Agency Says Some Restoration Needed At Popular Destination

[Zack Hoyt]

Agency says some restoration needed at popular destination

By Adam Wallworth

Saturday, March 27, 2010

A seven-mile stretch of the Kings River and adjacent lands, purchased from the family of a Texas oil man for $10.2 million, is the 41st Arkansas preserve of The Nature Conservancy.

“We’re really proud to have joined the local landowners there,” said Jay Harrod, spokesman for The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas.

The purchase was announced Friday, though official closing on the 4,557 acres occurred March 18.

The conservancy is known for acquiring large tracts of land and preserving them in their natural state.

In the case of the new property, Harrod said thegoal is to preserve the pristine quality of the river.

The preserve includes land on both sides of the river, which meanders north to Missouri before entering Table Rock Lake, Harrod said. He said the property includes Mason Bend, located about three miles north of the Rockhouse community.

Although Harrod declined to name the seller, court records show the property was purchased from Texasbased Liedtke Interests, Ltd., which is managed by Blake Liedtke, son of the late J. Hugh Liedtke.

The elder Liedtke was the longtime head of the Pennzoil Co. and a business partner of former president George H.W. Bush.

Harrod said a May 8 dedication is being planned and will be open to the public. The group will continue to encourage the public to enjoy the river and its banks, he said, but there are no trails on the property.

The Kings River remains one of the state’s cleanest streams, but some restoration of property within the preserve is needed, said Tim Snell, associate state director of The Nature Conservancy.

Snell said immediate plans call for restoring trees in flood-prone areas and improving the riparian corridor.

“We are going to be planting hundreds of thousands of trees out there,” he said.

The preserve is home to a “suite of Ozark endemic species,” including a stone fly that’s unique to the river.

The river is also popular among anglers.

“One of the best smallmouth bass fisheries is right there,” Snell said.

The area also is home to the endangered gray bat and is a popular paddling destination, attracting tourists from far and wide.

“It’s like a time warp that’s been locked away for 50 or 60 years,” said Ernie Kilman, owner of Kings River Outfitters and a nearby resident.

Kilman’s business is located on Arkansas 221, which bisects the preserve. He saidthe purchase is exciting because future generations will be able to enjoy one of the state’s finest streams.

“I feel like I just got a 4,557-acre backyard,” he said.

The preserve also came as good news to environmental groups such as the Upper White River Basin Foundation, which promotes water quality in Arkansas and Missouri.

Excess sediment and nutrients are the biggest threats to water quality in the Ozarks,said John Moore, president and executive director of the foundation.

“It’s just tremendously important to maintain goodpractices on the land so that the water will stay clean and wholesome,” he said.

To contact this reporter:

awallworth@arkansasonline.com