State Senator Bryan King is continuing efforts to address the causes of the degradation of the Kings River, the Buffalo River, the Mulberry River and other rivers in his district that have become wider and shallower in recent decades, causing a loss of habitat for fish while shortening the float season.
“I used to float the Kings River in the 1980s and then had a 30-year hiatus from floating,” King said. “When I started floating again, I was very concerned about the deterioration of the river. You hear from fishing outfitters and landowners that there is too much gravel and sediment in the stream.”
King said one consequence is that the floating season has decreased considerably. The Kings River and other rivers in the area can often be too shallow, which has a major impact on the canoe and kayak rental operations.
King held a meeting in Eureka Springs in October 2023 where fishermen, outfitters, landowners and leaders of conservation groups discussed deterioration of the river. Representatives from Arkansas Game & Fish Commission said there are similar problems on rivers across that state that are being aggravated by development, including cutting trees on stream sides to provide views for homeowners. Removal of trees and other vegetation can cause erosion. AG&F said more heavy rainfalls as a result of the changing climate are a major factor.
King said when streambanks erode, it ends up filling up deep swimming holes and pools that provide excellent habitat for fish. While restoration projects are a great idea, they are very expensive and can be difficult to get permitted. King said he is working with the state’s federal Congressional delegation to see what can be done on the federal levels to alleviate some restrictions and allow more flexibility with stream bank restoration.
“One of the biggest issues we talk about is the gravel buildup that is causing rivers to be broader and more swallow creating worse habitat for fish,” King said. “You hear from landowners and fishing outfitters that there is too much gravel in the streams. People are concerned about unregulated gravel mining, but we want to see what can be done with the state rules and the rules from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There are a lot of restrictions. It doesn’t allow a lot of flexibility. No one is talking about going back to unregulated gravel mining but there needs to be some flexibility so landowners can do minor stream bank restoration.”
King said getting permits from the USACE are difficult and there can be fines for not getting a permit or violating a permit. He would like to see a stream management plan that is flexible enough to allow people to work on solutions.
“People with the best intentions should be supported,” King said. “Right now, everyone is scared to touch the rivers because of regulations.”
Streambank stabilization can be extremely expensive. King said many millions of dollars could be spent on the Kings River alone without addressing all the problems.
Dredging might be a part of the solution.
“As far as stream management, rivers in this country are routinely dredged in other areas to make them navigable and usable,” King said. “We need a coordinated plan to tackle whole rivers and see if there are things we can do. People will be apprehensive. What does more state and local flexibility look like? The next phase will be to have meetings with the federal delegations. Can we get back local control and come up with best practices to alleviate the problems?”
King said it will likely be an uphill climb to get people to agree. But he would like to have everyone at the table and make sure everyone gets their say. His intention is to come up with plans to make the rivers healthier, improve fishing, make them better for people who float the rivers, and prevent sediment from the rivers filling up lakes.
On June 2, King participated in a legislative hearing in Little Rock where AG&F North Central Arkansas Stream Habitat Coordinator Sean Saunders gave a presentation titled, “Current and Potential AGFC Stream Habitat Program Projects with Emphasis on the Kings River.” Saunders estimated that the Kings River is losing 13,250 feet or 2.5 miles of bank per year with the average height of the banks 8.5 feet. The predicted sediment loss is a staggering 19,000 tons per year.
Saunders estimated that the Kings River needs 17 projects totaling 4,550 linear feet which would cost an estimated $72,750,000. He indicated the species of greatest conservation need or threatened and endangered species that would benefit from the project include six mussel species, three fish species and three bat species.
AG&F’s Stream Habitat Coordinator Matthew Irvin gave a presentation, “Success in Improving Water Quality and Fish Habitat through Streambank Stabilization, Restoration, and Conservation.” Irvin’s presentation included benefits of the restoration projects:
- Maintain fish and other aquatic organism passage at all flows
- Maintain sediment transport capacity
- Decrease velocity and near bank shear stress on streambanks
- Grade control
- Reduce streambank sloughing and sediment inputs from streambank
- Aesthetics – natural looking
- Provide shading to reduce water temperature
- Protect infrastructure
- Maintain a more natural diverse aquatic ecosystem
- Create successful and diverse fishing opportunities