Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Flooding Impacts some Arkansas Historic Sites

The history-making flood along the Mississippi River and its tributaries is affecting some Arkansas historic sites and state parks.

Jacksonport State Park near Newport experienced a temporary closing due to high water on the White River but reopened today. The historic 1872 Courthouse Museum, visitor center and the courtyard have reopened, but the campground, picnic area, boat ramp and pavilion remain closed.  The Civil War school event sponsored in partnership with the Jackson County Historical Society and the Department of Arkansas Heritage is still on schedule for May 19-20 and will be held at the courtyard near the historic Courthouse.

Here are other Arkansas State Park closures that I'm aware of at this time:
  • Lower White River Museum at Des Arc is closed.
  • Hampson Archaeological State Park in Wilson is closed.
  • Lake Charles State Park has a detour in place in order to reach the park. Take U.S. Highway 167 from Bald Knob to Cave City, then take Arkansas 230 to Strawberry and then turn onto Arkansas 25 to the park.
  • Mississippi River State Park also has a detour in place. Arkansas 44 is closed one mile east of Marianna and one mile west of the park office. Traffic from Marianna to Bear Creek Lake is being rerouted south on Arkansas 185, east on Lee County Road 222 and then back to Arkansas 44 and the park.
  • Pinnacle Mountain State Park is experiencing some partial closures. Big Maumelle Pavilion/Restrooms, Big Maumelle Boat Launch and Big Maumelle Fishing Pear are closed due to floodwaters, the rest of the park is currently open.
  • Bull Shoals-White River State Park also has some partial closures. The marina is closed, but the campground, visitor center and trails are still open.
I'll try to keep you updated on these and other closures over the coming days. If you are planning to travel anywhere in the lower Mississippi River valley (Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi or Louisiana), please check ahead with your destination. I'm posting updates on flood conditions throughout the region twice a day at http://southernhistory.blogspot.com/.

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