Motorboats at rockport!!

[gannon311]

Had another incident today at the ledge! The eeeediot actully bumped a tuber. After all that went down the boat left. Sometime around 8:00-8:30 here they come back, sat around for a min. And then went up the ledge just to surfers left of the eddy rock.on there way back down, they went right through middle of the wave

I called the AGFC. A game warden call me back 30 mins. After. I told him what the problem was and we talked about the situation for somewhere around 15 min. I finally asked him point blank " is it going to take someone getting killed to stop this" his reply was that's usually what it takes. He said he would talk to his people and suggested we get with the city and see what can be done. Looks like to me 2dozen bouys would be a lot cheaper than killing a child.
Yes I understand they have a right to use the water to but u can't run aboat in the swimming area on a lake this is no diff.

[Cowper]

That's how we get new guard rails and new traffic lights in Conway. But I agree we should try to be smarter than that. Game and Fish did place a yellow sign near the top of the ramp for us last year reiterating the Arkansas Boating laws, but more needs to be done.

E-mail sent to Rolyan Buoys:

I need to get a general idea on some pricing for several buoys needed to mark a swimming area for a City Park.

I am a member of the Arkansas Canoe Club, which has worked for several years with the City of Malvern, Arkansas to develop a Whitewater Park on the Ouachita River at Malvern Arkansas. The area is becoming very popular with local tubers, as well as with a group of kayakers and canoeists that have been using the area for recreational boating for over three decades now.

However, there have been several recent “near miss” incidents with motorboats that do not recognize that this stretch of river is now a “swimming area” and is no longer an appropriate place for unrestricted power boating. Minor injuries have already occurred, and we fear there is worse coming in the future. For that reason, our club is now trying to determine if we could make a donation to the City of Malvern to place some buoys to clearly mark a designated swimming area, and an acceptable boat channel for power boats to use when navigating past this area.

From looking at your catalog, I think something like your B5CPRSW -19" dia., 38" collar internal ballast buoys might work for our application.

The areas where these buoys would be placed have a current speed on the order of 3 to 4 mph at normal river levels. However, during flood events, the buoy would need to be sufficiently rugged to not be destroyed when pushed underwater by high flows. It is not necessary that the buoy remain visible or on the surface during these high flow events, only that it “survive” the event and continue marking these areas when normal flows return.

Could you please provide me with
1) The approximate cost of these buoys, and
2) A contact name / phone number of someone I could discuss this with in more detail

Thanks in advance for any information.

[gannon311]

Way to go Cowper. Great minds think alike!!!!!!!

[RAYZR]

Very well written.

[jackatspa]

great to hear something is being done about it!

[Cowper]

Just a first step. Everyone needs to help; don't let me be distracted by the butterflies...

[Edgar]

Sounds like a great idea to me too. I'll watch the butterflies for you Cowper.

[gannon311]

i think Harlen can take care of the butterflies so the rest of us can take care of the task at hand.
cowp let me know if i can do something!

[anthony]

I think we can take em Gannon. Lets make it happen.

[hellbender]

Motorboats at rockport!!

For those who haven't boated long at Rockport,Motorboats going up river is not a new thing.I've watched them go up many years now,been up a few times myself.I know y'all are proud that you've been kayaking down there for thirty years but explorers,fisherman,and recreationist have been going upriver for alot longer.I have witnessed stupid motorboaters going up the ledge that I'd like to twist thier necks.I've seen three motorboats try to avoid us and go up river right only to tearup thier boats.I've also witnessed smart motorboaters waiting till all is clear before running the ledge.Never witnessed a boat that didn't stop,scope the area,wait,wait then run it.I've also seen some big headed kayakers jump back on the wave while everyone is yelling to yield,AND kayakers should yield!Have some damn respect!River left,"YOUR WAVE",has been and still is the only way up the ledge.
I guess the question you need to ask yourself is "Do I really want to take rights away from someone,fisherman because of a few dumbasses?".We've all seen our share of stupid people down there but do y'all start banning people and the things people do down there becouse of a few people.Last year my son Gordon was hit by a kayaker while swimming in the "swimming area",so do i now lobby to have kayakers ban from that area?What you do is take their tag number and turn them in,call the AFG,Sheriff.
And on the subject of Bouys,That is the Dumbest crap I've read about regarding the ledge.Where did your common sense go?Not only is it a safety hazard in so many ways but your trashing out the river,senery.
SO,stop with the elitist atittude.You don't OWN that part of the river or the WAVE.Everybody has a RIGHT to be and go on the river! Just my 2cents! Just think about what your doing and your actions.

[JTarver]

Jodie, I have to disagree with you on this one. There are other spots the flatbottoms can attain up easier than the ledge...without boat destruction. Possibly not at lower flows, but then, the ledge is off limits to them to attain there either. Facts are, the area has become a major swimming area for us and the people that live in Malvern, and come there from other places. If you haven't seen these idiots almost run into people then I guess we are just in the right place at the right time, because I've seen it a half dozen times. They almost hit Grant last year, one got pinned on the eddy rock and almost slammed into ten or so boaters behind it because he couldn't drive (he was motoring downriver too, not up it) and these are just a couple of the incidents I personally have witnessed while there.
You're right, we don't own the river...but you know, noone really owns a lake either when it boils down to it, but we still mark off swimming areas so others can enjoy them as well.
The boats destroy the stacked rocks that form the ledge, and they do it alot of times simply to "ramp" the ledge, and show us just how awesome and drunk they are. Then they will turn around and slam back down through the ledge wave again, and they do this over and over and over.
I've seen it happen, this isn't hearsay. If all they wanted to to cross upstream, they would be granted that. We've let them do it plenty of times...until it's clear that isn't their intention.
My kids play there too, and have also been hit by people kayaking. It happens, it's an accident. Chances are though, it isn't going to paralyze or maim them for life, or kill them outright.

A motorboat. Now that's a different story. I stand by the idea to mark off an attainment area for the boats away from us, marked by flags on either side of the attainment channel. I am however, tired of nothing being done about the problem. I hope we can fix it before it escalates or there is a major accident.

This is my hope for the matter,
Joe

[Deuce]

If I were motoring up or down the ledge I would be grateful for a marked line. Sounds like a win win to me. This situation is just another example of the irresponsible minority ruining it for the responsible majority. Happens every time. So disheartening.

[Marianne]

First of all, thanks Cowper, and just show me where to click, type, sign, or show up to help in any way.

To Hellbender, I respectfully disagree with your viewpoint as well. Nobody here is claiming ownership of the river, but this section of river has been designated a park and a swimming area. I will concede that not all motorboats operate in a reckless manner, but many do. I have also witnessed several "close calls" and I don't even boat there nearly as much as some of my friends. And no one enjoys an open river view more than myself, but in the interest of safety in a highly congested area I say bring on flags, buoys, signs, whatever it takes to keep everyone safe. And, as Deuce pointed out, PERHAPS some motorboaters would appreciate "their" lane of traffic, and have come too close to kayakers, tubers, or swimmers because they simply didn't know where to go. It is a very busy area, and it can look very different coming downstream than looking upstream.

The "drunk joyride on the river" or simple disregard for others aspect will never be eliminated, but I can't think of a good reason not to at least make an attempt to create caution in a very popular spot in the river.

Marianne

[Wildwood]

As a nurse, I saw a woman who had been severely injured by a prop on a boat motor. She had very deep slices from above her knee to just below her neck. Almost sliced one breast off, cut to the bone on her thigh. Not a pretty sight! I would hate to see someone at the Ledge get hurt like that.

It's interesting to see how many guys in motorboats ---on shallow streams and those with swimmers --- have been drinking alcohol.

[gannon311]

i got a second call from the AGFC today on the complaint i filed on sat.it was the game warden for that area.he said that something definitely needs to be done about the problem.he said to talk to the city of malvern and see what they were willing to do and if that didn't work out the AGFC could step in.he also said that there are only 2 officers who work the hot springs area and that the other one is off for several more months on medical leave,so that only leaves one to watch all the lakes and rivers.i agree with Joe, Ive got video of that idiot the other night going up on surfers left of the eddy rock.i am willing to risk a safety issue with a one line to the bottom buoy as apposed to a drunk in a boat running over someones kid.and yes i drink beer but i don't drive a boat up and down the ledge while doing so!just letting y'all in on what i
know