Craighead County JPs Receive Update On Bono Lake

The lake is stocked with fish and the water is rising.

However, officials said Monday night that the only major thing left is to approve an agreement between Craighead County and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission on the operations of Bono Lake.

AGFC deputy director Mike Armstrong and fisheries supervisor Brett Timmons spoke Monday at the Craighead County Quorum Court meeting in Jonesboro, updating officials about the lake.

The idea for the lake came in the late 1990s when flooding perpetually hit the area between Bono and Jonesboro.

Officials came up with a plan to build the lake to help with flood control, as well as creating an opportunity for tourism and for people to fish.

In Feb. 2001, the Game and Fish Commission bought 276 acres of land, east of Bono, for $689,500 to help start the project.

As part of the agreement, the county then replaced four wooden bridges with concrete bridges near Hatchie Coon Island in the St. Francis Sunken Lands Wildlife Management Area in rural Craighead County for $568,045.

The county has also spent roughly $4.8 million to “construct a water control structure and a 75-acre lake bed on the Bono Lake property.”

AGFC
Both Armstrong and Timmons spoke to justices about the 27-page proposed agreement with the county on the issue.

Justice Ken Stacks, D-Jonesboro, asked Armstrong about the issue of fishing at the lake.

Armstrong said there is roughly $1.7 million set aside each year in the commission’s budget to help with fish habitats.

The money for the program, funded through certain fuel taxes, is already appropriated for fiscal year 2016, Armstrong told justices.

While not speaking for the commission, Armstrong said he believed there would be a “good chance” that the issue would be funded for Lake Bono.

Under the proposed agreement, AGFC would also have control over providing and maintaining the fish supply in the lake.

Timmons said 60,000 bream and 8,000 catfish have already been moved into the lake, with all that is needed being a fishing pole and bait.

Timmons also said he has worked to get the message out around the state about the fishing opportunities available with the lake.

Justice Billie Sue Hoggard, R-Jonesboro, also asked Armstrong and Timmons about whether or not the lake would hold water on a continuous basis.

Timmons said while it was a tough question to answer, the lake is currently holding its own compared to other lakes in the area.

“Craighead Forest Lake has dropped five feet and others have lost as well,” Timmons said. “So it looks promising.”

Officials plan to use Lake Frierson, north of Jonesboro, as a reference point for the issue, Timmons said.

“We plan to study the lake level at both (sites) and watch them for one year,” Timmons said.

County Judge Ed Hill said the proposed agreement will now go to the county’s attorneys for review.

In other action, justices agreed to keep the breakdown of the county’s one-cent sales tax the same.

The county currently appropriates 60% of the revenues to the road budget, with 40% going to the county general budget.

Justices voted 7-4, with one abstaining, against tabling discussion on the matter due to Justice Josh Longmire, R-Jonesboro, not being at the meeting.

Longmire has supported looking at the issue further.

Supporters of changing the formula have said it would provide additional revenues to the county general fund.

However, opponents have said the county’s roads including future work with the Bono Lake project would take away funding from needed projects as well as providing funding in case of disasters.