Arkansas River flotilla planned for October

The Arkansas River Connections on Tuesday (Sept. 27) announced the “Arkansas River Revival,” a 10-day flotilla trip to promote economic development along the Arkansas River.

Approximately 15-20 privately owned yachts, houseboats and cruisers comprise the flotilla, which will travel the length of Arkansas’ portion of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System between Oct. 20-29.

Founded in 2003, the Arkansas River Connections is a non-profit association organized to promote activities, tourism attractions and economic development along the state’s portion of the Arkansas River while also endorsing its conservation, recreational, historic and cultural amenities.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the river system, which was, at the time of its inception, the largest public works project ever undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Each year, the Arkansas River Navigation System provides billions in trade transportation dollars to our state and has the potential to provide much, much more,” Montine McNulty, Arkansas River Revival spokesperson and executive director of the Arkansas Hospitality Association, said in a statement. “In such uncertain economic times, fully exploring the river’s revenue-earning capacity is of critical importance to the future of Arkansas and all of her citizens.”

DEVELOPMENT GOALS
During the trip, flotilla participants will stop in 12 cities. At each stop, they will join local leaders at an event to promote economic development opportunities of particular importance to each community.

The group’s development goals are:
• Deepening the river’s channel from 9 feet to 12 feet to enhance shipping volume;
• Increasing barge traffic;
• Furthering water-based recreational activities, such as boating and fishing;
• Re-developing and improving ports;
• Enhancing and creating new recreational facilities along the river; and,
• Supporting local marinas and city festivals and events.

Deepening the channel is an active part of a multi-state effort to improve barge traffic. During the first eight months of 2011, traffic on the river reached 7.131 million tones, down 6% from the same period in 2010. Total tonnage on the river in 2010 was 11.394 million tons, down 2% from 2009. Record tonnage on the river system was in 2006 with 14.011 million tons.

Marty Shell, president of Van Buren-based Five Rivers Distribution, blames some of the decline on the Arkansas River not having a 12-foot depth through all parts of the river. He said 95% of the Arkansas River between Fort Smith and where the Arkansas River dumps into the White River (near the Mississippi River) is dredged at 12-foot. Three sections — Near Conway, Little Rock and between Little Rock and Pine Bluff — are around 9-foot.

Shell says estimates are that it will cost up to $7 million to deepen the remaining 5%.

‘RIVER TO RAILS’
Another part of the ARC effort has included a “River to Rails” tourism connection. The ARC challenge is to develop a largely privately-funded way to connect the different points from northwest Arkansas to southeast Arkansas through a rail station and marina-based port-of-call infrastructure.

The rail service largely exists in northwest Arkansas through the Arkansas-Missouri Railroad, but the river piece to this puzzle is in its infancy. If the ARC can bring this vision to reality, you won’t have to own a boat to connect with the envisioned marina-based travel centers and drop-off points to a number of attractions and adventures.

“The Arkansas River Revival has received broad endorsement from many great organizations, and to date, it has more than 30 sponsors that not only support the event but firmly believe in its economic development mission,” said McNulty. “By the end of our trip, we hope that more Arkansans will better appreciate the river and all that it has to offer.”