six million tons of cargo each year, support more than 11,000 jobs and directly contribute $1.6 billion to the state’s economy.
McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System Fast Facts:
- The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, referred to as the MKARNS, is a 445-mile waterway that includes the Verdigris, Arkansas and White rivers and connects Oklahoma from the Tulsa Port of Catoosa to the Gulf of Mexico.
- The system was officially dedicated on June 5, 1971 by former President Richard Nixon.
- The MKARNS is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- The MKARNS works through a series of 18 locks and dams, five in Oklahoma, that allow barges to manage the 420-foot change in elevation over the system.
- The MKARNS serves a 12-state region and is designated as Marine Highway 40 by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
- There are two public ports in Oklahoma: the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and the Port of Muskogee, and other private ports on the system.
- Ports in Oklahoma process more than six million tons of cargo each year, support more than 11,000 jobs and directly contribute $1.6 billion to the state’s economy.
- In terms of tonnage, the most shipped goods on the MKARNS in a given year fall into the categories of sand, gravel and rock; chemical fertilizer; iron and steel; and soybeans.
- The overall system also helps generate clean energy through hydro-power plants, provides flood control and includes key recreational areas for visitors.