Work to remove saltwater contamination from Oklahoma creek continues amid environmental co
September 22, 2025
LATEST UPDATE FROM INVESTIGATORS. THIS IS A STORY KOCO FIRST BROUGHT TO YOU. A MYSTERIOUS CONTAMINATION IN THE FIVE MILE CREEK THAT ONE RANCHER BELIEVES IS THE CAUSE FOR HIS CATTLE TURNING UP DEAD. THAT TOTAL UP TO 26 FROM THAT. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WE CONTINUE TO LOSE CATTLE. THE CORPORATION COMMISSION IS LEADING THIS INVESTIGATION, AND WE TOLD YOU LAST WEEK THEY ASKED NEARBY WELLS TO TEMPORARILY STOP OPERATIONS. WELL, TODAY REGULATORS ARE ZEROING IN ON ONE INJECTION. WELL, TO CONTINUE TO HALT OPERATIONS AND ORDERING CREWS TO KEEP PUMPING SALT WATER OUT OF THE CREEK UNTIL IT’S SAFE. THEY’RE ALSO ASKING THEM TO KEEP THE TRENCH DRAINED UNTIL THE PURGE STOPS, OR THE SOURCE IS FOUND. WE’RE DESTROYING OUR FRESHWATER RESOURCES. DANNY RAY HAS WORKED IN THE OIL FIELD FOR OVER FOUR DECADES, AND SAYS WHEN SALT WATER ESCAPES IN OUR CREEKS, IT CAN BE VERY HARMFUL TO OUR ENVIRONMENT. MUCH LIKE WHAT WE’RE SEEING IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA. WE DON’T WANT IT GOING INTO CREEKS. IT WILL KILL TREES. IT’LL KILL GRASS, AND IT’LL KILL COWS. AND WE DON’T WANT THAT. WE’VE SEEN DEAD FISH. WE’VE SEEN DEAD ANIMALS. WHAT WE DO IS WE TRY TO INJECT THAT WATER IN A CERTAIN SPECIFIC WAY, SO THAT IT INCREASES IN PRESSURE A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT DOESN’T CRACK ANY ROCKS. AND THAT’S WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE DISPOSAL OR INJECTION WELL, IS. CREWS ARE CURRENTLY PUMPING OUT SALT WATER AND BLOCKING IT FROM REACHING THE CREEK. SO FAR, TESTS SHOW FORT COBB LAKE AND NEARBY WELLS ARE SAFE, BUT MONITORING CONTINUES. CHICKASHA PUBLIC WORKS TOLD ME TODAY THEY’RE TAKING FOUR DIFFERENT SAMPLES DAILY TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THEIR DRINKING WATER. THE CORPORATION COMMISSION IS CONTINUING TO WORK ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS TO FIND THE DIRECT SOURCE AND SAY THEY SHOULD HAVE AN UPDATE LATER IN OCTOBER.
Work to remove saltwater contamination from Oklahoma creek continues amid environmental concerns
State agents are lowering salt levels in a contaminated creek that is causing concern for property owners and residents near Eakly.
Updated: 6:10 PM CDT Sep 22, 2025
State agents are lowering salt levels in a contaminated creek causing concern for property owners and residents near Eakly. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is leading the investigation into the contamination at Five Mile Creek. That contamination is what one rancher believed caused 26 head of cattle to turn up dead. “From that throughout the day, we continued to lose cattle,” rancher Mike Loula said. Nearby wells were told to temporarily stop operations. On Monday, regulators zeroed in on one injection well, and they ordered crews to keep pumping saltwater out of the creek until it is safe. >> Video Below: Concerns rise over potential water contamination in western Oklahoma creekThey are also asking them to keep the trench drained until the purge stops or the source is found. “We’re destroying our freshwater resources,” Danny Ray, a petroleum engineering consultant said. Ray has worked in the oil field for more than four decades. He said when saltwater escapes into creeks, it can be very harmful to the environment, much like what is happening in Western Oklahoma. “We don’t want it going into creeks. It’ll kill trees. It’ll kill grass, and it’ll kill cows, and we don’t want that,” Ray said. “We want to inject that water in a certain specific way, so it increases in pressure a little bit, but it doesn’t crack any rocks, and that was the purpose of a disposal or injection well is.” >> Video Below: Oklahoma rancher fears contaminated water is killing his cattleCrews are currently pumping out saltwater and blocking it from reaching the creek. So far, tests show Fort Cobb Lake and nearby wells are safe, but they are continuing to monitor the situation. The creek feeds into Fort Cobb Lake, which provides water to the cities of Chickasha and Anadarko. Chickasha Public Works Department said it is taking four different samples daily to make sure there are no changes to the drinking water. The Corporation Commission is continuing to work across all departments to find the direct source, and they said they should have an update later in October. Top Headlines TIMELINE: Storms with a tornado risk expected in Oklahoma late Monday, early Tuesday Oklahoma softball community honors 10-year-old killed in crash President Trump is sending the National Guard to Memphis. Here’s what the city’s crime data says Multiple people reportedly injured in northwest Oklahoma City crash, police say
State agents are lowering salt levels in a contaminated creek causing concern for property owners and residents near Eakly.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is leading the investigation into the contamination at Five Mile Creek. That contamination is what one rancher believed caused 26 head of cattle to turn up dead.
“From that throughout the day, we continued to lose cattle,” rancher Mike Loula said.
Nearby wells were told to temporarily stop operations.
On Monday, regulators zeroed in on one injection well, and they ordered crews to keep pumping saltwater out of the creek until it is safe.
>> Video Below: Concerns rise over potential water contamination in western Oklahoma creek
They are also asking them to keep the trench drained until the purge stops or the source is found.
“We’re destroying our freshwater resources,” Danny Ray, a petroleum engineering consultant said.
Ray has worked in the oil field for more than four decades. He said when saltwater escapes into creeks, it can be very harmful to the environment, much like what is happening in Western Oklahoma.
“We don’t want it going into creeks. It’ll kill trees. It’ll kill grass, and it’ll kill cows, and we don’t want that,” Ray said. “We want to inject that water in a certain specific way, so it increases in pressure a little bit, but it doesn’t crack any rocks, and that was the purpose of a disposal or injection well is.”
>> Video Below: Oklahoma rancher fears contaminated water is killing his cattle
Crews are currently pumping out saltwater and blocking it from reaching the creek. So far, tests show Fort Cobb Lake and nearby wells are safe, but they are continuing to monitor the situation.
The creek feeds into Fort Cobb Lake, which provides water to the cities of Chickasha and Anadarko. Chickasha Public Works Department said it is taking four different samples daily to make sure there are no changes to the drinking water.
The Corporation Commission is continuing to work across all departments to find the direct source, and they said they should have an update later in October.
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