Jim Kress WMA / Big Creek

Jim Kress Wildlife Management Area has two purposes: atrocious clear cut timber and planted pine rows for harvesting on the perimeter and untouched wild beauty at its core, Big Creek.

Big Creek does it again. We feel like this is our own secret playground of the gods. ( a mere 15 miles from our house) One needs to buy a land permit use to officially access here and the gates are often closed, but a couple of weekends ago they were open. We went exploring. The jeep made it across a creek crossing so deep that water went over the hood of the jeep !

If you want to learn more about this area, there are several more posts over on the left category column.

Arkansas Laws on Creek/River Pollution and dumping and who to contact

Popular opinion states that you can dump whatever you want in Arkansas, wherever you want. Even a local elected dignitary told us that if it’s on private property, you can almost forget about it. The renegade culture in Arkansas is part of its inherent charm; the trash ain’t so cute. I spoke with a chief inspector at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality today. He stated it is ILLEGAL to dump poultry or livestock into any stream. If you find instances of livestock or poultry (even their waste) you call this number to report it to the inspector: 501.907.2400. If you find solid waste like appliances, autos, household trash go here to find your local inspector. http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/ . The water guys I spoke with at ADEQ deferred to the solid waste guys. I have a query into them now.

Reporting a dump site/ pollution in Big Creek

On a mission. Tossing and turning in my sleep about the trash we saw in wild and beautiful Big Creek. The following Letter was sent to the Arkansas Heritage Commission seeking advice. I've also written to ADEQ. Will seek help from TU and maybe the EPA? My friends at Ozark Anglers have good strong advice - some from experience; no reponse yet from any authority.

Dear Keeper of Big Creek Natural Area,

My husband and I have recently moved to AR. We are a short distance from Big Creek Natural Area of Cleburne County. It is a wonderful place that we visit often for hiking and fishing and whatnot. On our first visit we thought this creek looked like canoe heaven and indeed it is. This very wet Spring afforded us a long canoe trip a couple of weekends ago – almost 19 miles we think. The fishing and the scenery was spectacular.

We saw some bad dump sites and I am not resting easy about it. I write to you now for your guidance. I’d like to learn more about what I can do about this. The two worst sites have: cars (old and new), appliances (old and new) and even freshly dead cattle. The dumping is active and smells wretched. The ‘trash’ is pushed over the side of the ridge and sits very near the water level, which of course ultimately runs to the Little Red River …...

Big Creek is a wild treasure! Any advice you have for me will be appreciated. Who should I go to about this? It’s so remote that I doubt few will ever see this horrible pollution until its too late.



Sincerely,
Virginia

Big Creek Wilburn Creek Bass Fishing

These are easy enough to hit after work for a couple of hours. The Little Red River is closer, but Wilburn and Big Creek are more fun for us - wade fish. Drive a little bit North of Pangburn, AR. Find Warren Mt. Access Road. Go Left and you can drive up to Wilburn Creek. It's in a WMA.










Go right on Warren Moutnain Road and you can walk down to Big Creek. Or visit the Natural Area of Big Creek. Follow the nature trail down to the river. Follow the unofficial trail left/upstream to a large rock out cropping. There is a deep hole there with abundant variety. Nearly ever cast landed us fish: stripers, smallmouth, 1 gar, brim/bass hybrids, etc.







Other Big Creek Posts on our blog

Wild and Crazy Big Creek Canoe Trip Report

The wild part was the fact that it was 19 miles long, full of wildlife, and it took 15 hours of regular and sometimes very heavy paddling. There were no open public access roads in the entire course and just about 3 private ones that probably lead to no one. Otherwise, it was 100-200 fts bluffs on either side. If the Buffalo River is wild, Big Creek is 4 x 4 wild. It should have been a three day float for us.

The crazy part was the fact that we got a hole in the keel of our borrowed canoe on the first day. We don’t remember where we got it and didn’t know we had it until making camp the first night and pulling it up on the bank. Every 45 minutes thereafter we needed to bank it, remove our overnight supplies and turn the water out to keep from sinking. The hole kept getting bigger. I was a bundle of nerves the last 5 hours and belatedly recall one should go canoeing with a good bailing tool, gum and duct tape.

Put in/take out: Warren Mountain Access Road through the WMA is closed off. Unless it’s a magical sanctioned hunting day and the gate is open, you need to go up to Low Water Bridge #3: Wilburn, AR SH101 and about 7 miles East on Tylar Road. There was 1.5 inches of water crossing the bridge and I wouldn’t float this again with any less. I read elsewhere that if there was a foot or more, don’t do it and I believe it. The take out spot is the bridge at McJester Baptist Church a little north of Pangburn on McJester. A prominent web review calls this the Old Iron Bridge, but that’s gone, it’s a new cement bridge. You can park past the bridge.

Fish: We were looking for smallmouth, but were surprised. Daren caught his largest fish yet; a 5 lb largemouth in the last 5 miles. He caught about 20 good size stripers , a ton of brim and only one puny smallmouth. We only had one rod and reel so I can’t add to the average. Other factors included a full moon, 75 degree sunny days and 40 degree night.

Canoeing: there is some white water. There are a few falls that take some thought. We had to portage around numerous recently flood felled trees that create long deep slow pools preceding them. Yet the trickiest and most treacherous part were the cypress groves that crept up the last 5 miles. White (cold clear) water shooting through a half mile stand of cypress and their knees was new to us. We got a second gash in our borrowed canoe which was already a sinking ship. The only way we found through was to walk it – each time thereafter.

Other Resources:

Bring your own canoe.

http://southwestpaddler.com/docs/whitear8.html

http://www.arkansascanoeclub.com/mb/

http://ozarks3xw.blogspot.com/2008/02/big-creek-natural-area.html

Mid February outing to Mountain View, AR

Our first house (trailer) guest was most anticpated! I'll let the pictures tell the story of this past weekend. My highlight - and not pictured - was fording the swollen South Sylamore Creek . The low water bridge wasn't so low and the jeep plowed through with aplomb. If you order the "Local's Favorite" at Cody's restaurant in the town of 56, you'll get a bowl of pinto beans, fresh sliced onions, pickled tomatoes and 6 hushpuppies for $2.99.



>The means to get there - courtesy JR
>Tornado Damage in Mountain View
>Gunner's Pool (how on Earth did I miss this when it was 110 degrees this summer?)

Click here to see Jon's public album (snapshot collage >>>>)

Big Creek Natural Area

Big Creek NA is about 15 Miles North of Holly Springs, AR (the 3xw). The unimproved roads leading to the NA crossed many waterways - running and otherwise. The road was perfectly suitable for a Jeep - post winter rains. Motorized vehicles are stricly forbidden - too bad for you DD - camping isn't allowed either. We actually had to WALK to the creek. With all the recent rains, you could hear the creek/gushing river from a mile up the path. We wished we had canoe/kayak, but settled on a solid tree that was hanging over a bend in the river with some white water below us. Sue Dog fell in, and loved the tough current.

Bamboo, very mature Holly and River Birch trees, moss and ferns hug the creek. Look forward to returning with more foliage on the trees and fishing poles in hand. There must be a lot of trout and small mouth in there. I caught wind of some good summertime swimming holes as well from the local geocaching forum.