River Resoration Project: Call for Volunteers!

[DeBo]

Middle Fork of the Saline: River Restoration Project

Come join us and see this amazing project for yourself!

When: Fri. Dec. 4, Sat Dec. 5th, Fri. Dec. 11th
Where: Stream restoration site in Jessieville, Ar (see directions)
What to Bring: Water bottle (we have a water cooler), lunch, very warm
clothes (sturdy and layered), shoes you can get muddy (mud boots and
maybe some old tennis shoes), work gloves (work gloves with grips work
best), small sledges if you have them.

Volunteers can come whenever they like. TNC staff will be at the site around
8:00 and leave around 5:00. They will arrive at 9:00am on Saturday.

Directions to Project:
Take Highway 5 West out of Benton toward Hot Springs Village to AR Highway 7 North. Take 7 North past Hot Springs Village to Jessieville.

The high school will be on the right. Make a hard right on to Beaudry Street, go 3-4 miles. You will cross a stream, the road turns at a 90° turn to the right. Go ½ mile, veer right onto Newkirk Road. Go 1-2 miles – there will be a cemetery that you can see on the left.

There is an open gate to a field on the right – location of project

If you go to the cemetery, you’ve gone too far.

34.702495, -93.005233 Coordinates are approximate.

Take a look at the project here: http://www.streamrestoration.typepad.co ... alineriver" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DeBo]

Hello?

[Stan]

This is an awesome project!!!!!! I have been working as a volunteer on it 1-2 times a week for over a month. The Nature Conservancy really needs help with the "bioengineering". Stream banks have been sculpted to reroute the river channel to stop severe erosion. It is now critical that these new banks be stabilized with anti-erosion matting and tree cuttings.

"Stan" (AKA Margaret Bartelt)

[fryingsquirrel]

Debo,I'd really like to help out, but I have to work tomorrow and sat, so that rules me out.
Maybe there might be more help if they scheduled things like this in milder weather, and not freeze your nards (where applicable) off december. Maybe some other time.
Jon Ellwood

[DeBo]

Stan and I worked all day on the project today with two staff from TNC and will be going back again tomorrow. It's amazing how hard physical labor can keep you warm even in the coldest weather. I know that it is difficult to get volunteers this time of year and I don't really expect anyone to come at this point.

Like any other big project they don't always have the luxury of planning around the weather. Certain things have to be done at certain times and it doesn't matter if it is cold or not. The project is at a stage where we need to get the banks stabilized and it needs to be done before there is a major rain which could ruin a lot of work.

The good news is, we got a lot done today and we will be finished soon now. Then we can hope that it will rain enough to bring the creek up to a floatable level so we can run those newly created rapids!