Fresh from successful Fourth, Heber Springs looks forward to cardboard boat races

By Amy Widner

LITTLE ROCK — Come hell or high water - or maybe just high water - the Heber Springs cardboard boat races will be held Saturday, July 26, on Greers Ferry Lake. The question that remains is where the land-bound activities associated with the event will take place.

The Heber Springs Chamber of Commerce Board was scheduled to meet Friday to decide whether to base the races at their traditional home, Sandy Beach, or at Dam Site Park. The decision would come after press time, but interested participants can call the Chamber at (501) 362-2444 or visit www.heber-springs.

com for the location, Chamber Board member Jim Jackson said.

"Because the lake is receding faster than expected, we have this choice," Jackson said. "Obviously, we're hoping it will be where it has been for forever, and because there is so much room there, but if not, it'll be at the Dam Site Park." After a spring of heavy rains and flooding, Sandy Beach was under water until a few weeks ago. Organizers already had Dam Site Park in mind as an alternative location, but the re-emerging Sandy Beach caused them to go back to the drawing table. The races will start at 10 a.m., and teams can register up to 9 a.m. - a timetable that applies to both locations. No pets are allowed at either site.

However, if the races are held at Dam Site Park, some aspects of the event will differ. The sand-castlebuilding contest would probably not be possible, but the treasure dig and tug-o-war and watermelon-eating contests would continue, Chamber member Arlene Anderson said.

There is less parking at Dam Site Park than at Sandy Beach, and those used to watching the races from Sandy Beach may have to find new places to picnic and watch the races at Dam Site Park. There is less beach area, but race watchers can swim to nearby Trouble Island for additional vantage points.

"It will be a different event, but we will be having the races, so that's the positive and the important part," Anderson said.

On Wednesday the lake was still 9.8 feet higher than normal, down from its April 12 high of 25 feet.

The Army Corps of Engineers has been working to get lake levels back to normal and offered the Dam SitePark as a potential location for the event, Greers Ferry Lake Manager Benny Rorie said.

"We understand this has had a huge impact, and we're trying to facilitate any activities we can to help bring people to the area," Rorie said.

As for Sandy Beach, Rorie said a lot of the decision depends on how much damage is revealed as levels continue to lower. As with other re-emerging campsites at the lake and statewide, electrical components are a major concern.

"Our primary focus is to make sure campsites are safe before we open them back up," Rorie said. "But I assure you we are working diligently to open them as quickly as possible."Rorie said other problems have been shoulders that are washed out of roads and shorelines, gravel around picnic areas that has been washed away, missing picnic tabletops and parts, shoreline barrier timbers that are missing or out of place, damaged signs and debris drifts. Some facilities were stranded on islands created by the high waters and have only recently become accessible for maintenance.

Corps Little Rock District spokesman P.J. Spaul said the Greers Ferry Lake staff, who have plenty of experience preparing for tremendous crowds at the popular vacation destination, can handle anything. Getting the lake and its facilities ready for the Independence Day holiday was a big test, which Spaul said the Greers Ferry staff navigated with minor problems. The Corps saw full campsites and a crowded lake.

Anderson said July Fourth events went well from the Chamber's perspective as well. The Heber Springs fireworks show is usually launched fromSandy Beach, so the display was moved to the airport. Anderson said the crowds were good, and the fireworks were still visible throughout town.

Wakefest - originally scheduled for Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20 - was canceled earlier in the spring when so much of Sandy Beach's facilities - pavilion, bathrooms, etc. - were under water. But tourism has not been affected as badly as many feared, Jackson said. In addition to being a Chamber board member, Jackson is Cleburne County's economic development director. Many marinas provided shuttle services to offset the reduced amount of parking close to the lake, and the Corps created parking where it is not normally allowed. The Corps have also waved day-use and launching fees, a policy that is still in effect.

"It had an effect on us somewhat early on, but the Corps has done a really good job of bringing the lake down, almost back to normal," Jackson said. "We had a really good Fourth. There were a lot of people, and restaurants and shops, car dealers and boat dealers were all happy and full. We're very pleased."

Ross Moore, executive director of the Greers Ferry Lake and Little Red River Tourism Association, agreed. He said parking is pretty much back to normal and more launching ramps are open as well.

"We're coping, and we're getting by," Moore said. "People are being real patient this year. It wasn't quite as busy as it could have been, but the campsites are open, and more are opening all the time. We need to get the word out that we're still here and ready for visitors."

Rorie said the latest predictions put Greers Ferry Lake backat normal pool by mid-August. But it "all depends on Mother Nature," he said. Spaul said the Little Rock District Corps has seen $50 million in damage to its infrastructure. Damage could be lasting to upland trees that have been under water for too long, and many places will take years to recover lost trees, making shorelines vulnerable to erosion. The Corps receives federal funding in annual appropriations and has already seen limited funds for the last several years.

Physically, cleanup is a problem as well because many affected areas are in isolated places with limited road access. Floodwaters have caused buildup to accumulate at the bottom of some navigation channels. Many of the damaged parks were built in the '40s and '50s, also presenting a challenge. Greers Ferry's facilities, for example, werebuilt in the '60s. Spaul said the Corps may start looking to communities for volunteer cleanup help. Such efforts have already happened at Nimrod and Blue Mountain lakes.

"There is some potential that some parks may not be reopened," Spaul said. "It's not like we already have a list in mind, but there is a danger we will not have enough money to get everything re-opened in a timely fashion."

Because the water is still high, the Corps continues to warn boaters to use patience and caution. There are underwater hazards, and boaters and swimmers are advised to be cautious along the shorelines. Boaters should stay out in the middle of channels, wear life jackets,avoid alcohol and slow down as they approach the shore, where things like sign posts and picnic tables could be just under the surface. Launching may take longer, and parking is reduced in many areas, so visitors are asked to be patient.

- awidner@ arkansasonline.com

River Valley Ozark, Pages 125, 130 on 07/13/2008