The Water Edition - Arkansas Canoe Club

Vol. 35, #4
The Water Edition
Official Newsletter of the Arkansas Canoe Club
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President............................................ Tom Burroughs
479-634-5160......................... [email protected]
Vice President........................................ Walter Felton
[email protected]
Secretary................................................. Mike Byrum
Treasurer............................................Renee Hanshaw
[email protected]
Member at Large................................Steve Shepherd
501-258-6077......................... [email protected]
Membership....................................... Maggie Powell
501-831-1886..... [email protected]
Conservation.......................................... Debbie Doss
[email protected]
Education Chairperson.......................... Liz Caldwell
[email protected]
CHAPTER PRESIDENTS
Arklatex...................................................Brian Adams
......................................... [email protected]
Central.................................................... Tim Eubanks
.............................................timeubanks@yahoo.com
Dust Bowl.....................................................Al Schiltz
........................................................abschiltz@cox.net
Northwest............................................... Ryan Dugger
................................................... [email protected]
Piney Creeks................................................Bob Allen
[email protected]
North Texas River Runners....................... Steve Ford
.......................................................... [email protected]
River Valley........................................Dr. Steve Yaney
................................................jsyaney@sbcglobal.net
RIVER LEVELS
Web............................. www.arkansascanoeclub.com
Waterline..............................................800-452-1737
Cossatot River (real time)....................870-387-3141
The Arkansas Paddler
Please email submissions to Luke Coop at
[email protected]
December, 2012
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
From the Headwaters of Clear Creek,
My Friends,
I hope this issue finds all of you well and enjoying your holiday season (since I know
that if you are in Arkansas you probably aren’t really enjoying much water)!
First I would like to tell you all about some changes that have taken place in our club.
Our longtime treasurer and friend Renee Hanshaw and her husband Scott have left our fair
state and are starting a new adventure in Reno, Nevada! We are really happy for them and
wish them all the best, and we will miss their presence in our local paddling community. I
can’t even begin to thank Renee enough for all that she has done for us over the years. Her
absolute professionalism and attention to detail kept our club’s books straight and trouble
free. She was a pleasure to work with and all of us on the board will miss her great work.
That said, she also helped lead us to her replacement, our new treasurer, Mike Sullivan!
Mike has offered to fill her shoes ‘til May’s general election, and hopefully will be willing
to continue on after that. A couple more changes as well; Mike Byrum has stepped down
as Secretary and Steve Shepherd, who was our previous “member at large”, has stepped
into that role. Chris Martin has taken Steve’s spot. As mentioned, all these positions are
technically temporary assignments and will be put before the membership for a vote at the
May membership meeting. However, I can tell you that these folks’ willingness to volunteer
so much of their time and effort is greatly appreciated and we would be greatly challenged
if they had not stepped up.
We have other new issues in the works as well. The Arkansas Department of Natural
Resources has begun a review process on our State Water Plan. This plan covers all the
water resources in Arkansas and will have significant bearing on the future of our lakes and
rivers. The document, which has had no official review or modification for many years,
governs allocations, minimum flows, navigation, access and many other issues that affect
our ability to enjoy our paddling pursuits. I was able to attend the first public meeting
in Fayetteville several weeks ago and had the pleasure of being joined by over fifteen
other club members! It is going to be crucial during all of this process to be sure that our
collective voices are heard concerning recreational and environmental aspects of the plan.
Issues such as the definition of recreational navigability are being looked at closely, so be
sure to make your voices heard at meetings and with your representatives.
Other interesting things happening in the club certainly include the certification of
several new Swiftwater Rescue Instructors from our ACA Swiftwater Rescue Instructor
workshop and exam over the last month! We gained Lorraine McPhee, Terry DeMoe, T
Yamashita and Steve Gabbard from our club as new SWR instructors. Chris Martin has
upgraded to Level 5 Advanced SWR Instructor, and we had the pleasure of working with
Sheryl Swiontek who joined us from Michigan and is now certified as well. I’d also like
to thank Walter and Gayle Felton, Arthur Bowie, Dee and Kim Tucker and all the other
folks who have helped me to achieve a longtime goal that was finalized with this course,
allowing me to finish my ACA Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Trainer Certification. Thanks
again to all who were involved. Your efforts to further safe paddling are appreciated!
I hope you all have a marvelous holiday season and I hope to see you on the water soon!
Livin’ on River Time,
Tom Burroughs
President, ACC
Page 2
The Arkansas Paddler
Note From the Editor
It is not my intention to impose a theme on every newsletter.
Why am I telling you this? Well, it’s because while I imposed a
theme on the last issue (Rendezvous), a very compelling theme
has imposed itself on this one. After reading several of the
submissions I resolved that this edition of the Paddler would
be The Water Edition. That probably sounds a little ridiculous.
After all, this is a paddling newsletter. However, following
are accounts of some amazing work our leaders are doing on
behalf of our most precious tangible resource, so eddy out with
me and read on and I think you’ll see the theme emerge just as
I did.
Luke “Deuce” Coop
Editor
Northwest Chapter Report
On Labor Day weekend a large contingent of Northwest
Arkansas paddlers made their way the Nantahala/Ocoee
region to see if they still knew how to paddle. This was the
first trip east for several of us. We started off by driving
through a hurricane for most of the trip across I-40, then I
got a nail in my tire and had to plug it at a truck stop in West
Memphis. Not a good start. For those who have never made
the drive, taking the scenic route to the Nantahala by driving
towards Knoxville and heading down the Tail of the Dragon
is not the fastest way. We all had a great time; a few bumps
and bruises, a few close encounters with rocks, one canoe that
came back not quite as straight, and one very close look at the
bottom side of a raft. If you have not gone, make plans to do
so!
In October we had our annual chapter Halloween party
which featured one of the largest blow logs to date! During
Thanksgiving the McFetridge clan made the pilgrimage to
San Marcos for a family trip to chase a little water. We have
our winter pool sessions
scheduled at the Jones Center
in Springdale in an attempt to
keep our skills up for when the
rain comes. Our Eagle Float on
the lower White River below
Beaver Dam, now an annual
event, is scheduled for January
19th.
Hope to see you all on the river soon!
Ryan Dugger
Northwest Chapter President
ACC Webmaster
The Arkansas Paddler
Page 3
Dustbowl Report
The end of Daylight Savings Time also brought an end to the
weekly Wednesday night paddling trips lead by Andy Wilmes.
For those of you who did not participate, you missed out on
some unique trips in the Tulsa area. I was on bodies of water that
I’ve never paddled before and I have lived here for thirty years!
Some evenings after paddling we also roasted weenies and brats
and toasted marshmallows. Thanks Andy for your creativity and
leadership of the Wednesday night paddling trips.
When the air begins to chill and leaves are in full color it’s
time for the annual Dutch Oven Gathering, fondly referred to
as “The DOG”. That was held November 3rd and was lead by
Vernon Seaman. We had many cooks from the Dustbowl Chapter
of the Arkansas Canoe Club and the Tulsa Canoe and Camping
Club. We also had some local Boy Scouts who participated. They
all started around noon prepping their menu items and firing up
the charcoal. By around 3:30 P.M. we had over twenty Dutch
Ovens full of homemade meals that were accompanied by other
side dishes brought by the non-Dutch Oven cooks. The food was
outstanding and a great time was had by all. If you want to learn
about Dutch Oven cooking this is the event to come to and learn
the skills from the pros. It was held at Bluffs Landing east of
Broken Arrow. The weather was perfect so many pulled in their
Central Chapter Report
Like everyone else, Central Chapter members lament the lack
of rain and moving water paddling opportunities in the state. Some
of our folks went east and fired up the Ocoee, Tallulah, Cheoah,
and a few other streams out that way. A dedicated group usually
led by Debo has been paddling the bayous of Eastern Arkansas.
Cowper Chadbourn and Doug Webber have been staying busy
removing various large foreign objects from creeks and rivers.
Chicago Bob (Tyler) had to go all the way to Florida to get his
paddling fix this year.
Roll sessions continue at UALR’s pool. Thanks go out to Joe
Tarver for his many years coordinating those and to Doug Webber
for taking over Joe’s spot. Sessions are usually Wednesday night
and Saturday afternoon.
One notable monthly meeting involved Arkansas Game and
campers and made a
weekend of boating and
camping and catching up
with old friends.
Lately we’ve scheduled
Roll Practice at the Bixby High
School to keep up our skills during the winter
months. It was suggested we spread out the sessions a bit. Dates
are January 9 and 23 and February 6, 13 and 20 from 6:30PM to
8:00PM. Sessions are free to ACA (American Canoe Association)
members and $5.00 per session to others for a temporary
membership which covers insurance liabilities. Membership is
recommended and costs $15.00 per year. Check out the website
for benefits. www.americancanoe.org/ . Applications will be
available at the pool sessions.
That sums it up for another great year. Pray for snow and rain!!
See you on the river.
Al Schiltz
Dustbowl Chaper President
Fish Chief of Enforcement,
Colonel Jeff Crow’s discussion
of litter laws on streams and
rivers. We had a positive,
fruitful (we hope) conversation
and are looking forward
to working with them to
reduce litter and “improve
compliance”.
We wish everyone a happy holiday season and really look
forward to seeing you on the river soon.
Tim Eubanks
Central Chapter President
ArkLaTex Chapter Report
Red River Clean-up was a success again this year!! The Camp
Minden Youth Challenge sent 85 young men to help with the
clean-up this year. This program helps young men learn discipline
and order through a military type boot camp for troubled
youngsters. Shreveport Sail & Power squadron was a HUGE help
and donated their time and motor boats to specific areas along the
river that were in desperate need of some TLC. Tubb’s Hardware,
Ashley’s Building and Haydel’s Game Calls donated prizes to
the volunteers with the most unique finds. Afterward all enjoyed
free food graciously donated by Buffalo Wild Wings and Gumbo
to Geaux. Our younger volunteers were visited by Wild Wings
mascot “Buffalo” who also helped hand out prizes. Even a Hot
Springs friend showed up with his airboat with a few Arkansas
paddlers! First prize went to a local Boy Scout troop, second and
third went to boys from the Camp
Minden program. We filled ten
ninety gallon cans of recyclables
and 2/3 of a forty yard dumpster.
Thanks to all who came and helped
with the efforts. Hopefully we will
see more paddlers next year!!
Let it RAIN!!!
Brian Adams
ArkLaTex Chapter President
Page 4
The Arkansas Paddler
River Clean Up Report (November, 2012)
Many years ago, before I really knew him, Ron Gillham (the guy our Conservation Fund is named after) committed a random act of kindness toward
my wife Debbie. Later, when I went to Ron’s funeral, I was touched by the stories of how much he loved the rivers and how he showed it by picking
up a bag of trash every time he went. His wife even diverted the funeral procession to Lyle Park in Benton, made the driver back the hearse up to
overlook the river, and opened the back door for one last view of what had been one of his favorite places. So the “Black Friday” clean-up which
launched from Lyle Park, that I’ll tell you about later, had special meaning for me.
More recently, Debbie and I have been trying to get folks to adopt Ron’s habit of picking up a little bit of trash on every trip, especially at access
points (which is where most of the trash originates). With help from friends I’ve also been lucky enough to participate in several larger clean-up
efforts, but I had no idea how much river cleaning had been going on until I started trying to assemble this article and recognize more of the folks
who have been doing these clean-ups, both organized and unorganized. I’ll try to let photos tell more of the story from this point on:
Poke Bayou in Batesville, late August. Debbie, Margaret Bartelt, Mikki White, and myself. On
October 13 there was a second, “official” clean-up organized by the Friends of the North Fork and
White Rivers, where a few ACC members saved the day by being the only group that was able to show
up after weather forced a last-minute reschedule that knocked out the Boy Scouts. Luke Coop, Bob
Tyler, Bryan, Aly, and “Crash” Signorelli, Debbie, and I participated. Many others also couldn’t make
the new date; our only other company on the river was Rusty Elumbaugh who I believe has more or
less adopted this creek as his “home stream” and who I think was one of the organizers for the event.
Lower Saline, October. Bryan Hughbanks, Dana Thibodeaux, Debbie, and myself. Another day, Bryan,
Dana and I used this same airboat to remove 78 air mattresses and “river rafts” along with tires and other
trash along 5.1 miles of the Caddo at Arkadelphia, and to help at the 3rd Annual Red River clean-up.
(I later got another 14 air mattresses, bringing the total count to 92.)
3rd Annual Red River Clean-Up in Shreveport, November 10, 2012: Adam Willard, Lisa Iadarola and
other organizers from this joint effort of the ArkLaTex Chapter of the ACC and the Bayou Chapter of
the Ozark Society showed how to put on a larger event: Free food and prizes! Special thanks for this
event go out to Camp Minden Youth Challenge (85 young participants), Shreveport Sail and Power
Squadron, Tubbs Hardware, Ashley’s Building, Haydel’s Game Calls, Buffalo Wild Wings and Gumbo
to Geaux. Cub Scouts took home 1st prize for the most unusual find; Meth Lab. (Yes, I said “meth
lab”), while second and third prizes went to young men from the Minden contingent.
The overall effort collected enough trash to fill 2/3 of a 40 yard dumpster. Some of the Camp Minden
cadets are shown here sorting out the recyclables.
Debbie’s Wattensaw Bayou float in November turned into another unscheduled clean-up. When
tires were spotted, I was thinking I should just come back later with a motorboat, but Aly
convinced me we could get them that day if we each carried one in our boat.
Continued on page 5
The Arkansas Paddler
Page 5
On Black Friday we launched a Special Ops Mission from Lyle Park to recover a motorboat from
the Saline River in Benton. Special mentions go out to Doug Webber and Steve Gabbard for
organizing and planning, Gary Low for spotting the largest tire, and Jim Krueger for carrying that
tire out in a 1946 vintage pirogue. Our ACC message board has a more complete story and names
of all who helped.
More Black Friday, Steve with couches found
near the take out.
Black Friday, “running” the motorboat over the dam at the Benton water plant. Nine people got
2140# of trash off the river that day, or about 238 #/person. Should clean-ups be this fun?
(Answer: YES!)
As I tried to pull together this report I became overwhelmed by how much work has been done to clean our rivers over the last six months, and I
realized I have no chance whatsoever of recognizing all the folks who deserve it. But rather than remain silent, and at the risk of offending someone I
forgot to mention, I’m going to give you a partial list and recognize some more of those I happen to know about:
• John Pennington, for organizing a major clean up on Lee Creek in September, as well as clean-ups on Skull Creek and others I don’t know about…
(enough to be named the Ginger Tatum Conservationist of the Year!)
• Peyton Rose, for organizing the Archey Fork clean-up in Clinton, another major effort that netted about four tons of trash and over 200 tires in
September.
• Doug Webber and Steve Gabbard, who turned my usual “just go get it” trip to the Saline into another organized effort that would have made Ron
Gillham smile.
• Bryan Hughbanks and Dana Thibodeaux for their help, including the use of the airboat which helped three people to do the work of about fifteen on
the Caddo River.
• Bob Allen, for organizing the Long Pool road clean-up by the Piney Creeks Chapter, and Dr. Steve Yaney, Rob Pollan, and others for the Powers
Port clean-ups in Fort Smith.
• The Ozark Society, including the Timbys for clean-ups on the Buffalo River, and the 22 unknown (to me) persons that I heard showed up for a September clean-up of Little Maumelle in Pinnacle Mountain State Park.
Eric Esche, Heather Huckeba, Tom McFetridge, Sabrina Mellor, Jon Ellwood, Doug Webber, Joe Tarver, Mikki White, Margaret Bartelt, “Chicago”
Bob Tyler, Michael Sacomani, Maggie Powell, Debbie Doss and all the others that I know are now doing a clean-up almost every time they go to the
river or lake. Of all my lists, this one is probably the most incomplete, and that’s the Good News!
While there is still much work to be done, and there will always be “maintenance” required to keep things clean, I’m really seeing a difference in the
places we’ve hit hard. Our most recent trips to the lower Little Missouri, to Rockport, and on the Little Maumelle in Pinnacle State Park yielded little
more than a few handfuls of trash. You don’t need a big airboat to get that; just desire and a kayak or canoe!
So, if I could have the luxury of giving you two “take home” messages instead of just one, they would be:
1) Doing clean-ups is not work; it adds to your fun, and it is rewarding because you can see the difference the next time you float that same river,
and
2) Yes, getting bigger boats or power tools into the mix is fun and can help you get a lot done, but you can also make a difference even in the smallest of kayaks. 90% of the trash cleaned along the length of the Little Missouri these past few months was carried out in WW kayaks, not big boats.
I’ll close by saying “Keep up the good work everybody!”, and watch for a Trash Photo Album coming soon to Facebook so that we can all document
the every day clean-ups as well as the official ones! Start taking pictures of what you get every time you go out! Post them on Facebook, post them
on the ACC board, and let’s get others excited and addicted to this habit!
Cowper Chadbourn
TRT Commander In Chief
Page 6
The Arkansas Paddler
Trip Report
Selway
In June of this year several ACC members had the privilege of doing a trip on the Selway river in North Central Idaho. The Selway is one of the
jewels of that part of the country with incredible scenery, great whitewater, and water clarity that is the best I have ever seen. The Selway is also
difficult to access, very remote, and extremely hard to catch at the right water level. Add to that the difficulty of securing a permit (only one launch
of sixteen people per day) and the odds for the perfect trip on the Selway are astronomical. Well, the river gods smiled on us this year and on June 19
we launched for what turned out to be a near perfect trip.
Gayle and I departed Arkansas a few days ahead of the rest of group and spent a couple of days in Missoula getting the food purchased and
organized for the trip. On the morning of June 18th we and nine others departed Missoula for Darby to meet the rest of the group and head into
Paradise which is the launch site. The road into Paradise is about fifty miles with thirty of those fifty being one lane, very crooked and steep. We met
several vehicles along the road leaving only inches to spare for passage. We arrived at Paradise at noon and found the river level around 4.3 which
was higher than we had hoped for. We set up our camp and had lunch in a light rain. At 2:00 PM we moved to the ramp and started rigging our boats
in the rain. The river level is driven more by snow melt than rain so the cool and cloudy conditions were actually causing the level to drop. We got
our boats rigged at around 4:30 and headed back to camp for Cheese Burgers at Paradise.
The next morning it had stopped raining and by midmorning the cloud cover was starting to burn off. With the overnight temperature in the high
thirties the river had continued to drop and the gauge read 3.55 which was near perfect. We finished rigging and loading our boats, had lunch on the
ramp and by 1:30 we were on the river. We only had about five miles to go to the first camp so the late departure was not an issue. There are several
class III rapids the first day and other than a broken oar on my boat everyone did fine. We made camp at Waldo Bar and had a relaxing dinner and
evening. Dinner that night was Chicken Spaghetti with DO beer bread. The next morning when we got up the river had come up a little but no big
deal.
Day two on the river was fun and fast. We had about ten action packed miles to cover with the class III rapids starting just a few yards below
camp. At mile 11.5 is Goat Creek which is a long class IV rapid filled with house sized boulders. We think the river was running just below four feet
and at that level you only have a split second to pick your lines and react with your boat. If you see a slot to run between two rocks you better put
your boat in that slot without hesitation. At lower levels it is slow enough to make the moves. I was concerned that at this level that would be very
difficult with the loaded gear boats but to my surprise we could use the eddies to slow down and make the necessary moves. Everyone did great
in this section. By 1:00 PM we were in camp at White Tail Flats. Some hiked while others lounged or napped for the rest of a relaxing afternoon.
Dinner was Cajun Barbecue Shrimp which is one of my favorite meals anywhere.
When we got up on the morning of day three the river was up a little. The first part of day three is a little more laid back with mostly fun class II
rapids. However, at mile 23.5 you encounter Ham Rapid which is a true class IV. It is big and long and requires several course adjustments to avoid
problem spots. The scout is a class V climb over downed trees and loose sharp rocks. Everyone picked their line and we started the run. Other than
a missed line or two (mostly by me) everyone did great. I managed to hit a rock in the middle of the run that pushed Gayle and me backward into a
big hole. We were lucky that we did not flip; good time to have a big boat. Several more class II rapids and we were at Tony Point camp where we
laid over the next day. Dinner was DO Chicken Pot Pie.
From Tony Point you can hike a couple of miles to scout the upcoming section of the river, which is the most continuous and difficult part of the
run. In the next 5.5 miles you have a total of ten class III or bigger rapids (four of them are class IV), plus Moose Creek joins the river and basically
doubles the flow. Everyone hiked to the first class IV rapid named Double Drop. The line was fairly clear but was a must make move. Some of the
group hiked several miles more downstream to scout the rest of the rapids while others returned to camp to relax and start dinner which was Red Fish
Court Bullion.
On morning five when we got up; guess what? The river had come up again in the night. Everyone was speculating that it was running between
4.5 and 5 feet. This had the group a little on edge knowing that the most difficult section was just ahead and that the water was much higher than
anticipated. We launched at around 9:00 AM planning to regroup just above Double Drop then run to Ladle and catch an eddy just above to scout the
rapid. Everyone ran Double Drop fine and the lead boat took off for Ladle. This is a very continuous section of river and when we came out of WaPoots, a class IV rapid, we were moving so fast that before we could stop we were in Ladle (class IV+). David Smallwood was the lead boat and got
to the center of the river, made the right move to get into the slot and cleaned the run. The other boats were about 100 yards behind him and all made
the same moves (or close enough to not flip) and managed the run with no major problems. Smallwood has done lots of rivers, including the Selway
eight other times, and he exclaimed at the bottom of Ladle that it was as big as any whitewater he has ever run with a loaded boat. Below Ladle there
are several more class III and IV rapids which presented some challenges including bent oars, missed lines and backward runs but all the boats made
it through up right and in one piece. The river was moving so fast, around seven mph, that even with stopping to regroup a couple of times and the
difficulties that the rapids offered we made it to camp at Pinchot by mid afternoon. Dinner that night was Herb crusted Beef Tenderloin that Rick
Ramsay cooked to perfection.
Day six was a lazy lay over day at Pinchot with a short hike to scout Wolf Creek Rapid. We did get a chance to watch one other group run it
which helped identify where we did not want to run. Dinner was Beef Stroganoff.
On the morning of day seven, guess what? The river had not come up any more in the night. Everyone walked down to look at Wolf Creek one more
time and we were off to the races. All of the boats did fine in Wolf. From there to the take out was about ten miles with several fun rapids. We were
at Race Creek by late morning and had the gravel bar to ourselves to de-rig the boats and load the gear.
On the drive out from the river the road passes by Selway Falls which is an impressive class VI maelstrom of giant boulders and big drops. We
had lunch at a road side park beside the river and had one last laugh with the group.
As I stated at the beginning, the Selway is a special place with lots of challenges. However, when you consider that you are in a beautiful wilderness running incredible whitewater with great friends the rewards are worth the challenges.
EAT WATER
Walter Felton
Vice President
The Arkansas Paddler
Page 7
The View From Bullfrog Valley
(In Lieu of Piney Creeks Chapter Report)
Solar Power in Bullfrog Valley
When Susan and I built our home in 1985 we had no idea
we would ultimately become our own power company selling
electricity to the rest of the world. We did know that we wanted a
home that was full of sunlight, warm in the winter and cool in the
summer. We wanted a home with modern conveniences; a home
with a spacious deck overlooking Mill Creek; a home nestled
up to the bluff behind us. The only question was how to achieve
this goal at a cost we could afford. Our path to comfort and
affordability comes through efficiency.
Amory Lovins, a physicist and energy efficiency guru coined
a wonderful term – negawatts. Negawatts are the kilowatts of
electricity you don’t need to buy because of efficiency. Better
wall and roof insulation means a cooler in the summer, warmer
in the winter home with less energy use. The same goes for
energy saving double pane windows. Efficient light bulbs such as
compact fluorescents keep your house well lit and use less energy.
Shade trees, house eaves, and shower heads also matter, but let’s
move on.
If the three most important things about real estate are location,
location, location, then the three most important things about solar
power (you were beginning to wonder if I would ever get there)
are efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. The location of solar power
is simple. The only requirement is access to the southern sky.
Expensive land, cheap land, on a roof or on the ground, it doesn’t
matter other than southern exposure. So why is energy efficiency
so important? Because electricity generated by PhotoVoltaic (PV)
panels is not cheap, at least on the front end. But equally important
to what solar power does costs is what it doesn’t cost.
You don’t have to blast the top off a mountain in West Virginia
to get at the coal underneath. Coal miners in Kentucky don’t have
to die in underground explosions. No wells in Arkansas need be
polluted or foundations cracked from hydro fracturing for natural
gas. Children everywhere needn’t suffer asthma as a result of
emissions from coal powered plants. No terrorist will obtain
radioactive materials which could result from the nuclear power
fuel cycle. All the above are called externalities which affect the
cost of energy but don’t show up on your bill. They show up in
health care costs, lives lost, homes destroyed, and taxes assessed.
Our solar panels only have the direct cost of purchase and
installation; no fuel costs, no externalities. They convert sunlight
into electricity with about 15 percent efficiency. Our array consists
of forty panels mounted on a frame in a meadow covering about
450 square feet. It is a grid-tied system with a bidirectional meter.
When the sun is shining excess energy production goes through
our electric meter making it run backward and into the electric
lines for others to use. At night we draw power from the grid.
Overall our system produces about a third again as much energy
as we use, thus making us a clean, sustainable power plant for the
rest of the world.
In the last analysis and not discounting for externalities our
electricity is expensive, so why do we do it? To us externalities do
matter. To us the health of children, the lives of coal miners and
the preservation of family home sites matter. Plain and simple, it is
the right thing to do.
Dr. Bob Allen
Professor of Chemistry, retired
Piney Creeks Chapter President
Page 8
The Arkansas Paddler
Conservation Report
Work has begun on developing the Arkansas State Water
Plan that will guide the development and use of Arkansas’ water
resources for the next fifty years. An overall plan that looks at this
issue from the state level is critical for at least two reasons:
First, without a regional plan, smaller entities like city, town
or county organizations will tend to look for the most easily
developed water resources within their own geographic region,
which they can develop within their own available budgets, and
over which they will have total control in the future. They will be
less interested in geographically remote resources, resources that
require potentially complex negotiations with others, or resources
for which they might have to share control with others. In other
words, they will want to dam the biggest, cleanest nearby river
or stream. This was a major driving force behind attempts to dam
Lee Creek, the North Fork of the Illinois Bayou, Shoal Creek,
Bear Creek, the Strawberry River and others when there were
economically viable alternatives to either use excess capacity from
other available resources or to easily expand other resources to
provide that capacity.
The second reason an overall state plan is needed is that
consumers of the water, be they individuals or industries, tend to
use water resources with primary consideration of their own needs
without fully understanding the impacts on others or the long term
impacts on the resource, and without the ability to even determine
what those impacts are. (I’m being kind here and assuming they
care, even though some don’t.) Individuals only know that they
need water to water a lawn or a field. Small business operators
only know that they need water for washing out something,
for fracking a well, or for some other purpose. Whether it is an
individual or a business, they are going to try to get the water from
the closest available source. Often that is the surface water of the
nearest stream or creek. But obtaining the water in this manner can
have serious consequences for others; the water is not available
for others who also need it; and during low-flow periods (like the
drought that has been ongoing for months now), they can literally
suck a river dry, causing irreparable damage to the fish and other
wildlife that depend on that river for their very existence.
Addressing water needs at the state level brings together
additional resources and the ability to scientifically study the
proposed use so that impacts will be understood BEFORE damage
is done and alternative sources can be mandated where necessary
to protect the interests of other users (including the wildlife).
As your conservation chair, I’ve now been working on this
issue for over six years. I’ll tell you more about that in some
future article, but right now I think it is more important for you to
understand that I can’t do it alone. I need your help! I know that
everyone has too many things competing for their time, so I want
to give you some easy things you can do if you believe that clean
water and/or free-flowing rivers are important things:
1) Pay your dues. No, I don’t want this to be a shameless ACC
plug and I know there are many other good and deserving
organizations out there asking for your money, but I’m sorry, it is
just a fact that when I represent the ACC in any public forum it
makes a big difference if we are a relatively larger organization.
So the simple act of keeping your dues up to date allows me to say
“I represent over 1400 individual members…” (You also get your
money back in gear discounts with several outdoor outfitters, so
really it is free.)
2) Care and stay informed. With work and family taking up so
much of every waking hour this can sometimes be hard. If you
got this far you’re already doing that, but keep up the good work.
Read message board posts and Facebook posts and newspaper
articles that touch on these issues. Don’t just skip ahead to who is
planning a river trip, who is having a party, or who is eating at the
mall right now.
3) When called, write an e-mail! It doesn’t have to be long,
elaborate, or even well written. It doesn’t have to take significantly
more time than an ACC message board post or a Facebook status
update. All it has to do is allow the reader to categorize which side
of an issue you stand on or what you care about. Each e-mail to
a government entity is treated like a “vote”. They tabulate how
many people are interested in an issue and what their concerns or
values are. It is extremely important that they hear from people
like you, and not just from the “hired guns” of some business
interests whose only real concern is how a rule might impact their
profit margin.
Debbie Doss
Conservation Chair
The Arkansas Paddler
Page 9
Membership Report
Hello ACC Members,
After a very hot and very dry summer, it seems fall is finally bringing some of that wet stuff to Arkansas! The rivers
and creeks are primed for a good rain that will bring them up to paddling level.
Below I have included a table that summarizes our most recent membership count in order to keep all of our members
aware of membership by chapter. As you can see, membership has remained fairly steady this year. Junior memberships
are steadily increasing which will help our membership and volunteer base in the future. Also, this time of year is a good
time to check your online profile to make sure all of your information is correct.
Speaking of volunteering, especially with 2013 almost upon us, I want to encourage chapter members to get involved
with upcoming events this year. Events such as Whitewater and Recreational Schools and Rendezvous take an enormous
amount of time and energy to plan, so the more hands involved the more successful they will be for everyone.
As always don’t hesitate to contact me ([email protected]) if you have membership questions or
concerns.
Happy Holidays,
Maggie Powell
Membership Chair
Page 10
The Arkansas Paddler
Special Report
Rendezvous 2012
What do boatball, rescue practice, rodeo, red beans and rice, kayak giveaways, adult beverages, and late night guitar
sessions have in common? They all bring to mind the capstone ACC event of the year, Rendezvous! This year’s event
was no different! This marked the second year for the event’s revised “free” format, which seems to be very successful
compared to previous years. This year boasted well over 200 people in attendance along with the most participation ever
from ACC corporate members, vendors, and sponsors of the event. A big thanks to those sponsors: Pack Rat Outdoor
Center, Ozark Mountain Trading Company, Dynamic Earth Equipment, Sandbar Manufacturing, Saline River Canoe,
Damgoode Pies, Arkansas Outside, and Ouachita Outdoor Outfitters, who again supplied the club with a boat package to
raffle off, which raised money this year for both the ACC Conservation and Instructor Education funds. The Remix XP
package was made possible also by Liquid Logic, Werner Paddles, Immersion Research, Stohlquist, and Shred Ready.
The weekend was kicked off once again with the ArkLaTex chapter’s “Bayou Buffet”, which included a big spread
of red beans and rice complete with lots of chatter and community around the dinner table. The Northwest Chapter
again organized the “Friday Night Lights” evening boatball session, an event that is sure to become a staple for future
Rendezvous events as it’s just as much fun to watch as it is to play! People were gathered on the swinging bridge and
play continued well into the night.
Coffee flowed at the Couchdale Chapter house the next morning as folks milled around, visited the vendor tents, and
made their plans for the day which could have included the Rescue Rodeo, T-shirt Tie Dyeing, Rockport playtime, the
Dutch Oven Cook-off, and of course the final Hometown Throw-down event. Hometown Throw-down set an attendance
record with over fifty boaters in the water! The rain held off just long enough to let everyone pack up relatively dry gear!
Overall a great weekend was had by all and if the Mayans were wrong we’ll do it again next year!
Jeremy Mackey
Rendezvous 2012 Coordinator
The Arkansas Paddler
Page 11
Safety Report
River Dynamics: Laminar and Helical Flows
Any moving water will have two types of flows, laminar and helical, which are caused by the contour of the riverbed.
Laminar flow means that the water at the sulface is moving at a different speed than the water at the bottom of the river.
Water at the lowest depth is going to be slowed by the friction caused by contact with the rocks and soil in the river bed.
As we move toward the sulface, we’ll find that there are layers of water that move at increasing speeds until we reach the
fastest at or near the river’s sulface. If you visualize sliding a deck of cards across a table top, the bottom card will go the
shortest distance, while cards above will move farther
out. The upper cards benefit from the speed of the
lower cards and are encountering less resistance. It’s
the same with a current of water.
Anyone who has participated in a whitewater class
has been told that if they swim they should point their
feet downstream and keep their toes at the sulface.
The quick explanation is that you do this to avoid foot
entrapment. But there is a second reason; if your feet
are in a lower layer of water moving at a much slower
speed than your upper body at the surface the current
will try to rotate you forward. Now you are once
again in danger of a foot entrapment.
Water is also going to encounter friction at the
edge of the river where the depth is shallower than in
the center. This means that the water at the river bank
is going to travel at a slower pace than mid-stream.
The side friction sends sulface water from the bank
toward the faster moving laminar flow in the center.
As the slower water encounters the faster
flow it dives to the bottom and returns to the shore. This causes a corkscrew or “helical” flow along the river’s edge. The
result is that the river will resist moving anything in the fast current toward a shallower area.
‘Whitewater paddlers should understand this force in case self -rescue is needed after an unintended swim. The first
task is to get to safe water, but if you encounter helical flow as you move to the river’s edge you may find that the current
is trying to keep you in the middle. You must be prepared to swim aggressively to gain your safe haven. (Techniques for
doing this are taught in Swift Water Rescue clinics. One of your new year’s resolutions should be to sign up for an ACC
course in 2013 .
www.ashleysbuilding.com
Page 12
The Arkansas Paddler
Special in Lieu of Education Report
School of Recreational Paddling
The Arkansas Canoe Club is about forty years old, and they’ve organized training weekends for thirty-seven of those years – Canoe School evolved
into Whitewater School, and then about ten years ago they began offering a Recreational School as well. That experience shows in the really good
programs the club puts together. Those good at organizing organize. Other paddlers work to be certified instructors, and they teach the classes.
Experienced boaters who are trained and comfortable with safety hang toward the back of the groups, and are available to help students with fitting
issues and one-on one instruction. These are people who love what they do, and further, they’re GOOD at it.
The writer and the photographer
We, on the other hand, are NOT good at paddling. We’ve always been rent-a-canoe-once-every-summerand-try-not-to-fall-in-too-much people. We enjoy boating but not in the kind of way that means we have
any particular skill at it. This year, though, we decided to ‘take the plunge’, buy kayaks, and learn how to
paddle them. We’ve had our boats long enough to be semi-comfortable in them, and we were glad that the
canoe club had room in rec school for us, because we have a lot to learn.
Boat Storage
The private riverside campground where the school is held each year is large and busy, but it’s well run,
with empty trash cans and strict-ish rules and definite quiet hours. There are lots of tent spots, nice trees for
shade, areas for camping trailers, and two different types of cabins for folks who prefer not to sleep on the
ground. And there are a LOT of boats here – boats on trucks, boats on trailers, boats on cabin porches, boats
just sort of wandering around on the grass between tents.
Loading up.
We pulled up a few minutes late for the introductory session at 8:00 Friday evening. A big half-circle of students
in lawn chairs listened attentively as the school’s director went over a welcome and some basic guidelines for the
school. We split briefly into our separate classes, including a tandem group and a canoe class. The kayak groups
seemed to be divided more according to ability than boat type or age. Most of the kayaks in the school were
closed-top recreational or whitewater boats, but there were several sit-on-tops too, and even an inflatable kayak.
After a quick introduction and outline of plans for the next morning, we headed off to bed.
Not a bad classroom.
Class began again at 8:00am on Saturday. After an introduction, several of the school’s
instructors gave short presentations on a wide range of topics. One covered different kinds of
boats, another talked about types of helmets, and a third discussed what to look for in a PFD.
Others covered things like group dynamics and leadership, hand signals, and other safety
stuff.
Continued on page 13
The Arkansas Paddler
Page 13
How to play nice.
Everyone was ready to go right after the hour-long discussion ended, so we ran shuttles and
were on the water by late morning. Many of the classes – including ours – began the in-theboat part of the school in the big pool right at Mammoth Spring. We learned the names and
proper techniques for using several different paddle strokes, and got to practice boat control
in the still water between the spring and the dam. I was having trouble with fitting in my
new kayak, so our safety boater, David, took time to help me. We went to shore and spent
some time adjusting the seat fitting and foot pegs before getting me safely back in the water.
Our group ended the morning with some practice ferrying across the current at the top of
the pool, and then ate lunch together at the picnic tables nearby.
Breaking up into smaller groups.
The afternoon part of our class was spent on the cold upper part of the Spring River, between
Dam Three and our campground. We had a chance to practice strokes and boat control
in the mostly-slow river current. We pulled out near our tents and had time to rest in our
hammocks before the whole school met up for a catered BBQ supper in the pavilion, under
the big Arkansas Canoe Club banner.
Nice to learn from the experts.
Sunday morning started at eight, also, with a big group shuttle to the point where all the classes
would end our afternoon paddle. Just as we were about to get on the water, though, a storm rolled
in. Part of the weekend had already been spent learning about safety on the water, so this was a
good opportunity for another lesson. When we heard thunder, we all turned our boats over and
took shelter under a nearby pavilion until the storm had passed.
Keeping the insides dry.
Sunday’s section of the river felt stronger, with swifter current and more waterfall areas, and it allowed us to
continue practicing ferries and peelouts and pulling into eddies. It was nice to practice these skills on an easy river
under the watchful eyes of our instructors because these are the basic river running skills that a paddler will use
over and over again.
The author in the middle of it.
One of our classmates flipped his boat while crossing a swift part of the river, which
gave us an opportunity to watch a ‘rescue’ in a really safe, controlled environment.
There were still long, flat sections of water, and we paddled slowly through them
together, giving us a chance to listen to our instructor, Michael, describe the next
challenges, and an opportunity to ask questions about problems we’d noticed.
Continued on page 14
Page 14
The Arkansas Paddler
Getting some up close instruction.
Later in the afternoon, we pulled onto a gravel bar to stretch our legs and to have a talk about the rope
bags we’d noticed many people carrying. The water was cold, under cloudy skies, so Pat, our assistant
instructor, got into the water to demonstrate the way to catch a rescue rope. The rest of us stayed out
of the water, dry and warm.
Riverside rest.
Only a couple of people in our class were ready to get out of the water when we reached
the take out where our shuttle cars were waiting. I wasn’t one of them – I spent the last
few minutes of the float planning a summer paddle with my classmate and new friend
Anne.
New friends to share adventures with.
Aly Signorelli with photos by Bryan Signorelli
ACC Members
This article originally appeared on ArkansasOutside.com and can be found here http://tinyurl.com/RecSchool. Aly and Bryan Signorelli joined the
ACC this year and have written about their boating adventures on their blog http://PastTents.blogspot.com.
The Arkansas Paddler
Page 15
JUST ARRIVED! 170 NEW CANOES & KAYAKS
Don’t
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112 Blackhawk Lane · Hot Springs, AR 71913 · 501-767-1373
Fax: 501-767-7744 · www.ouachitaoutdoors.com
Page 16
The Arkansas Paddler
SOUTHTOWN SPORTING GOODS 2
4602 North College Avenue
(North of the Mall)
Fayetteville, AR 72703 479-443-7148
Come see us for
Old Town Canoes and Kayaks
Paddles
Extrasport Life Jackets
Paddling Pants & Tops
Camp Chef Stoves
Lodge Cast Iron
Canoe and Rafting Accessories
Pelican Cases, Binoculars
Eureka Tents
Sleeping Bags
Yeti Coolers, and more
The Arkansas Paddler
Page 17
Membership Application
Send a copy of your form with your check to:
Arkansas Canoe Club – Membership / P.O. Box 1843 / Little Rock, AR 72203
This Membership Is…
Renewal
New
First Name:
Last Name:
Phone #:
Alternate Phone #:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Email Address:
Chapter Affiliation (select one option):
Central
Northwest
Piney Creek
Dust Bowl (Tulsa)
Red Dirt (OKC)
ArkLaTex
River Valley
Type of Membership (select one option):
1 Year ACC Junior/Student Membership - $10.00 (one vote per individual/age 25 or under; e-Newsletter only)
1 Year ACC Individual or Household Membership - $25.00 (one vote per household)
2 Year ACC Individual or Household Membership - $45.00 (one vote per household)
3 Year ACC Individual or Household Membership - $65.00 (one vote per household)
ACC Business Membership - $100.00 (one ad published in each newsletter)
Optional Hardcopy Newsletter Delivery:
Check here to receive “The Arkansas Paddler” newsletter as a hardcopy in the mail.
Free with 1 year ACC Individual/Household
+$5 with 2 year ACC Individual/Household Membership
+$10 with 3 year ACC Individual/Household Membership
$_____ Total Membership Fees Due (Total of Membership plus Newsletter Delivery Fee, if applicable).
Form of Payment (select one option):
I am paying the FEE selected above via PayPal
I am sending a check for the FEE selected above via mail
Understanding of Risk:
Check here to indicate you have read the following:
I understand a certain amount of risk is involved in canoeing, kayaking and related activities, and I agree I
will not hold the ACC, its officers, instructors, or trip leaders responsible for any injuries I may incur while
taking part in activities sponsored by the club.
We encourage all ACC members to join the American Canoe Association (ACA) at
www.americancanoe.org. To receive a membership discount, indicate your membership in the
Arkansas Canoe Club, an ACA Paddle America Club.
ACA membership applications, renewal notices and payments will be handled directly by the ACA.
Existing members will receive a renewal notice from the ACA.
The Arkansas Paddler
P.O. Box 1843
Little Rock, AR 72203
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