Spring river trout management plan

[netboy]

I received this email from Christy Graham (AGFC Trout management Supervisor) about developing a management plan for the Spring river trout fishery. If you are not familiar with the Spring, it is a freestone river fed by Mammoth Spring and is a great alternative when they are running big water on the White river tailwaters. If you are unable to attend the meeting you can email Christy your suggestions. Her email info is at the bottom of the note. I suggested the creation of a catch and release area and additional public access.

  

Hello All,

 

Although the primary purpose of this distribution list is to share information about Bull Shoals and Norfork Tailwaters, I know many of you frequent other trout fisheries in the state, as well. Therefore, I thought I would pass along this information about our upcoming public input meeting in Mammoth Spring, which will aid us in development of the first ever trout management plan for the Spring River. If you are interested, the article below provides details on what time and where the meeting will take place on December 16th. If you are interested in the Spring River Trout fishery and unable to attend the meeting, please feel free to email me your input about the fishery so that it can be incorporated into the management plan process.

 

Additionally, I know a lot of you are aware, but the Corps of Engineers is currently conducting spillway releases at both Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams. Norfork's combined spillway and hydropower release is approximately 9,600 cfs, while Bull Shoals combined release is approximately 15,100 cfs. It is my understanding that they plan to maintain those releases until flood storage is evacuated from the upper White River lakes.

 

If you have any questions about either of these topics, please let me know.

 

Thanks, Christy

 

Public invited to speak up about Spring River trout fishery

MAMMOTH SPRING — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host a special public meeting at the Mammoth Spring School Complex from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 16 to gather public input on a trout management plan specific to Spring River. The Complex is at 410 Goldsmith Ave. in Mammoth Spring.

Although the Spring River is a popular trout-fishing destination and is home to the AGFC’s Jim Hinkle Spring River Hatchery, this is the first formal trout management plan ever developed for the fishery including public input. 

“We are asking anglers and the general public to come out and join us in this effort,” said Christy Graham, trout management supervisor for the AGFC. “We want to hear from stakeholders about things they like and don’t like about trout management on the river. Whether it’s habitat management activities, stocking schedules, access or increased education on the fishery they want to speak about, we want to hear from them.”

Graham says the location and makeup of the Spring River make it a real treasure to many Arkansas anglers. The White and Little Red rivers may receive much of the accolades in Arkansas’s trout fishing world, but the Spring is an extremely important and popular fishery as well. 

“The combination of trout fishing and floating in the cool water make it a destination for many anglers in northeast Arkansas, and it attracts many out-of-state anglers as well,” Graham said. “We want to make sure this gem remains at the top of the list when it comes to angling destinations in Arkansas, and the public can help make that happen.” 

Graham says the planning process will call for another public meeting in January, but anyone with an interest in the river’s management regarding trout should make plans to attend both meetings and be a part of the entire process. 

Unlike most of Arkansas’s other trout fisheries, which were created by cold-water discharges from large manmade reservoirs, the Spring River’s trout water along the Missouri/Arkansas state line is created naturally from Mammoth Spring. The spring releases roughly 9 million gallons of water per hour, all of which is between 58 and 62 degrees. The output forms a 10-acre lake, then feeds the river and supports a trout fishery for roughly 12 miles downstream. The river receives monthly stockings of rainbow trout as well as an annual stocking of brown trout for anglers to pursue. 

Progress of the management plan will be posted on www.agfc.com throughout the process. For more information, contact Graham at 877-425-7577.

 

--

Christy Graham

Trout Management Program | Supervisor

E-mail: Christy.Graham@agfc.ar.gov | P: (870) 424-5924 | M: (870) 404-0477

 

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

201 East 5th Street | Mountain Home, AR | 72653

O: (877) 425-7577 | F: (870) 425-6596

[netboy]

Here is a report on the AGFC meeting about the Spring River trout management plan that was held Monday (courtesy of Mark Crawford's blog). May be some good things in the future.

https://www.springriverfliesandguides.com/blog