News Release
Release No. 13-04 |
US Army Corps
Of Engineers
Little Rock District
|
Tight budgets force changes in Corps park operations,
focus efforts on most efficient parks
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Feb. 9 -- Tight budgets at the Little Rock District of the US Army Corps of Engineers have forced the agency to take actions affecting 65 parks in Arkansas this year. And projections for future years indicate the actions may be permanent.
Corps officials will close 20 parks. Seven will be totally closed with all access restricted, and 13 will be closed with the launching ramps remaining open. The district will reduce the length of the visitor season in several other parks and amend reservation services to concentrate funds on higher priority work.
"We will no longer try to keep all parks open, with most operating at a starvation rate," Col. Ben Butler, Little Rock District Engineer, said. "Rather we will fund those most important to our customers, and close or reduce operations at those parks that are less utilized by the public, allowing us to leverage our funds for the most benefit of all. The alternative is that no parks are operated correctly, and that is not acceptable."
To assist in making the best decisions, officials used elements of a process pioneered by Little Rock District in the mid 1990s that has since been adopted by Corps districts nationwide. The method, called Park Operations Efficiency Review, uses a series of parameters that included park visitation and revenue, occupancy rates, and public safety and health to rank the efficiency of parks.
In making the decisions, officials factored in security and safety concerns, as well as social and economic impacts on local communities.
Where possible, the Corps is working to reach agreements so local governments can take over operation and maintenance and keep the parks open. Over the years, the Little Rock District has entered into about two-dozen similar arrangements.
The district's operations and maintenance budgets have not increased significantly for more than a dozen years. When inflation is factored in, the district has lost a good deal of its buying power. It is not just parks that are short of funds. All business functions are affected.
Other cost saving actions being taken include a reduction in the number of temporary employees, reducing services, deferring preventative maintenance and delaying backlog maintenance repairs.
The district operates 12 navigation locks and dams on the Arkansas River, with a thirteenth under construction. Little Rock District operates another 12 multi-purpose lakes in Arkansas and Missouri in the White, Arkansas and Little River basins, as well as seven hydroelectric power plants. Maintenance is falling behind on several facilities.
Infrastructure maintained by the district cost $1.3 billion to build. It would cost $6.5 billion to replace at today's prices.
The parks affected by these actions are:
- Arkansas River from Little Rock downstream to the Mississippi River - Trulock Park is to be totally closed. Access and bank fishing will remain open at Huff's Island Park. Sheppard Island will be partially closed (ramp open).
- Arkansas River from Little Rock upstream to the Oklahoma border -- The parks to be completely closed are Point Remove and Sequoya. On Lake Dardanelle, Flat Rock Park will be totally closed. Partially closed parks include Cabin Creek, O'Kane and Horsehead (ramps open). On Ozark Lake, parks to be partially closed are Bluff Hole, Vine Prairie, and White Oak (ramps open). Vache Grasse Park will be totally closed. The visitor season will be reduced at Springhill Park.
- Blue Mountain Lake -- Hise Hill, Lick Creek and Ashley Creek parks will close, though the ramps will remain open.
- DeQueen Lake in southwest Arkansas -- The visitor season will be reduced at Oak Grove, Pine Ridge, Bellah Mine, Glen Canyon, Rolling Fork, and Story Creek Parks.
- Gillham Lake -- The visitor season will be reduced at Big Coon, Cossatot Reefs, Little Coon, and Cossatot Point Parks.
- Dierks Lake -- The visitor season will be reduced at Jefferson Ridge, Horseshoe Bend, Blue Ridge, and Overlook Parks.
- Millwood Lake -- The visitor season will be reduced at Paraloma, River Run East and West, Beards Lake, Okay Landing, Beards Bluff, and Cottonshed Parks.
- Beaver Lake in Northwest Arkansas -- selected parks will have reduced visitor seasons.
- Bull Shoals Lake in North Central Arkansas -- Ozark Isle will close.
- Norfork Lake -- Georges Cove, and Woods Point Parks will close, though the ramps and marinas will remain open.
- Greers Ferry Lake -- selected parks will have reduced visitor seasons.