1 of 2 sunken barges removed from Arkansas River in Oklahoma

WEBBERS FALLS, Okla. (AP) — One of two runaway barges that crashed into a dam and sank on top of the other in the Arkansas River in Oklahoma has been removed from the dam.

The barges carrying a total of about 3,800 pounds (1,700 kilograms) of fertilizer sank May 23 after crashing into the lock and dam at Webbers Falls, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) southeast of Tulsa. They had broken free from their mooring at the Port of Muskogee during historic spring flooding .

Port manager Fred Taylor said Tuesday it could take several weeks to completely remove both barges, which are to be used for scrap.

The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System runs from Tulsa’s Port of Catoosa to the Mississippi River and has been closed to barge traffic since the flooding began.