Partnership sweeps away debris on Lake Norfork

wireready_08-11-2017-10-12-04_09511_norforkclean
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission staff from Mountain Home teamed up with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to remove dangerous debris left from the massive spring floods which paralyzed parts of North Arkansas and created extremely hazardous conditions for boaters on Norfork Lake this summer.The lakes are receding from the flood now, but many areas within floodplains in North Arkansas and Southern Missouri were devastated when historic floods swamped the region from April 28th to April 30th. Roads, bridges and buildings were swept away and crushed under the force of current, spawned from up to 12 inches of rain in less than two days. The water levels and dangerous conditions eventually subsided, but the mess left behind may take years to be completely removed.

One of the hardest hit areas was the North Fork River in Missouri, which flows into Norfork Lake. Flooding destroyed cabins and houses, overtopped bridges, and swept away trees. During the flood, Norfork rose more than 11 feet in 24 hours, resulting in massive amounts of natural and man-made debris.

Citizens began voicing concerns, especially on social media, about the impacts of the flooding on the lake and local economies. Shortly after the rain stopped, AGFC fisheries biologists from the Mountain Home office teamed up with the local Corps of Engineers Office to help tackle the monumental task of cleanup.

AGFC fisheries supervisor Jeremy Risley says they recognize the importance of Norfork Lake to local economies and wanted to assist in the cleanup efforts. Game and Fish has equipment to tackle large items around the lake others couldn’t pick up.

Biologists modified habitat barges, special pontoon boats rigged to place trees and other aquatic habitat into the water, to remove the harmful debris. A pulley system was added to tow away large items or winch them into support boats. Biologists also used another barge to load items.

Risley says the focus was on heavy man-made items or items that had metal or wires attached. Whole roofs, floors and walls of buildings were removed as well as hot water heaters and furniture. The focus on man-made items was largely due to the inherent danger of sharp, metal objects being left loose in the water. During the cleanup one worker suffered severe lacerations due to the materials being handled.

Many items removed had become waterlogged and were extremely difficult to move. Some items, such as furniture, had gained so much water weight, it took multiple biologists and heavy equipment to wrestle them from the water. Items were corralled into designated sites to be hauled away.

As the water continues to recede, more debris has been trapped along the shoreline, however people are able to get out and enjoy the lake as usual. Risley says the cleanup effort likely will continue for the next few months as more debris is found.

Risley goes on to say Game and Fish will continue to look for items needing to be removed while they are conducting routine monitoring of fish in the lake. He admits he has a personal interest in returning the lake to pre-flood conditions, as he and many other biologists and staff are dedicated anglers and outdoors enthusiasts as well as biologists.

Most of all he says they want to thank those who took the time to pick up debris on their own time. They really appreciate the effort and speculate other anglers and boaters on Lake Norfork share the same sentiment.

WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI