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SPECIAL
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS !!!
Corps
of Engineers propose to cut trees along 200 miles of Ouachita River
- Other rivers also threatened - the Corps of Engineers controls
13,000 miles of levees in the United States, the proposal to cut
all the trees along the levees also includes all of the scenic rivers
that have levees controlled by the Corps of Engineers.
Click Here for full details on
this and other environmental news
SPECIAL
NEWS, LINKS & SUPPORTERS
Replica of the Hunter-Dunbar
expedition of 1804
travels down the Ouachita River this December
the Early Arkansaw
Reenactors Association
In the keelboat Aux Arc
Replica of
the Hunter-Dunbar expedition of 1804 will travel down the Ouachita
River this December The keelboat Aux Arc is a 38' representation
of the type of boat that traveled the Ouachita and other Rivers
in the 18th and 19th centuries. During December 2004, 2006, and
2007 the Aux Arc has already traveled down the Ouachita River from
Camden, Arkansas to Prairon Bayou Recreation Area, just south of
Monroe, Louisiana.
The trip this December will begin at Prairon Bayou Recreation Area
on Saturday morning, December 27th. Prairon Bayou Recreation Area
is located via Hwy 34 and Hwy 557. The Aux Arc and crew will spend
Saturday night at the Recreation Area above Columbia Lock & Dock.
Sunday, the Aux Arc will lock through and arrive at Columbia, Louisiana
around noon. The crew and keelboat will spend the remainder of the
day Sunday talking with the public about the keelboat and river
travel during the early 1800's.
The Aux Arc will leave Columbia on Monday morning and camp on the
west side of the Ouachita about 20 river miles down river from Columbia.
Tuesday morning will find the Aux Arc headed towards either the
ferry landing at Duty or the boat ramp off of Bayou Dan, about 2
miles north of the ferry landing, thus ending the 2008 trip. Plans
for 2009 are to travel to Jonesville Lock & Dam and in 2010 to the
Mississippi River and beyond.
The Aux Arc, built by the Early Arkansaw Reenactors Association
(EARA), was launched in 2004. Funding for this project came primarily
from private donations and the Rotary Club, The primary purpose
for constructing the Aux Arc and floating the Ouachita River was
to replicate the downstream travels of the Dunbar-Hunter Expedition
of 1804 and 1805. The William Dunbar and George Hunter expedition
explored and officially documented the Ouachita river from the confluence
of the Ouachita, Black, and Mississippi rivers to the hot springs
located in present day Hot Springs, Arkansas.
In addition to Dunbar-Hunter; servants, slaves, family (i.e., George
Hunter's son), and a complement of soldiers left St Catherine's
landing south of Natchez in mid October 1804 and by mid November
had arrived at current day Monroe, Louisiana. At Monroe, the original
vessel was stored and a vessel with a shallower draft was leased.
The expedition arrived near the hot springs in early December 1804,
spent the next four weeks making scientific studies and notations,
and left the first week of January 1805. The expedition exchanged
boats at Monroe and arrived back at Natchez by early February 1805.
Official reports of this expedition were the first look at the Louisiana
Purchase. In addition to replicating the Dunbar-Hunter expedition
the keelboat Aux Arc has floated the Black and Arkansas Rivers in
Arkansas, the Cane River in Louisiana, and participated in the 200th
anniversary of Catahoula Parish at Jonesville, Louisiana.
The primary
propulsion for the Aux Arc are six rowing stations which can be
supplemented, if conditions are right, by a sailing, poling, or
towing by rope & foot power on land. During this trip the crew will
setup and sleep in replica canvas tents of the early 1800's.
In addition,
crew members look forward to discussing with the public the use
of the keelboat on the rivers of Louisiana and life in general in
the early 1800's. Contact Information: Ed Williams: H: 501-666-4304,
W: 501-447-3386, e-mail: ed_laurine@juno.com EARA website: www.arkansaw.us
Bass
Tournament on the Ouachita River
To
be announced, please continue to check back
Ouachita
River Maps
Ouachita
River maps are available by calling Lanny Dortch at (318)680-4227
Fisherman
and specialty knives
Contact our friends at KNIFEWORKS.com
Kershaw
knife, Cold Steel Knife, Leatherman tool, Knife Sharpeners
KNIFEOFF.com
Ouachita
River Video Series
 
"Portraits of the Ouachita"
A half hour television program featuring beautiful scenes from Arkansas
through Louisiana, set to relaxing instrumental music.
 Soon
to be available on Comcast Video on Demand in Monroe & West
Monroe !
Portraits
of the Ouachita Video available in the Gift
Shop
Links
of Interest:
Click
here for a full list of links
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