Well, this is Arkansas isn’t it? Next week it might be in the 80’s for all we know.

At any rate, we have packed the kayaks up and placed them in storage for the Winter. We’ve had a lot of fun this year and we are looking forward to kayaking twice as much next season.

Thanks to all of you for your comments, photos and kayaking stories. For those of you who will be kayaking over the Winter, please stay safe and remember to wear the appropriate clothing and pack gear to keep you warm if you happen to get a bit too wet. Kayaking in the Winter is supposed to be awesome, but it can be very dangerous if you aren’t prepared for the worst.

See ya in the Spring!

To download the hi-res version, head over to Flickr.

While shopping for deck rigging hardware at Academy Sports, I happened to come across a Pelican Universal Drain Plug. This is the exact same plug that Daniel and Crystal’s Pelican Pursuit 100’s use. They are really sturdy and easy to remove and replace. Plus, for $3.95 you can’t beat the price!

So, let’s install it:

You can purchase the kit from your local outfitter, from Yak-Gear themselves or you can purchase the pieces indiviudally from an online retailer of your choice. For links to the suppliers we have used, see DIY Kayaking: Deck Rigging Installation.

Here’s the steps to take to install your own paddle keeper:

We purchased the following items: Yak-Gear Double Paddle Keeper Kit, Yak-Gear Deck Rigging Kit, Pelican Universal Drain Plug

A couple of side notes: First, we decided to go with a bit larger spacing for Crystal’s deck rigging so we ran over to Quality Farm Supply (on Industrial Drive here in Jonesboro) and picked up another 12 feet of shock cord ($.79 a foot). This explains the white shock cord in the photos below. This was not part of the orignial kit. Also, after purchasing these kits at Academy and deciding to add a bit more to the kayaks, we found Duck Works Boat Builder Supplies online, a small boat bulder supply shop down in Texas. We ordered what we needed and promptly received our order 48 hours later with standard shipping. We highly suggest using them! From DWBBS, we ordered some additional nylon pad eyes, nylon j-hooks, two nylon heavy-duty 4.5″ cleats for the Old Town Vapor and a couple of nylon folding paddle clips (posts about these to come later). Also, we ordered some nylon shock cord terminal ends from Austin Kayak. Again, the order was received in 48 hours with standard shipping.

So, without further ado, here’s the first of our DIY series:

Originally published in Fayetteville Flyer on June 16, 2009 · By Ryan Hughes

I love summer storms.

And not just because they’re great to sleep to. Or because it gives me an excuse to stay on the couch and watch bad movies all day. Granted, those are both great storm-related activities, but the real reason I love them is because they sometimes fill up local rivers and allow for that rare late season whitewater float.

So you can imagine how excited I was when on Saturday night a typhoon rolled through NWA.

I awoke Sunday morning to my phone ringing. At 8.30am. Ugh. But I was awake and there was no way I would be able to get back to sleep, so I got up, brewed some coffee and then sat down at the computer to check the weather and the local river levels. No good news on either front. But one of my good friends had bought himself a new kayak the week before and come hell or high-water (pun intended) he was determined to break it in.

We started to think. For years we’d been talking about exploring some local creeks when the water got high enough, but good sense had always gotten the best of us. Not today.

Armed with a GPS device and the Google maps satellite function, we set about planning our trek. Originally we planned out putting into Clear Creek at the Hwy 112 bridge and setting off towards Farmington, but after an hour or so of scouting possible pull-out locations, we decided that it just wasn’t doable. (Somehow parking our recovery vehicle on Gun Club road seemed like a bad idea.)

Tracing the creek back river however, it was an entirely different story. Clear Creek connects with Mud Creek which conveniently runs alongside the Fayetteville bike trails. Sweet – we had a plan. Now for the hard part.

We dropped the recovery vehicle off at the 112 bridge and headed for the Mud Creek trailhead on Old Missouri. By the time we put our boats in under the Old Missouri bridge we were having second thoughts. Was this a good idea? Was it even legal? By that time we had too much invested – we were going regardless.

Immediately after setting off, we encountered our first obstacle – a natural gas pipeline crossing the creek with about 3 ft of clearance – not impossible, but not a breeze either. We managed to squeeze our way underneath and started paddling.

Much to our surprise, apart from the occasional bewildered looking cyclist, it was almost impossible to tell we were in the heart of the city. The creek was flowing and the tree canopy was beautiful. Ice storm damage however, was everywhere. Downed trees hindered or completely blocked our path at nearly every turn. And nearly every turn was blind. There was no doubt about it, what we were doing was exceedingly dangerous. But the three of us are fairly experienced kayakers and as I’ve already explained, we’d left our common sense at home.

We continued on down the creek, portaging where necessary and dodging anything that even remotely resembled a snake (copperheads were quite abundant), and we found that right here in Fayetteville, we’ve got some pretty decent rapids with 3, 4 even 5 foot drops, and great long whitewater runs. A few times we came across manmade obstacles, cables tied across the creek creating huge strainers, more pipelines with ever-decreasing clearance and litter galore. (Please folks, respect our beautiful city and find a trash can – or better yet – a recycling can.)

Eventually we connected with Clear Creek and parted ways with bike path (at the Gregg street Bridge.) We were on our own now. There would be no rescue available if anything went wrong – but we were determined. The creek here runs alongside the A&M railroad and was getting prettier with every turn, but we knew we’d crossed into Johnson and decided we’d better keep moving.

Cue Ball Street In Johnson. Not being familiar with Johnson roadways, this one hit us by surprise. We could hear a lot of water rushing from some distance away, but it wasn’t until we got close that we realized what was going on. Apparently Ball St utilizes a low water bridge.

A low water bridge that was completely underwater, and edged on one side with a railing that looked like it would decapitate you in a second if you couldn’t get out of the flow of rushing water.

Luckily we managed to pull to the side and portage around it. (Sorry there are no pics of this, but we didn’t think the Johnson Police department would react well if they happened upon us.)

Once past Johnson, we were in the clear. There was good open water and enough big rocks to keep things interesting. As we got closer to the 540 bridge, we were feeling pretty good about ourselves and our little adventure. And then we saw it, a little chute that in and of itself was worth the trip. Not 300 feet East of 540 and directly behind the new Townplace Suites, there was a drop of about six or seven vertical feet in the matter of a few yards. Awesome.

After we passed under 540 things got interesting. We were Kayaking through the middle of Clear Creek Golf Course (formerly Blessings) and we were positive that our little trek would be frowned upon if we were caught. Luckily we were only spotted by one group of golfers and they just laughed and waved. (It is important to note that this part of the creek was immaculate.)

Once we got through the golf course – the cart bridges were nice and high – our trip had come to and end. Exhausted and feeling a bit dirty (OK- exceedingly filthy), we carried our Kayaks up to the recovery vehicle and headed to a patio where we could find some cold adult beverages.

Overall, we deemed our trip a success apart from a few cuts and scrapes. I’d recommend it to anyone with intermediate to expert kayaking skills and a sense of adventure. The moral of the story is this: Fayetteville is a little bit more awesome then you previously thought.

We arrived in time to make a stop at the visitor’s center to check in for camping as well as look around in the gift center. The staff was extremely helpful and welcoming. They let us know what activities we might want to participate in while we were there and asked if we had any questions about the park. We looked through the shop, found a few things we liked and we even found a DeGray Lake frisbee for DJ!

Settling in for the night, we discovered one of the nicest things about the campsite we had chosen…the cooling breeze coming across the lake and the tranquil sounds of the waves lapping at the shore. We slept through the night.

After a quick drive around the lake the next morning, we picked a boat ramp that would give us easy access to a cove where we had seen both deer and several birds the night before. We were hoping to ease into the cove with the kayaks and get some good photos for the site. Alas, even though we were out and about before all of the water sports had time to get started, the water was so choppy and the wind was so high that we were barely able to get around. As you can see from the map above, we weren’t able to cover much water. Granted, we did see some fish and a few birds, but we were planning to stay out for a couple of hours that morning.

Between the 94 degree heat at 8am in the morning and rough water, we decided to call it a day. After making it back to the boat ramp, we loaded the boats and headed for the swim area right down the road. We snorkeled and swam for a couple of hours before heading back to camp for lunch.

So, my question to the readers is this: Is DeGray Lake suitable for kayaking? If so, where are some good areas? We look forward to visiting the lake again, but we’re going to need some direction as to where to go to make the most of it.

Any suggestions are welcome!

View Larger Map

We packed our tiny, little red Nissan(see photo below). We had some doubts about being able to carry general supplies for traveling, camping, swimming, hiking and the three boats, but we soon came up with a system that works perfectly for our truck.

A layer of plastic containers that are the same height as the walls of the truck bed held everything we would need for several days travel. Once stacked in place, these formed a flat surface on which we strapped our three 10 foot kayaks. The two Pelicans were placed upside down and the Old Town was placed upright on top of the others. Across the bow and stern of the Old town, two ratchet straps secured everything so that we didn’t have to worry about anything shifting or falling out while driving at high speeds for over 5 hours.

The Cossatot River State Park is in Wickes, AR, which is around 5.5 hours from Jonesboro. We set out around 2pm with hopes of reaching the park by nightfall so that we could setup camp in one of the several primitive campsites at Cossatot Falls. We missed it by about half an hour though, both because of sight-seeing along the way and also because we didn’t anticipate how dark it would be in the river valley. The river bed itself was nicely lit by the bright moon overhead, but the campsites were pitch black underneath the thick trees that grow along the banks of the river.

Once camp was set up, we ventured down to the water’s edge to check out the scenery. We’d heard from friends how beautiful the area was and they were right. It really is breath-taking. The river curves in and out of the trees with small pools of water amongst the large rocks that form large rapids after a storm rolls through. The contrast of the grey stones against the tree-covered hillsides is gorgeous.

After a few photos and almost stepping on a Copperhead, we decided to crash for the night. It turns out camping at Cossatot Falls in July is not ideal if you are accustomed to air conditioned offices for the majority of the Summer months. It never dipped far below 90 degrees that night and the trees, while stunningly beautiful, block every ounce of breeze that might help with the heat. We were up very late just sitting in the tent…sweating. The heat eventually subsided and we all fell asleep. Morning arrived in a record amount of time, though. It was 6am before we knew it and it was time to get everything packed up so that we could head to the Visitor’s Center. We had a bit of time to spare so we walked down to the falls again to take some photos and soak in the scenery.

Once at the Visitor’s center we met our guide and Park Interpreter, Shelley Flanary. We also met Tim and Sybil. Tim helped with the kayak instruction and Sybil was our snorkeling guide. We also found out that not only would we be kayaking and snorkeling all day, we were also taking part in an American Canoe Association Level 1 Kayak Certification course. We hadn’t anticipated this, but it was a welcome surprise! Shelley explained that the certification we would receive would let kayak rental and shuttle service providers know what level of kayaking we were comfortable with, as well as qualify us for possible discounts with these providers and some outdoor outfitters.

After introductions to the twelve participants in the day’s activities, the first task of the day was to watch a couple of videos produced by the American Canoe Association. They contained your standard safety info for canoeing/kayaking. Shelley then quizzed us to make sure we were all paying attention. We passed with flying colors, of course.

Next up, we all loaded into a couple of trucks with a kayak trailer in tow and headed down to the river. The spot chosen for the training consisted of a small clubhouse which overlooked a set of falls with pools of shallow, clear water which was perfect for snorkeling and a large pool of water which was about 10 foot deep in which we would complete the kayak certification.

After some quick warm-up exercises and some paddling 101, we grabbed our kayaks and set off down the hill to hit the water. Eight of us would kayak while the other four snorkelled and we would then switch out after lunch.

The kayak certification consisted of several different tasks which Shelley and Tim demonstrated for us. As each task was demonstrated, a few of us would then give it a go with Shelley and Tim watching over us for possible corrections. Here’s the line-up of tasks, with descriptions:

• Forward Stroke
  • This is the main stroke you will use to propel your craft. The thing to remember is to use your torso. Using your arms is less efficient and more tiring. An easy way to remember this is to follow the stroke with your eyes. If you watch the stroke, your body will follow.
• Reverse Stroke
  • Forward stroke, but in reverse. Remember to use your upper body, not just your arms.
• Forward Sweep
  • Very similar to the forward stroke, but place your paddle out and away from the kayak and make a wide, round stroke. As if you are sweeping the water out and away from you. This stroke allows you to turn your kayak to the left of right with ease. Combine a forward seep with a reverse sweep to make a 360 degree turn without making a wide turn.
• Stern Rudder
  • If you need to turn to the left or right very quickly, “stick” your paddle toward the stern of the boat on the side you want to turn to. For example, if you need to quickly turn to the right, firmly place your paddle in the water next to your right rear and hold it in place. Your kayak’s bow will immediately pull to this side.
• Draw Stroke
  • Best described as pulling and slicing the water, this stroke allows you to “parallel park” your kayak. Once you find your sweet spot on your kayak, you can pull yourself in a straight line to the left or right. This is perfect for paddling up to a bank to exit the kayak.
• Sculling Draw
  • A bit more challenging than the draw stroke, the sculling stroke allows you to draw yourself to the left or right by scooping the top of the water. You achieve the same effect as a draw stroke, but with much more finesse.
• Solo Rescue
  • For the solo rescue, we learned how to recover our kayak after being tipped over . With paddle and kayak in hand, backstroke it to the nearest shore, drain the water from your boat and re-enter.
• Two-man Rescue
  • The two-man rescue allows you to re-enter your kayak in open water with the help of a friend. Once you have given the universal “I’m okay” sign (fist upon your head), hand your paddle to your partner. You can then work in tandem to pull your boat (while capsized) onto the bow of their kayak, drain it by rocking, flip the kayak back over and into the water and finally re-enter your kayak while it is stabilized against your partner’s kayak using the BBL (belly, then bottom, then legs) method.

The complete course took about two hours to complete and everyone did really well. The two-man rescues were probably the most challenging for everyone. At this point, we were really glad that we brought our own kayaks along with us. As well as learning how to rescue each other, we were able to rescue each other using our own equipment, which was slightly different than the Heritage Featherlite kayaks which the park supplied. Our boats were a bit heavier and a harder to pull up and over each other as they don’t have the flat bottoms like that of the Heritage kayaks.

We were also able to learn an alternate way of getting back into our kayaks if we are attempting a two-man rescue with Daniel. He’s doesn’t have the upper body strength to hold a boat while someone rolls over the side using the BBL method. While he stabilizes our kayak beside his own, we were able to straddle the bow of our boat and crawl up and into the cockpit.

After a quick lunch, we took to the falls with snorkel equipment in hand. We had never snorkeled before and we really enjoyed it. You get to see fish very up close. We even had a couple Red Darters and Leopard Darters that would come up and peck on the lenses of our goggles. As if they were just curious about what we were and why we were there. We will definitely continue snorkeling whenever possible.

We wrapped up the day by heading back to the Visitor’s Center, exchanging contact info with other participants, changing into dry clothes, packing the truck up for the drive to DeGray Lake Resort and picking up a few things at the gift shop. Cossatot River is an absolutely amazing & beautiful place and we’ll be back for sure.

More:

Photo gallery from our trip to the Cossatot River State Park
Cossatot River State Park Website
Cossatot Calendar of Events
View Larger Map

We hope everyone had a safe & fun weekend! Happy Independence Day from our family to yours!

Upon arriving, I met the tour guide, Kathy Evans, who is the Park Interpreter as well as the Assistant Superintendent. I was a bit early, so I went down to the boat ramp (see map #1) and got in for a bit of warming up. A few minutes later, Kathy came down to meet me at the ramp. It turns out, I assume due to the holiday weekend, that the tour had an attendance of one…your’s truly. So, we set off on our journey.

As we paddled out into the lake, Kathy began to tell me about the history of the lake and the park. A story I had not heard and turned out to be very interesting. Here’s an excerpt from “Lake Poinsett Provides a Home Away from Home” by Jay Harrod, Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism:

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, several Harrisburg residents envisioned a park where locals and visitors could enjoy picnicking, fishing or camping. The biggest problem, though, was Lake Poinsett did not exist at the time — just a stream, Distress Creek. Spearheading the effort to build a lake was a Harrisburg Rotary Club planning committee, chaired by R.D. Woods.

“There was nothing as far as recreational facilities at that time,” Woods, who has lived in Harrisburg since 1947, said.

The planning committee approached the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, which showed interest in damming Distress Creek. But there were obstacles to overcome. “Nobody had any money…or they didn’t want to spend it here,” Woods said.

Woods will readily admit that friends in politics helped make the lake reality. After months of struggling to secure necessary funds, Dan Portis, a one-time Arkansas Highway Commissioner, suggested Woods pay a visit to someone Portis knew well, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. The pair boarded Portis’ plane and flew to the Capitol.

“We got there, and Portis said, ‘So tell [Faubus] your problems,’” Woods said. “I did, and [Faubus] said, ‘I’ll take care of it.’ And he did, and that was that.”

Once the Game and Fish Commission built the lake in 1961, attentions turned to creating a state park. Again, Woods and fellow Rotarian, the late L.K. Collier, an attorney in Harrisburg, answered the call. The two owned much of the land surrounding the newly formed lake and donated 40 acres to the state parks system. But according to Woods, those at the state parks said twice that amount was needed in order to proceed with plans.

“So the community came to us and wanted to know if we’d sell 40 acres,” Woods said. “I think we got $4,000 or something like that. So we sold 40 acres and donated 40 acres.” Subsequent smaller land acquisitions have brought Lake Poinsett’s total acreage to 132 today.

Though many return campers enjoy the sense of community found at the park, many times it’s the scaly creatures that brought them to the park in the first place. Fishing remains the favorite pastime at Poinsett, drawing anglers nearly year-round.

Kathy told me that one of the employees, Jimmy, who I had met earlier in the VIC/Gift Shop actually worked on the dam (see map #4) as a teenager laying sandbags for a small bit of money a day. I, for one, think that’s amazing. I’ve led a bit of a nomad’s life…moving from state to state, city to city, job to job. The idea of staying in one place for so long seems so foreign to me, but I bet it is very fullfilling to be so rooted within a community.

As Kathy was finishing up the history of the lake and park, she spotted a Green Heron (see photo below) off to the left. The heron was running up and down the shore on the fallen trees. I’ve somehow never noticed these birds. They are stunning in the sunlight. As he ran across the trees, his feathers looks as though they were changing from emerald green to a brillant blue. Kathy mentioned that they also have a mohawk of feathers which they will display if they are threatened. I was able to find an image of this display here.

Continuing toward the AGFC public access (see map #2), Kath noticed swallows and Missisippi Kites (see photo below) flying over head. She cleared up a question that I’ve had for a while now. I knew that swallows were the birds responsible for the mud nests under bridges, overpasses and even the nests around homes, but I was wondering if there were several species of swallow or if there were different species that preferred different habitats. Kathy told me that the Cliff Swallow is responsible for the bridge nests and the Barn Swallow is the type found around homes and outbuildings.

She also mentioned that kites are birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles. This family of kites was attempting to lure their young out of their nests. As they circled high above the treetops, they were calling down to their young…encouraging them take their first flight.

The north end of the lake gets a bit shallow, but you are able to clearly see where the original creek flows from (see map #3). Kathy explained that there once was a road which connected one side of the area that is now the lake to the other side of the creek. This road, now submerged, was actually in line with the AGFC public access boat ramp and connected to the point directly across from the boat ramp. A small village with a general store and such was located here, but due to the lake cutting off the most direct route into the village, it soon dwindled away. This area, along with the majority of the shoreline around the east side of the lake is residential.

Arriving back at the park’s boat ramp, we exchanged contact information and got our boats loaded. Kathy mentioned that she is planning to host even more kayaking events, including a Full Moon tour. We are really looking forward to more local kayaking events, especially Full Moon tours. The closest tours of this type are hosted in Central and Southern Arkansas, a bit too far for a moonlight stroll.

I would encourage everyone to visit not only Lake Poinsett State Park, but any Arkansas State Park you have the chance to come across. We have over 50 of them in the state and as Kathy puts it, “we’ve got parks ranging from one acre to thousands of acres…we’ve got a bit of everything”. So, hop in the car, truck, kayak, canoe or hang glider and explore of bit of the Natural State!

Until next weekend (we’re going to Cossatot!), have fun & stay safe!

View Larger Map

I had seen and heard about several oxbow lakes south of Portia, AR. Portia Bay is clearly visible from Highway 63, but I had also noticed an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Public Access sign for Shirey Bay along the highway. A quick search on the internet turned up some info about the Shirey Bay Rainey Brake Wildlife Mangement Area which “was appropriately named for the two large bodies of water located on the area. The East Side of the area known as Shirey Bay got its name from an old oxbow off Black River. The Rainey Brake located on the West Side is so called due to a large pond or brake, as it is sometimes called. ” I also learned that about 15 miles south of Portia I could access either the Black River itself via the Dixie Lee access or I could also access the Shirley Bay oxbow lake. Target located!

So, at 5am this morning I headed for Portia…not really sure where I was going. As I entered Portia, I saw the familiar AGFC sign pointing south and as luck might have it, three trucks pulling boats. I followed the pack.

About 30 minutes, several turns and a pretty rough gravel road later we arrived at the Shirey Bay Public Access with boat ramp and dirt parking lot (see map #1). If not for following the other guys, I might have not made it on the first attempt. It’s nothing more than a boat ramp in the corner of a rice field, with trees surrounding the parking area and the usual brown AGFC sign, which was positioned in a spot which wasn’t as visible as they normally are.

Along with me, there were about 6 other people there. I chatted with a couple of older men who told me how to access two other oxbow lakes in the area and let me know I “probably don’t want to fool with the Black River” and that I “should be on the Spring [River] in a kayak, not in some oxbows that don’t go anywhere”. I explained that I was more of a touring-style kayaker and enjoyed the lakes and ponds just as much as the rivers.

I usually look for a spot off to the side of the boat ramps, because I have found that putting in on the actual boat ramp is a bit too rigid and clumsy for a guy of my size. I like to have a nice bed of gravel or grass to get settled into my boat and then kick off from. This boat ramp had a perfect spot just to the right where some pea gravel led down into the lake. I’m off!

Right away, the relaxation kicked in. There’s nothing better than a quiet, flat lake as the sun rises above the treetops, especially Cypress trees. Their gnarly limbs and feathery leaves break the rays of the sun into bits and pieces of golden light which allow you to look right into the sunrise without squinting much. I quickly found a large Cypress and started snapping photos of the sun rising.

After the sun had crested above the treetops, I headed south for a bit to look around and then turned back toward the northern end of the lake. From the boat ramp, I had seen that there were several large gatherings of Cypress trees toward the northern tip of the water. This is what I was looking for.

The color of the water is worth noting as well. It’s a bit like tea, but also a bit like coffee. It’s hard to describe. I’m not sure if it is the type of lake, the natural acids, tannins and such that exist in the Cypress groves or what, but it creates a rich colored water that makes it almost impossible to see anything more than a few inches under the water.

If you’ve not ever been around a grove of submersed Cypress trees in the early morning, you’re in for a treat. It’s like going back in time for a bit, especially if you find a group of really large trees.

As I paddled along, I noticed that the fish kept coming closer and closer to my boat. I don’t know if they were intrigued by the bright orange color or if they were just curious. I constantly saw dorsal fins rise and fall back into the water off the bow of the boat. And, from time and time, a fish would appear to the left or right of me right beyond my paddle. I could see the bright flash of what looked like a gar and then it was gone.

Including the friendly fish, I saw a family of raccoons passing through the woods along the bank, several woodpeckers up in the tops of the trees, a couple of sparrows, a few frogs and turtles and a squirrel. It was a wonderful trip and I plan to visit the other oxbow lakes in the area very soon. First on the list is Portia Bay. I’m told that there is no public access, so you have to pay a gentleman $2.00 to access the bay. I’ll gladly pay it for a few moments amongst my Cypress friends.

View Larger Map

Daniel and I would love to hear about other’s experiences in Arkansas. River running, lake touring, white water, flash floods…we want to hear about it all. If you are interested, please drop us a line at hello [at] kayakingarkansas [dot] com!

We only have a few guidelines we would like you to keep in mind:

• your trip/experience must take place in Arkansas
• please include photos (3-10 photos of a decent size)
• if possible, please include a link to more information about the waterway you are referencing in your post

That’s it! We look forward to hearing about your adventures!

Eurasian water-milfoil;
spike water-milfoil

Haloragaceae/Water-milfoil Family
pronounced: mirio-file-um / spi-ka-tum
from: myrios (G.): numberless
phyllon (G.): leaf
spica (L.): spike
“a plant with many leaf divisions, and a spike of flowers”

Eurasion Water-milfoil Mat

Eurasion Water-milfoil Stem

Eurasian water-milfoil is submersed. It tolerates a wide range of water conditions, and often forms large infestations. Eurasian water-milfoil stems are reddish-brown to whitish-pink. They are branched and commonly grow to lengths of six to nine feet. The leaves are deeply divided, soft and feather-like. Leaves are about two inches long. The leaves are arranged in whorls of three to six leaves about the stem. The flowers of Eurasian water-milfoil are reddish and very small. They are held above the water on an emersed flower spike that is several inches long.

Habit:

• Eurasian water-milfoil is a submersed, rooted, perennial
• its stems can “top out” in 20 feet of water, but the plant is most often found in water 0.5 to 3.5 m deep (Aiken et al. 1979)
• often forms large infestations; often is the most abundant submersed species in a locale
• spreads and reproduces mainly by regrowth of plant fragments; spreads locally by stolons
• will halt boat traffic on rivers; will fill a lake surface from shore to shore
• an aquatic weed worldwide
• seems to prefer lakes, ponds and slow-moving rivers and streams but can also grow in fast-moving water (Newroth 1985)
• tolerates a wide range of water conditions, including spring water and even brackish water of tidal creeks and bays with salinity of up to 10 parts per thousand (Beaven 1960)
• temperature tolerance: Eurasian water-milfoil is winter-hardy, able to overwinter in frozen lakes and ponds in northern states and Canada; but is also able to grow in shallow, over-heated bays

More information about Eurasion Water-milfoil.

Hydrilla Verticillata;
hydrilla, water thyme

Hydrocharitaceae/Frog’s-bit Family
pronounced: hid-ril-lah ver-ti-ki-lah-ta (long/short marks)
from: hydr (G.): water
verticillus (L.): the whorl of a spindle
“water plant with whorls of leaves”

Hydrilla Mat

Hydrilla Stem

Hydrilla is a submersed plant. It can grow to the surface and form dense mats. It may be found in all types of water bodies. Hydrilla stems are slender, branched and up to 25 feet long. Hydrilla’s small leaves are strap-like and pointed. They grow in whorls of four to eight around the stem. The leaf margins are distinctly saw-toothed. Hydrilla often has one or more sharp teeth along the length of the leaf mid-rib. Hydrilla produces tiny white flowers on long stalks. It also produces 1/4 inch turions at the leaf axils and potato-like tubers attached to the roots in the mud.

Habit:

• Hydrilla is a herbaceous perennial.
• Submersed, “obligate” (requiring a wet habitat).
• Forming dense stands of very long stems (25 ft.) in the water.
• Reproduces mainly by regrowth of stem fragments; also reproduces by growth of axillary buds(turions) and subterranean tubers; tubers can remain viable for more than 4 years (Van & Steward 1990).
• A single tuber can grow to produce more than 6,000 new tubers per m2 (Sutton et al. 1992).
• Hydrilla can grow in almost any freshwater: springs, lakes, marshes, ditches, rivers, tidal zones.
• Can grow in only a few inches of water, or in water more than 20 feet deep.
• Can grow in oligotrophic (low nutrient) to eutrophic (high nutrient) conditions.
• Can grow in 7% salinity of seawater (Haller 1974).
• Temperature tolerance: hydrilla is somewhat winter-hardy; its optimum growth temperature, 20-27o C (68-81o F); its maximum temperature, 30o C (86o F) (Kasselmann 1995).
• U.S. southern populations overwinter as perennials; northern populations overwinter and regrow from tubers.
• Can grow in only 1% of full sunlight.
• Low light compensation and saturation points and low CO2 compensation point make it a competitive plant because it can start growing in low light before other plants do (Van et al. 1976; Bowes 1977).

More information about Hydrilla.

Once we put it on South Fork we headed downstream to High Falls. This is one of our favorite spots to chill out for a while. The scenery is beautiful, the sound of the falls blends everything into the background and the water here, which originates at Mammoth Spring State Park, is noticeably cooler than the water on South Fork. There is a small cove to the left of High Falls which has easy access for portage over the falls. You can also head all the way to the right of the falls for portage. I prefer using the cove on the left, because there are ample places to stick your kayak while you swim and play around for a while. Daniel likes to collect shells in the cove and try to hang on to the rocks just above the falls as the strong current flows over him; activities which kept my siblings and I busy for hours every Summer of our childhood. It’s awesome to be able to share this exact same experience with my son years later.

Now that you are above the falls, you can join the crowd of people who are escaping the heat by soaking in the swift, cold waters or head out to the edge of the falls to watch people go over the falls. It is guaranteed to be entertaining. At the height of Summer, about every third canoe that goes over tends to flip; often followed by the familiar sound of “ohhhh, my beeeeer”. If you decide to try your luck on High Falls, aim just to the right of the small gathering of rocks and trees in the middle of the falls. There is a deep, gradual grade here versus the quick drop-off across the rest of the falls. There are normally people hanging out around the falls that will point you to the exact right spot. Crystal, Hershel (Crystal’s father) and I have all successfully gone over in kayaks several times.

If you head upstream from here, you will soon reach V Falls, named after the split that occurs here. Directly in front of you, you’ll find a small line of falls (see map #6) with portage to the right over a rocky shoal which leads up to the edge of V Falls (see map #7), an excellent spot to hang out and swim. From here (if you want to head back downstream as we did), you can either head back over the small falls and back to High Falls or you can put in below V Falls and follow the fork back down to the main river. Both routes lead you to another small set of falls about 500 feet downstream (see map #2, #3). Here you will need to decide if you would like to go left or right. To the right is a bit steeper drop and you will have to contend with a group of people who think they own this portion of the river and won’t hesitate to yell at you for “going down the wrong side”. You’ll also notice a large white sign with an arrow to the left that says “canoes and kayaks”. This is the route we took. The current speeds up a bit as you go over this section. Crystal and Hershel sped right on through. Daniel got turned about at first after hitting a rock, but straightened back up and glided right through. DJ & I, however, went a bit too far to the left and got hung on some rocks. After a little pushing with my oar, we were able to get free, but then proceeded to go down backwards. While a little hairy for DJ and I, it was very entertaining for the family hanging out on the small shoal to the right of this area. Hey, I’m always up to the task of providing smiles for any on-lookers.

For the rest of the trip it’s flat, smooth sailing. Several bridges and a small set of falls (see map #4) later, you’ll come around a small bend to land at Hardy Beach Access (see map #5). The park here doesn’t provide much shade and the picnic tables that are available are usually taken. We were ready to cool off, so we headed back to our family’s lot for some lunch and a quick swim before we continue exploring South Fork. The trip from High Falls, up to V falls and back down to Hardy Beach is around three miles and took us about 2.5 hours with several stops for swimming.

After lunch and some relaxing in the shade, we put back in at the lot and headed upstream for some exploring of South Fork. Not far upstream there is a large gravel island with a small set of falls to the right (see map #8). If the water had been a bit deeper, I think we might have been able to paddle right over them. The island provides easy portage around the falls. This is the last obstruction for a good while and the current isn’t very strong at all. At times, you can easily forget that you are paddling upstream.

The evidence of a recent flood which caused the waters to rise around 10 feet is still very easy to see. We saw several docks, fishing boats and even a pontoon boat washed up on the banks amongst the trees. It’s amazing to think how much water passed through the area. Even more amazing are the number of homes which are right on the banks of the river. Over a year later, you can see some homeowners are still working on repairing the damage to their properties.

After about a mile or so, we decided it was now too hot to continue on. We turned back for the lot and once again dove in for a refreshing swim before loading up for the day.

All in all, it was an awesome day. I’ve been coming to South Fork and High Falls since I was in diapers and they’ve never disappointed. It was awesome to experience the same area in a kayak versus an inner tube or inflatable raft. A kayak affords you the ability to explore the river at leisure and you are able to move along quietly so that you can observe the river wildlife including several species of snakes, River Cooters, Soft Shells, Blue Herons, Cooper’s Hawks, swallows, squirrels and the occasional fish leaping into the air.

Daniel and I highly suggest everyone plan a visit to South Fork and Spring River whenever you can.

If you’re in the mood for a multiple day trip on South Fork, among the many places to put in on South Fork is an access Saddle, AR. This trip consists of just over 18 miles of remote river which winds and curves through the Ozark foothills. This is on our list of trips once the temperatures deep a little in the Fall.

Until next weekend, keep paddling and stay safe!

Kayaking Arkansas Trip Map

Arkansas Tourism Spring River Info & Float Map

For this trip, we had our friend Khara with us and this was her first time in a kayak. With this in mind, and the fact that we wanted to have time to swim later, we opted for the Dam #3 option. We parked Khara’s truck at the dam and soon after we were in the water at the park.

Access at the park is off to the side of the parking lot through some trees and across a small creek which is very easy to get across with your kayak over your shoulder.  Additionally, the spot at which you put your boat in the water is solid ground and level with the river. All three of us were able to get in the water and push off within minutes. The aqua, blue water is not only breath-taking in beauty, but also in temperature. Around 56 degrees, it’s not what you would call a swimming hole.

Once in the water, we quickly noticed that the thing to watch for in this part of the river are rocks; huge rocks just beneath the surface of the water are a constant for the first half of the trip. Since the current here is moderately slow, we were able to easily navigate around the rocks as we came upon them. Once around the first bend, you have the option of going to the left or right around a small island of trees. We chose to take the right side since it looked to be the smoothest of the two. Daniel and Khara slipped on through, however, I was riding a bit lower in the water due to my…big bones. So, I had to get out 4-5 times and pull my boat over the rocks and vegetation.

One thing that surprised us was the amount of development along the river banks. We were expecting to round the bend after the park and feel as though we were all alone with the river. This wasn’t the case. There are homes, boat docks, people mowing their lawns, fishing sheds and lots of people fishing from the decks along both sides of the banks. It wasn’t until we reached Cold Spring Access, in the last half of the trip, that the houses faded into the distance.

Between the first bend and Cold Spring access you will encounter several spots with a lot of vegetation and rocks just beneath the water. The water is deep enough to continue, but the amount of obstructions in the water requires you to keep an eye out. You can easily get hung on a gathering of rocks and get turned sideways before you know it. Not that you are ever in danger of rolling over, but with a little planning you can avoid the need to push yourself along with your paddle.

Cold Spring access is easily recognizable from a distance due to a large stone bridge connecting one side of the river to the other. With large arches filled with bird nests, it’s a good place to stop and take some photos. As you approach the bridge the birds flee their nests and swirl into the sky above you. Once you are a safe distance away, they then begin to swoop back under the bridge into their mud-built nests.

This, I might add, is where we SHOULD HAVE gotten out of the river. More on that later.

After Cold Spring Access, the water is noticeable deeper and much calmer. We immediately noticed the buildup of pollen and leaves on top of the water and a rise in the temperature of the surface of the water. Up to this point, the river has been pushing you along at a decent speed, but the momentum from here to Dam #3 is controlled by you. You can chill out and go with the slow flow of the river or you can race to the finish line; depends on your energy level at this point. We decided to float along slowly since we were finally surrounded by trees.

After about 30 minutes or so and another bend to the left, the large warning signs atop Dam #3 come into view. We aimed for the gravel bar to the left as instructed by the staff at the park earlier in the day. This is where the trip turned a bit sour for us. We quickly noticed that the vegetation was really thick and the gravel bar was more or a “large jagged rocks bar” than a gravel bar. After what is akin to crawling through the vegetation, we came upon a small gap in the bank where the gravel bar was accessible. However, tt was very hard to get out of the boat and up the side of the gravel bar. Once we were all up on the gravel bar, it was a bit tricky to carry the kayaks around 100 yards to the paved drive and keep your footing on the large chunks of rock. On the hottest day so far in 2009, this was quite a task. By the time we got everything back to the truck and got loaded, we were all on our last legs.  Even on a cool day, this would be a task for us…borderline dangerous.

My suggestion to anyone who asks will be to take out at Cold Spring Access. Much safer and a much more relaxed ending for your trip.

More about Mammoth Spring State Park:
http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/mammothspring/

More about Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery:
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2539

Craighead Forest Park consists of about 700 acres land which is managed by Jonesboro Parks & Recreation. The lake, which is 60 acres, is at the center Craighead Forest Park and is surrounded by 9 different access points (including the boat ramp and camping area), all of which feature different facilities for visitors. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 feature playgrounds for the kids as well as picnic tables, pavilions with electricity and fire pits and/or grills. The largest of the playgrounds are at 5 & 6 which feature very large playgrounds provided by local Rotary Clubs.

There is a boat ramp between 1 & 2 which has parking, a small fishing pier and a dog-jumping dock. You can put your kayak in here, but we prefer to put in at Access 4. There is a paved drive to the south side of this access which allows you to park right next to the water and there is a small cove which allows you to walk right out into the water with ease.

If you are not from the area and will be staying overnight, there is a camping area as well. It can be found between access 4 & 5. The fees are very reasonable and you have access to around 30 paved pads, electricity and a campers-only pavilion and pier.

For this visit, we decided to go out around dusk so that the sun wouldn’t bake us the entire time. In the Summer you can go out to the lake around 7:30pm to completely escape the sun as it dips down behind the western tree line. This gives you a good two hours of paddling time without having to worry about getting burned (a constant issue with a family of redheads). Crystal was with us this time, so we decided to race across the lake…Daniel won of course. We were able to easily navigate across the entire lake several times over.

One of the nice things abour Craighead Forest Park is that the entire lake is surrounded by a walking path which is frequented at all hours of the day by people walking, jogging and running. If you’re lucky, you even meet new people as you paddle around the lake. Of course, having a 13 week-old lab mix in the kayak with you is a good conversation starter in itself. Kids cannot resist stopping to pet him, which DJ just adores.

It’s an understatement to say that we’ll be back in this lake a few times this Summer. It’s the perfect spot to keep your arms in shape, cook some hotdogs on the grill and take the dog out for a swim…all without even leaving town.

For more information about Craighead Forest Park visit http://www.jonesborosports.org/view/194