World War II Submarine USS Batfish Requires Costly Relocation in Oklahoma Due to Flood and Levee Project
The USS Batfish, a 3.2-million-pound World War II submarine serving as a museum exhibit in Muskogee, Oklahoma, must be relocated from its current resting place on the Arkansas River bank. The submarine, which floated 75 feet from its moorings during a 2019 flood, is now in the path of a levee construction project. The Muskogee War Memorial Authority announced on September 16 that it has secured $7 million and is preparing to solicit bids from contractors for the complex moving operation. The Batfish has been on the riverbank since the early 1970s, having been transported upriver from New Orleans. Its current predicament is compounded by a scour hole that developed under its forward section in 2021, requiring $210,000 to fill. The museum has been closed to the public since the 2019 flood, severely impacting its visitor numbers.
