Eureka Springs area residents have found it is worth the drive to participate in offerings at the Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area, which with more than 12,000 acres of land bordering Beaver Lake is the largest state park in Arkansas by land area. The park is bounded by Beaver Lake to the north and War Eagle Creek to the south, and takes in part of Benton, Madison and Carroll counties.
It is about a 45-minute drive from Eureka Springs to the Hobbs State Park Visitor’s Center on Hwy. 12 near Rogers. In addition to having interpretive exhibits, there are short trails nearby with information about native plants, birds and animals, and historic landmarks.
Fall is a primo time to take advantage of special events put on by the Friends of Hobbs State Park (friendsofhobbs.org) – outings for learning, exercise and just plain fun. For example, next weekend events offered include a sinking stream hike, Mother Nature will entertain children with storytelling, a park interpreter will teach a program on identifying animal tracks, there will be Art in the Park at the Visitor’s Center, a talk on the geology of Arkansas caves, and a sunset cruise on Beaver lake.
Most of the programs are free. Lake cruises that leave from the Rocky Branch Marina are $10 plus tax.
Recently a group Eurekans enjoyed the sunset cruise with another Eureka resident, Debbie Haven, a volunteer for Friends of Hobbs, as tour guide. Haven started by pointing out that, technically, Beaver Lake is not a 28,370-acre lake, but an impoundment. The body of water was created by a dam started in 1960 and completed in 1966 on the White River, one of the few rivers in the country that flows from south to north.
Haven said there have been a lot of stories told about structures underwater that were flooded when the Beaver Dam was built, but she said the truth is, all the buildings were removed down to foundations with the exception of the partly submerged Monte Ne amphitheater.
Few birds were seen on out outing, and overall, Haven said, there are concerns across the country about declining numbers of migratory birds. She said Baltimore Orioles used to be residents of Beaver Lake, and now are only seen when passing through on migration.
The geology of the lake indicates that the area was once part of a vast inland ocean. It is located in the Ozarks Plateau, considered one of the most geologically stable areas of the U.S.—“until fracking,” Haven said.
What is the water quality of Beaver Lake? That depends on what contaminants are contained in rainwater runoff. Haven said every highway, roof or other impermeable surface added in the watershed can create contaminants that end up in the lake. Keeping the water as clean as possible is particularly important because the lake serves as the source of drinking water for one of every eight residents of the state.
Prior to being dammed, the White River was considered one of the finer warm water fisheries in the country. As part of the tradeoff for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building the dam for floodwater control and electricity generation, the Corps created a cold-water trout fishery below the dam. The lake itself is a favorite with anglers for largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, walleye, catfish, stripers and white and black crappie. Most of the game fish have been introduced.
Haven gave a tip for fishing. “Fish don’t have eyelids,” she said. “So they seek the shadows. That is the best place to fish for them.”
Beaver Lake has five resident eagles, in addition to varying number of eagles that winter in the area. Some of the more popular cruises offered by Friends of Hobbs State Park are in winter when dozens of eagles can be sighted. Haven said the number of eagles depends on how cold it is. Migratory eagles like Beaver Lake because it’s usually the northernmost body of water that doesn’t freeze, so can be fished during the winter. But Haven said because last winter was warmer than normal, not as many eagles were seen.
Haven also talked about the special ecosystem of the forest glade areas on lake edges, and how most of the caves have been closed to prevent spread of the White-nose Syndrome that has been fatal to many bats.
As sunset neared, Haven drew attention to the changing colors of light. She recommended looking for the “blue flash” at sunset.
Hobbs State Park has openings for many more volunteers including boat guides or boat captains, doing trail construction and maintenance, leading hikes, working on oral history, doing tree studies and grant writing. For more information, contact Hobbs State Park Volunteer Coordinator, Roland Goicoechea at (479) 789-5000, or roland.goicoechea@arkansas.gov.