Archey Fork Celebration and Groundbreaking 6/28

[DeBo]

The invitation below says to RSVP but that is not necessary. Please just post here if you are going and I can give them an estimate. This should be very interesting. The project promises to create an all new, fun section of river. Come check it out!


Join us and partners in celebrating the beginning of this exciting river restoration project. We will gather
at Archey Fork Park, rain or shine, for brief remarks, refreshments and a tour of the project.
RSVP
by June 24 to Ginny Porter
(501) 614.5084 or vporter@tnc.org

Directions: From I-40 W take exit 125 for US-65 N. Travel 37 miles and turn right onto Archey Fork Road.
The park is located behind Subway in Clinton. Southwestern Energy and The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas
invite you to the groundbreaking of the Archey Fork River Restoration Project in Clinton

A Tale of Two Forks
Every river has a story. The record-setting flood of 1982 became a large part of the story of the Archey Fork and the people of Clinton, Arkansas. Nine feet of water flooded the entire downtown of Clinton, near where the Archey Fork and South Fork of the Little Red River meet, and the city was declared a disaster area.
To address future flooding concerns, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed and implemented a plan to channelize and dredge this 3.5-mile stretch of the river at Clinton heading downstream. Although it accomplished the goal of reducing flood heights, the river has since become unstable. Eroding streambanks have created an 800-foot-wide stream channel in some places, making the stream shallow and the water temperature hot, which means poor habitat for aquatic species. The poor quality of the river here has also affected swimming, boating and fishing for local residents and tourists.
Several years ago, The Nature Conservancy partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the City of Clinton to develop a large-scale restoration strategy based on the science of natural channel design to restore the ailing section of the upper Little Red River. And in 2012, thanks to a generous gift of $900,000 from Southwestern Energy, the work began.
The Archey Fork Restoration Project will require channel shaping and construction of in-channel rock and wood structures to be completed in three phases, with the goal of reducing streambank erosion, restoring channel stability, improving aquatic habitat and improving water quality. Construction is scheduled to begin Summer 2013.
This project is supported by a broad range of partners including Southwestern Energy, the City of Clinton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, The Arkansas Canoe Club and local landowners.
Friday, June 28 • 10:30 a.m.
Archey Fork Park, Clinton, AR
ARKANSAS NATURAL HERITAGE COMMISION
Local
Landowners

[DeBo]

Please see the edited version.