Corps of Engineers Looking To Cut Back Services At 29 Parks

The Little Rock District of the Army Corps of Engineers says “tight budgets” will lead to changes at several of its parks, including closing less-efficient facilities.

The Corps plans to hold a series of public forums to discuss three proposals and to allow for citizen input beginning in February. Times and dates are still pending, but at least four meetings will be held in Arkansas in Mountain Home, Heber Springs, Russellville and Ozark.

According to a Corps press release, reduced operations or closures could occur at 29 parks, including closing 13 campgrounds, four partial campgrounds, four day use areas, one partial day use area, and 10 boat ramps. Also under consideration is making the recreation season shorter at many additional parks.

Other likely park adjustments include reducing the frequency of trash pick-up, cleaning and mowing, as well as reduced maintenance response time and fewer temporary park rangers, law enforcement agreements and contract park attendants.

The Corps outlined other reduced services, such as inspections of public lands, as well as periodic lock and dam maintenance, dredging, and funding of the hydropower employee training program.

All told, the reductions and closures could save the federal agency an estimated $1.9 million in Arkansas.

“As long as a maintenance backlog exists, so does the possibility of unanticipated breakdowns, which can cause a cascading effect on the district’s operation and maintenance program. However, focusing the district’s limited dollars on priority items helps reduce the risk,” the Corps release said.

Officials said last year’s natural disasters resulted in more than $33 million in damage to parks and infrastructure. Operations and maintenance funding has been reduced $17 million, the Corps said. It also warned that the maintenance backlog on the Little Rock district’s top 15 needs is $68 million and growing.

“These factors are causing the district to limit the levels of service it can offer,” the agency said.

A listing of proposed changes to park operations by lake or river project was provided:

Beaver

– Facilities
– No park facilities will close.

– Personnel
– Will not fill vacant park ranger position supporting shoreline management/natural resource management.
– Will not hire one summer park ranger.

Bull Shoals

– Facilities
– Adjustments involve two of the 19 parks.
– Damsite – Close all 35 campsites. Leave boat ramp open.
• Very close to two great parks, one being a state park
• City or state are interested in leasing
– Pontiac – Close all 33 campsites. Leave boat ramp open.
• Request to lease by marina has been received
• Park is on high ground and gets low use in normal water years.

– Personnel (Covers entire Mountain Home office — Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes)
– Reduce hours of 10 summer personnel from full-time to part-time (24 hours weekly).
– Will not fill one temporary maintenance worker.

Clearwater

– Facilities
– Adjustments involve two of the five parks.
– Propose to take two back to their “historical” season. Historical occupancy rates show low impact to public. Other parks operation is 5/15 to 9/15.

– River Road – Shorten season 134 days. New season 3/15 to 10/31.
• Opening coincides with paddlefish gigging season.
• Ramp stays open and free camping available without utilities.
• Historically very little to no campers during the time that’s being shortened
– Highway K – Shorten season 91 days. New Season 5/15 to 9/15 (was 4/1 to 10/31).
• Popular “warm weather” riverside park.
• Close gates to areas to leave five sites, vault toilet, and river access.
• No utilities.
• Historically, few or no campers during the time being shortened.

– Personnel
– No negative impacts

Dardanelle

-Facilities
– Adjustments affect seven of the 16 parks.
– Cabin Creek–Close day use. Leave boat ramp open.
– Cane Creek – Close all 16 campsites. Leave boat ramp open
• Leave access through park to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife management area (popular for duck hunting)
• Low efficiency rating.
• Close proximity to other parks.
– Delaware – Close all 13 Campsites.
• Low efficiency rating.
• Very near state park facilities.
– Dwight Mission — Total closure.
• Across the road from a new state park facility with lake access.
• “Eyesore”
– Dublin Park—Partial day use closure. Leave boat ramp open.
– Piney Bay – Reduce season by 120 days (3/1 to 10/31, from year-round)
• Already in place; only one call of inquiry
• Offsets winterization charge
– Shoal Bay – Reduce season by 120 days (3/1 to 10/31, from year around)
• Already in place.
• Upgrading to 50 amp electrical service. Good investment as this park gets high usage during the summer

– Personnel (Covers entire Russellville office)
– Will not fill 11 summer ranger positions.
– Defer filling one Engineering Technician.

Greers Ferry

– Facilities
– Adjustments affect seven of 11 parks.
– Mill Creek – Close all 39 campsites. Leave boat ramp open.
• Volunteer agreement for keeping ramp open, mowing and picking up trash.
– Cherokee – Close all 33 campsites. Leave boat ramp open.
• Efficiency score is very low.
– Damsite – Close 89 of 230 Corps-operated campsites. Some additional sites are leased to the marina already.
• Of the four loops to be closed, one is flood prone, two are old developments in wooded areas and get low use but require frequent ranger and law enforcement time because of the “party crowd,” and the fourth area is historically low use.
– Heber Springs – Close 28 of 124 campsites; one waterborne restroom.
• Helps separate day-use from camping.
– Sugar Loaf – Close 17 of 88 campsites.
• Campsites proposed for closure are non-electric and not close to a restroom
– Shiloh – Close 17 of 115 campsites.
• Efficiency score very low.
• Area has been used for group camping only.
– Narrows – Lease all 59 campsites to concessionaire.

– Personnel
– Limit working hours of nine summer ranger positions.
– Will not hire seven summer rangers.

Millwood and Tri-Lakes

– Facilities
– No negative impacts

– Personnel
– No negative impacts

Nimrod & Blue Mountain

-Facilities
– Adjustments affect one of the seven parks.
– County Line – Close all 20 campsites
• Adjacent to Quarry Cove Park.
• Receives minimal visitation.
• Efficiency score is very low.

-Personnel
– Reduce seasonal hires by 2 summer rangers, and 2 summer maintenance workers.

Norfork

-Facilities
– Adjustments affect one of the 20 parks.
– Jordan – Close all 40 campsites. Leave boat ramp open.
• Marina might lease

– Personnel (Mountain Home office covers Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes)
– Reduce hours of 10 summer personnel from full-time to part-time (24 hours weekly).
– Will not fill one temporary maintenance worker.

Ozark

– Facilities
– Adjustments affect three of the 10 parks.
– Citadel Bluff – Close all 25 campsites and launch ramp.
• Low efficiency rating and close proximity to other access points.
– Reed Mountain – Close day use. Leave boat ramp open.
– River Ridge – Close all 24 campsites and boat ramp.
• Local community has expressed an interest in maintaining the boat ramp.

– Personnel (Covers entire Russellville office)
– Will not fill 11 summer ranger positions.
– Defer filling one Engineering Technician.

Pine Bluff

– Facilities
– No negative impacts

– Personnel
– No negative impacts

Table Rock

– Facilities
– Approve the Ozarks Rivers Heritage Foundation to take over four additional recreation areas (Old Hwy 86, Mill Creek, Baxter, and Campbell Point).
– Reduce opening dates of recreation areas on Table Rock Lake; 1 May through 15 September.
• This would impact Ozarks Rivers Heritage Foundation on parks they operate outside these dates. The foundation would have to pick up O&M and contract costs for services provided before 1 May or after 15 September.

– Personnel
– Not hire seasonal personnel in recreation program. This could result in reduced or no park patrols during some weekdays as permanent staff work weekends during peak use periods.

Upper Arkansas River (Russellville Project Office)

– Facilities
– Adjustments affect 6 of 13 parks.
– Bigelow – Close day use and boat ramp.
• Have had partnership with the city for years, but they no longer have an interest in continuing.
– Old Ferry Landing – Close day use and boat ramp.
• Across river from Toad Suck Park, which has a boat ramp and day use area, as well as room to expand.
– Pontoon – Close boat ramp
• Very low efficiency rating.
• Citizen complaints about illegal activities at the boat ramp.
– Sequoyah – Close all 14 campsites. No boat ramp currently.
• About ½ sites previously closed years ago.
• Cherokee park is right across the river
– Cypress Creek – Close all 9 campsites. Leave boat ramp open.
• Had a volunteer there for years with diminishing visitation.
– Sweeden Island – Close all 52 campsites.
• Redirect campers to Old Post Road Park
• Efficiency rating is very low.

– Personnel (Covers entire Russellville office)
– Will not fill 11 summer ranger positions.
– Defer filling one Engineering Technician.