FLOOD CLEANUP

Millwood official expects to lose 18 months of tourism money as state park undergoes repairs

ASHDOWN, Ark.— Floodwaters have finally receded at Millwood State Park, but the work on repairing the damage could continue until the fall of 2016.

“We are going to lose about a year and a half,” said Mark Myers, Millwood State Park superintendent. “It’s insured, but we are losing money on tourism.”

Little River County was also declared a disaster area, so FEMA money will be available.

Situated about 9 miles east of Ashdown, Millwood Dam is on the Little River 16 miles upstream from its junction with the Red River.

The lake set a record during the May flooding with a lake level of 282.95 feet. The previous record was 282 feet, recorded May 23, 1968, according to the Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District.

With the lake level 24.1 feet above its normal 259.2 feet, water rose in all directions from the dam and spillway and consumed all of the state park, with the exception of the park office and the houses for the park rangers.

All campgrounds were under water along with three bathrooms, the pavilion and playground equipment.

“Everything was under water. There were turtles and a gator sunning on the roof of one of the bathrooms,” Myers said. At one point during the flooding, Myers and his wife saw three alligators in their yard.

The park was shut down May 12.

“We had 20 to 30 campers at that time, and more people had reservations for Memorial Day weekend,” he said. Crews have worked recently to repair the damage. Mold was rampant in the restrooms, and insects are on everything. Campsites are being rebuilt, and restrooms and showers are being power-washed. Repairing the electrical problems is a huge job. “There has been a lot of electrical damage,” Myers said. “Fans and dryers in the restrooms were ruined. We pulled some out before it was ruined. I was standing in water up to my chest getting some of the ceiling fans down.” Myers said he hopes the state park will be open for day use within a couple of months. “Some parts of the park will open gradually,” he said. However, he believes it might be fall of 2016 before overnight camping is available at the park. Millwood State Park and Dam were built under supervision of the Corps of Engineers Tulsa District. Construction of the dam began in 1961 and was completed for flood-control operations in 1966.

“This year has been its biggest test,” Myers said.

TOP RIGHT: Appliances, electrical systems and lighting are a few of the things the park will need to replace in order to bring it back to its former glory.

TOP LEFT: What are believed to be the shells of insect eggs have embedded themselves in most of the structures around the park and are having to be pressure washed off. “Everything that was underwater has these marking on it, I wish I knew exactly...

Staff photos by Jerry Habraken ABOVE: Maintenance technician Darrel Saunders power washes a bath house at Millwood State Park as the cleanup and repair from this summer’s flooding has begun. “We took a lot of pride in how clean we kept everything here, and the flooding has just...