NEW ACCESS ON COSSATOT? INFO, PLEASE!!!

[CAPTAIN ALEVE]

The quote below is posted under the topic "Thank you from Cossatot River State Parks":

Re: Thank you from Cossatot River State Parks
Cossatot State Parks and the ACC have a partnership to help each other provde good stewardship for the river and provde access. This study will provide baseline data which will be used to moniter and maintain the health of the river. We will also do cleanups on the river and a new access below the falls is being provided for us. We also send great thanks to Stan and his staff for working with us for the Cossatot.

Will someone please give details of the proposed new access?

Stan Speight of the Cossatot State Park described an ACC donation to the Park as "very generous". Years ago the ACC donated $5000 to help construct the bathroom at the Ed Banks access.

What did we donate this time and what will it help the Park do?

I would assume our donation came from our Ron Gillham Conservation Fund. I'm sure Ron would want everyone to know the particulars; I'll bet Ron would want us to publish news of the donation in newspapers around the state to make more people aware of river needs in general and what we are doing to help.

Captain Aleve, a.k.a. Mike Coogan

[Gordon Kumpuris]

Hang on Mike. I'm sure news is on the way.

[CAPTAIN ALEVE]

Here's the latest information gathered by a call to the State Park:

The ACC donated $2500 to the Cossatot River State Park and Natural Area to help cover the approximately $4600 cost of collecting two samples from three feeder creeks: Flat Creek, Pryor Creek, and Brushy Creek. The first sample was colleted in November; the second will be collected this coming April. Ouachita Baptist University is doing the lab work required to analyze the data from the extensive battery of tests performed. The tests included tests for dissolved oxygen, ph, electrical conductivity, sulphates, nitrates, nitrogen, and several metals. These two series of tests will be used to help determine changes to the watershed in the future when it is hoped that regularly scheduled tests will be established and funded by the state. This will be a great way to help preserve the quality of the river; early detection of negative changes will allow the best chance of avoiding a problem. Being a part of this effort from the very beginning is something the ACC can be proud of.

Two private inholdings in the State Park were purchased recently with a grant from the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. Those properties are about a mile below the Falls and abut the river on both sides. Unfortunately, gated timber company roads surround those properties and will likely prevent them from becoming access points at this time.

There are two access points to the river that are rarely used, both downstream of the Visitor Center. One road is above the confluence with Harris Creek and is open seasonally (I'll have to check on when the gate is open). The other road leads to the top of Gilham Lake and has some rough spots in it. I'll post more info on current conditions of that road as they become available. Class II paddlers will be able to enjoy making trips from the Visitor Center to either one of these spots.

That's the whole story.

Captain Aleve, alias Mike Coogan

[DeBo]

I had planned on doing an article for the newsletter about what has been happening at the Cossatot when all of the good news was in. Right now, I am out of state and have not been able to keep up with what has been going on, and Cowper has this silly idea that we came down here to explore a new swamp, not to sit around the motel room posting updates on the internet. I also have to admit that posting about what we've done is often a secondary priority for me; I'm usually thinking about what we can do next instead.

But the sun has set; Cowper is watching an Angelina Jolie movie that includes lots of car chases and gun fights, so I have a few minutes to give an update.

Last year we were contacted by Stan Speight at the Cossatot State Parks who wanted to begin a formal partnership with us to help provide stewardship for the river and perhaps work on providing us better access. I reported on this at a board meeting last year and a Cossatot Committee was appointed.

The Committee consists of, Brian Abbott, Sabrina Mellor, Walter Felton and me. We met with Stan shortly after that and discussed some of the needs of the river. Stan mentioned the possibility of doing a water quality study at that time. We agreed to hold a cleanup on the river as our first activity. Four people showed up for the cleanup; Brian, Walter, Cowper and me. Sabrina is off the hook because she has spent countless hours cleaning the river whenever she is there.

A couple of months later Stan contacted me about the water study. The University had originally given a price tag of around 10,000 dollars for the study but because this study was so important they dropped the cost to about 5000 dollars. Stan was still having difficulty getting enough money from the state budget. I agreed to take the issue before the board and at our last meeting we agreed to donate 2500 dollars to the study. A check was written to the park. We have just now heard that the study was approved via the thank-you from Stan; that's what triggered Renee to post the information at this time.
As for access issues, we've been engaged with discussions with the Park, but there has been no announcement because there is no new access - at least not yet. We still have work to do. We would like an access at the Deer Camp just below the Falls. The park now owns this but keeps the gate into the area locked most of the time. They are concerned about vandalism to the area and the structures at the location. This could still be a possibility at some future date.

I wish to express my thanks again to Stan and his staff and also to my fellow committee members for giving their valuable time to helping preserve this wonderful resourse, the Cossatot River.

[dogpatch]

Debo, I just read Joel the first two paragraphs of your post and he is cackling uncontrollably. I hope he will be ok.