Rivers and Their Future...
Rivers are special. They always have been; always
will be--we hope.
The truth is, though, that the future of our rivers is anything but guaranteed. The
only sure bet is that those we still have will become even more precious as time goes by.
The major threat to the streams of Arkansas are projects--projects for water
supplies, flood control, hydropower, dredging, and channelization. While the heyday of
these developments seems to have peaked, several more major impoundments and stream
realignments are already on the drawing boards. Even in cases where some public use is
served, these projects each remove another free-flowing stream from a steadily shrinking
list.
But dams and dredges are not the only threats facing river recreation. Recreationists
themselves often create problems by littering, trespassing, leaving gates open, or even
damaging property. Since most riparian land remains in private ownership, these actions
only serve to create additional conflicts between river users and landowners. Property
owners feel compelled to post their lands, thereby reducing floaters' access to
streams and rivers. Everybody stands to lose.
The problems of river recreation will not be answered overnight. What will help is the
realization that rivers are critical to the Arkansas way of life, and that their values
are indeed fragile. If floaters don't do their part in developing a river ethic for
the state, it won't get done. And, our rivers, as we know them now, won't be
special; they'll be gone.