CADDO VALLEY — It might be tempting to walk on what used to be water; but venturing out onto Lower Lake could put those curious enough to try it in knee-deep mud.
What typically is filled with 400 acres of water is now a barren basin of stumps and moss-green freshwater seaweed. Scores of footsteps lead from an unimproved ramp on the north shore of the lake to the river channel that is the Caddo River.
Following those footsteps to the river looks easy, but spirits will quickly be dampened before reaching the halfway point. In fact, those same footsteps you’re following can be seen just a few feet ahead, only they are headed in a different direction — away from the mud.
Opposite side of the lower dam are heavy machinery and crews of employees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, as well as volunteers who are helping the government agencies in an inspection of the dam.
The Corps “de-watered” Lower Lake as part of a series of routine dam inspections that take place every 10 years. All the water from Lower Lake was drained with the exception of the Caddo River channel. Lower Lake acts as a reservoir to DeGray Lake, and is capable of pumping water back into the upper lake for additional water supply or for electricity needs.
All the game fish in Lower Lake that swim through the dam’s gates collect in a man-made “stilling basin,” where AGFC, Corps employees and volunteers capture them and release them upstream on the Caddo. All non-game fish, such as suckers and shad, will be collected and donated to an individual to use as food for the raptors he rehabilitates.
The inspection began Wednesday. Once the water is completely pumped out, workers will clean the baffles near the dam’s gates and inspect the area for any cracks. If cracks are found, repairs will be made before the dam’s five regulating gates are inspected. Then, crews will remove plates to make way inside and into the center of the dam for another inspection. The process is expected to last until the end of next week.
Pending any necessary repairs, the refill process will begin immediately following the inspection. “People should stay away from the area” below the dam, said Renea Guin, natural resource specialist for the Corps at DeGray. “It is blocked off for safety.” She added that both agencies are “paying attention” to the fish’s well-being, monitoring the water’s oxygen levels.
When asked if there have been any interesting finds since the de-water process, Guin said two bicycles and a dirt bike have been found.
County Sheriff David Turner said the dirt bike was “rusted up real bad. It had no identifiable marks, nothing on it” that would tip authorities to who the bike belonged to. Also, he said, “We found a sack that had a death certificate, birth certificate and some class rings ... from a theft that was reported in September.” The sheriff’s office has since located the owner of those findings, but the documents and jewelry are still in police possession as evidence. Turner said the items — which belonged to a Highway 8, Arkadelphia, resident — also included a graduation diploma, miscellaneous papers and two senior class rings.
Guin said it is OK for people to venture out to the area between the upper and lower dams, but should remain cautious and steer clear of the working crews. ATVs and other vehicles, including boats and other watercraft, are prohibited at the area.
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CADDO VALLEY — It might be tempting to walk on what used to be water; but venturing out onto Lower Lake could put those curious enough to try it in knee-deep mud.
What typically is filled with 400 acres of water is now a barren basin of stumps and moss-green freshwater seaweed. Scores of footsteps lead from an unimproved ramp on the north shore of the lake to the river channel that is the Caddo River.
Following those footsteps to the river looks easy, but spirits will quickly be dampened before reaching the halfway point. In fact, those same footsteps you’re following can be seen just a few feet ahead, only they are headed in a different direction — away from the mud.
Opposite side of the lower dam are heavy machinery and crews of employees from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, as well as volunteers who are helping the government agencies in an inspection of the dam.
The Corps “de-watered” Lower Lake as part of a series of routine dam inspections that take place every 10 years. All the water from Lower Lake was drained with the exception of the Caddo River channel. Lower Lake acts as a reservoir to DeGray Lake, and is capable of pumping water back into the upper lake for additional water supply or for electricity needs.
All the game fish in Lower Lake that swim through the dam’s gates collect in a man-made “stilling basin,” where AGFC, Corps employees and volunteers capture them and release them upstream on the Caddo. All non-game fish, such as suckers and shad, will be collected and donated to an individual to use as food for the raptors he rehabilitates.
The inspection began Wednesday. Once the water is completely pumped out, workers will clean the baffles near the dam’s gates and inspect the area for any cracks. If cracks are found, repairs will be made before the dam’s five regulating gates are inspected. Then, crews will remove plates to make way inside and into the center of the dam for another inspection. The process is expected to last until the end of next week.
Pending any necessary repairs, the refill process will begin immediately following the inspection. “People should stay away from the area” below the dam, said Renea Guin, natural resource specialist for the Corps at DeGray. “It is blocked off for safety.” She added that both agencies are “paying attention” to the fish’s well-being, monitoring the water’s oxygen levels.
When asked if there have been any interesting finds since the de-water process, Guin said two bicycles and a dirt bike have been found.
County Sheriff David Turner said the dirt bike was “rusted up real bad. It had no identifiable marks, nothing on it” that would tip authorities to who the bike belonged to. Also, he said, “We found a sack that had a death certificate, birth certificate and some class rings ... from a theft that was reported in September.” The sheriff’s office has since located the owner of those findings, but the documents and jewelry are still in police possession as evidence. Turner said the items — which belonged to a Highway 8, Arkadelphia, resident — also included a graduation diploma, miscellaneous papers and two senior class rings.
Guin said it is OK for people to venture out to the area between the upper and lower dams, but should remain cautious and steer clear of the working crews. ATVs and other vehicles, including boats and other watercraft, are prohibited at the area.
