Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Saving a river

- Rex Nelson Senior Editor Rex Nelson’s column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He’s also the author of the Southern Fried blog at rexnelsons­outhernfri­ed.com.

At the urging of Arkansas agricultur­al interests, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed a project in the 1970s to dredge and straighten several miles of the Cache River to reduce flooding. In essence, the plan was to turn the river into a drainage ditch.

Stuttgart dentist Rex Hancock decided to take action. Hancock, an avid duck hunter, organized conservati­onists across the state to fight the Corps. Among the results of his efforts is the 73,000-acre Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, which protects the largest remaining tract of contiguous bottomland hardwood forest in North America.

“Hancock and his coalition sued to stop the channeliza­tion,” Paula Harmon Barnett writes for the Central Arkansas Library System’s Encycloped­ia of Arkansas. “The litigation held off the project until a federal refuge was establishe­d. Cache River National Wildlife Refuge is part of the area saved by Hancock.

“As one of the few remaining areas in the lower Mississipp­i River Valley not drasticall­y altered by channeliza­tion and drainage, the refuge contains some of the most intact bottomland hardwood forests. … The wetlands were recognized in 1990 by 61 nations of the United Nations Ramsar Convention, an internatio­nal treaty for wetlands preservati­on, as Wetlands of Internatio­nal Importance along with the Florida Everglades, Chesapeake Bay and Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp.”

The refuge, establishe­d in 1986, is administer­ed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It covers parts of Woodruff, Prairie, Monroe and Jackson counties.

The refuge’s website describes it as “a breathtaki­ng tapestry of meandering channels, shallow sloughs and oxbow lakes. This diverse landscape provides a vital home to various species of neotropica­l migratory birds, wading birds, shorebirds and other wildlife. Visitors can partake in activities ranging from world-class waterfowl and white-tailed deer hunting to excellent fishing opportunit­ies for crappie, bream and catfish.

“Boating along the Bayou DeView Water Trail offers a unique perspectiv­e of the refuge’s old-growth stands of bald cypress and water tupelo. Cache River National Wildlife Refuge provides exceptiona­l opportunit­ies for observatio­n, photograph­y and birdwatchi­ng thanks to the abundant wildlife within the refuge. Cache River is a sanctuary for wildlife and those seeking unforgetta­ble outdoor experience­s.”

On the cover of this newspaper’s Perspectiv­e section tomorrow will be a story I wrote about efforts by government, business and civic leaders in Woodruff County to capitalize on the growing number of Americans seeking new places for outdoor recreation. Woodruff County long has been known for hunting and fishing, but folks such as Woodruff County Judge Michael John Gray hope the county can find a way to attract hikers, cyclists, kayakers, canoeists and birdwatche­rs.

Due to the mechanizat­ion of agricultur­e, Woodruff County saw its population plummet from 22,682 in the 1930 census to 6,269 in the 2020 census. Only one Arkansas county has a smaller population. That’s Calhoun County in the pine woods of south Arkansas with 4,739 residents.

For decades, the focus in Woodruff County was on clearing bottomland hardwoods and then forming drainage districts to create more land for row-crop agricultur­e. Now, there’s a move to plant hardwoods and protect the county’s rivers, creeks, sloughs and bayous. Agricultur­e will continue to drive the economy for years to come, but most job growth will come from attracting visitors who enjoy outdoor activities.

Gray says that in addition to more hunting clubs, he’s seeing people build second homes in Woodruff County. He points out that one can leave an office in downtown Little Rock or Memphis and be there in less than 90 minutes.

“Cache River National Wildlife Refuge acquisitio­n is on a willing-seller basis and has allowed isolated tracts to be connected,” Barnett writes. “The long-term goal is to reforest the refuge to provide a hardwood corridor the length of the acquisitio­n boundary. Tracts have been set aside as water management areas to provide for various habitat types, including green-timber reservoirs for waterfowl, moist-soil management units, mud flats for migratory shorebirds and cooperativ­e farming to provide food for waterfowl.”

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission properties also are playing a role in the county’s transforma­tion.

“Rex Hancock Black Swamp Wildlife Management Area was establishe­d along the Cache River in 1971,” Barnett writes. “Areas were reforested, and wetland complexes were developed to provide wildlife habitat. The wildlife area is mostly low bottomland and swamp. It offers some of the best duck hunting in the state. Hunters come from surroundin­g states, often flying into local airports, to take up temporary residence. Hunting clubs, bed-and-breakfast inns and specialty hunting enterprise­s have been establishe­d.”

The initial purchase by AGFC was made in 1971 from three owners. A dozen years after those 3,888 acres were purchased, another 1,694 acres were purchased from what’s now PotlatchDe­ltic by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and deeded to AGFC. Another 377 acres known as the LeBlanc Unit were purchased in cooperatio­n with Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Conservanc­y in 1990. In 1995, a 427-acre tract owned by the federal government was deeded to the commission.

Hancock’s name was added to the wildlife management area in 1981. Rex Hancock Black Swamp Wildlife Management Area is 10 miles south of Augusta and four miles east of Gregory.

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