Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

The little MO is still climbing as of 3:45 am, I am going to wait and see what the 7:45 update has for a level. The Tot which updates every hour is still going up so I assume The Little MO will be as well. If no one wants to go there I will probably wait and see if anyone wants to join tomorrow.

Wish I could join you today, Adam, but can't get away today or tomorrow. What a day to paddle!!! Enjoy. Put that pool roll practice to good use. Maybe Friday I can join you.

Byron

Byron can't find any takers today, so think I am going to tough it out at work and maybe slide out early and hit some creek if i can find any company. Would you maybe get loose in time to hit up deroche? The gate has been open all week, and I am going to check the level in a bit.

There are a couple of folks heading to the tot and may stop to do the Little Mo if the water level is good. Tmuse

Sorry, Adam, no way I can get away today. Bummer.

Byron

Just come by the gate to the Rock Quarry on Deroche and now it is locked.

Given the timing, it makes me wonder if it's locked intentionally to keep boaters out. Need to find out who owns/operates that place these days and negotiate some access.

Byron,

Thirty years ago, when I worked for the welding supply co. in Arkadelphia, I called on Murray Quarry (across from The Fish Net restaurant), then later on at the DeRoche Quarry when they moved operations there. I want to say it was Carter Const. Co. that owned/operated the quarrys. I'm sorry I don't have access to the contact information any more, if they are in fact still the owners. International Paper Co. has probably also had access over the years for their adjoining property.

Best Regards
Jim

Thanks Jim. Last I'd heard, the company that operates a big quarry near Malvern (Martin Marietta?) bought then shut down the one at DeRoche. But I think they may have sold it. May be able to find out from some of the local haulers.

Byron I will find out as I have a contact, since we still have facilities within the gate from when the quarry was still in operation.

Great, Adam. Just a little weird that the gate's been open for months and then is locked after a big rain. Just coincidence, let's hope.

OT but a little more history of the two quarries.From what I gathered, the majority of the rock from Murray Quarry supplied the corps. during the construction of Lake Degray, much of it in the form of 'rip-rap' as that seen along the Hwy 7 dike.
After Reroche came on line, much of it's rock, also in the form of rip-rap, was trucked to South Ark. and La. over several years for revetment projects along the Red river. I knew you'd be curious :)

Jim

If it doesn't drop to quick tonight the lower should be decent tomorrow. Any takers?

From what I have found out about the quarry on DeRoche, sounds like they are either hauling materials out again or using the site to dump excess materials. So best guess the reason the gate was not open was because they don't work when it rains. Just a side note the reason they built the new gate was to limit access because of youngsters hanging out, and a guy committed suicide at the quarry.

So did you get any contact info, person in charge, we could talk with about access when it rains?