AGFC Stream Habitat Program

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AGFC Stream Habitat Program

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This program works to protect Arkansas' streams through stewardship projects and citizen Stream Teams

03/06/2023

Hi everyone! We have decided to consolidate all of our AGFC Fisheries Program pages into one page. Please follow us over at our "AGFC Fisheries Division" page to keep in touch and up to date on all things related to Fisheries Conservation in Arkansas.

Please note that we will no longer be posting to the AGFC Stream Habitat Program page, and it will be deactivated in a few weeks. Thank you for your interest in our efforts to manage and conserve Arkansas's incredible fisheries!

We'll see you on the new page!

02/13/2023

32nd Annual Mulberry River Spring Clean Up Day!

Saturday March 4th

Sponsored by Mulberry River Society

HOSTED BY TURNER BEND

ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY: U.S. Forest Service, Keep Arkansas Beautiful, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Stream Habitat Program, COORS LIGHT, Green Source Recycling, Scott Family, Pig Trail Lodging, Steve Outlaw

9:00 a.m. Check in @ Turner Bend - Get your assignment - Go to work

1:00 p.m. Great lunch served

2:00 p.m. Drawing for door prizes

3:00 p.m. Kayak Raffle followed by music

* * Raffle For New NATIVE Sit On Top Kayak**
Life jacket and paddle included

Door Prizes Provided By: Turner Bend, Rivertowne Bar B Q, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Stream Habitat Program, Post Familie Winery, Mt. Bethel Winery, Mulberry Mountain Lodging, Pack Rat Outdoor Center, Oark General Store, Pig Trail Liquor, Keep Arkansas Beautiful, Homegrown, Byrd’s Riverfront Restaurant, Belle Point Beverage, Meadors Lumber, Mark McGee, Don O’Neal, Graphic Services, Burford Distributing, Paradis Pizza, and more.

Call for details 479-667-3641

If inclement weather we will reschedule to Saturday March 11th

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!

02/07/2023

SALINE RIVER STREAM HABITAT PROGRAM UPDATE!

Michael and Tonya Sacomani, owners of Saline River Canoe, have poured their hearts into keeping the Saline River near Benton, AR clean. In fact, from 2016 - 2022 they have logged 2,803 volunteer hours removing trash from this river. 48,395 pounds of trash, 264 contractor sized bags, and 452 tires have been removed in the last 7 years. The leading contributor of trash entering the river is identified as corporate waste, which is defined as overflowing and unkept dumpsters (unsheltered dumpsters without an enclosure) positioned near river tributaries. Other contributors is roadside trash and illegal dumping.

EVERYONE please do YOUR part in helping KEEP the SALINE CLEAN!

01/31/2023

Benton - Lyle Park Grand Re-opening coming up on Thursday, February 9th, 2023!! Lyle Park on the Saline River has received a complete make over! We hope you can find time this summer to enjoy the newly remodeled Access Area on the Saline River.

12/14/2022

It was another amazing year finishing up stream restoration projects in the West Central portion of the state. I was blessed with enthusiastic volunteers that heartily planted 1,792 containerized native trees, shrubs, and grasses on some drizzling wet winter days. I had the pleasure of working with some phenomenal landowners this year that have fisheries and wildlife conservation at the top of their priority list. See and share these photos. Thanks for your interest in aquatic conservation and restoration.

Merry Christmas!

12/13/2022

Oftentimes, man made structures like low water crossings, bridges, and dams can cause serious risk to people and impede the movements of fish, especially smaller fish species. Thanks to a partnership with Weyerhaeuser, a dilapidated low-water crossing was removed to help promote fish movement and improve safety for recreational floaters and fishermen on the Saline River below Dierks Lake. Once removed, a rock vane was constructed to help prevent erosion and stabilize the stream bank. Native shrubs and trees were also planted along the shoreline to restore the riparian area. This project was funded by a 319 grant through the Natural Resources Division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. As part of this grant, all potential fish passage barriers in the Lower Little River watershed will be surveyed and prioritized, and at least three additional barriers will be removed. Weyerhaeuser's Southern Environmental Team was able to visit the construction site on Wednesday. They also visited several other barriers in the watershed and watched as a barrier survey was conducted leading to a productive discussion. Projects and partnerships like this one are vital to conserving our waters and protecting our native species for years to come.

11/29/2022

Bringle Creek fish passage/aquatic habitat improvement project.

This month, the West Central Stream Habitat crew removed a 136' x 14' concrete crossing that was a barrier to aquatic organisms on Bringle Creek in Pulaski County. The structure contained 5 undersized culverts that were impeding the movement of fish and other aquatic life. Now this creek runs free again!

10/28/2022

PINNING BOULDERS TO BEDROCK FOR FISH HABITAT! Recently, during one of our aquatic habitat improvement projects we encountered bedrock at the surface of the stream bed in a location where we were installing some in-stream structures called rock vanes. Experience has taught us that you can't leave boulder sized habitat rocks just sitting on top of bedrock without pinning them first. During a flood when velocities are their highest and debris is flowing through the system, boulders can slide downstream due to the ramming effects of the debris and high volume of water. To ensure our projects don't fail we pin the tip rocks of the rock vanes down to the bedrock. This requires drilling a 1 inch diameter hole with a hammer drill 36 inches deep through the boulder and into the bedrock. Once the hole is drilled, a 1 inch diameter by 36 inch piece of steel round rod is driven into place. This is a labor intensive practice, but nobody wants their project to unravel during the next big flood event.

10/04/2022

Protecting water quality is something everyone can do to some degree but sometimes, we all need a little help getting started.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Division is partnering with the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service to host multiple online webinars that will focus on the Arkansas Watershed Steward Program.
The first one will take place on October 6th at 10 a.m. and will be held every Thursday throughout the month.
The training is free, but registration is required.

More information and registration are available at https://uada.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-tks-hs_SX2jC-NLiVQq5g #/registration

Learn more about the Arkansas Watershed Steward Program at https://www.uaex.uada.edu/environment-nature/water/ar-watershed-stewardship.aspx

09/29/2022

Wayne and Carolyn Gearhart (Carolyn was taking the picture) were finally able to receive their much-deserved recognition with a Landowner Appreciation Award for the river renovation work they have partnered with the AR Game and Fish Commission on for the last several years. Wayne's hometown newspaper in Corning published a front-page article on their accomplishment. The Gearhart family invested time and resources to not only improve their property on the Eleven Point River but also enhance the riparian zone and aquatic habitat for crayfish, game and non-game fish species and a large Federally Endangered salamander, the Ozark Hellbender. If you know of other landowners on the Eleven Point River who may want to partner with the AGFC, contact Stream Habitat Coordinator Stephen O'Neal at 501-351-6208.

09/21/2022

DON'T FORGET NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY - THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH! ACTIVITIES AROUND THE STATE AT YOUR FAVORITE PUBLIC LAND LOCATION.

I know for sure Lake Dardanelle State Park will be hosting a litter pick-up around the lake and surrounding park.

Help make your public property more beautiful by volunteering this weekend.

09/20/2022

The Diamond Lakes Arkansas Master Naturalists Stream Team #1141 are at it again. They have been monitoring water quality on the Middle Fork Saline River near the Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area for several years now. Thank you DLAMN for your persistent monitoring efforts on this water body!

Address

Little Rock, AR

Website

https://www.agfc.com/en/education/onthewater/streamteam/

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