The AGFC received a grant from the Fish America Foundation to purchase a habitat barge (left) that will be used for habitat improvement projects on Beaver Lake and across the state. The $80,000 grant is being matched by $46,500 from AGFC funds, which was approved at the September Arkansas Game and Fish Commission meeting.
The barge is being purchased from LifeTyme Boats, and is a custom-made boat that will be equipped with twin 150-horsepower motors and a hydraulic dump bed that can lift up to 8,000 pounds. The boat will be used to pull cedar trees into the lake from the bank, or to load trees onto the boat, then haul them to habitat sites.
* In recent years, the AGFC Fisheries Division has worked with certified aquatic plant control services to treat both native and invasive nuisance aquatic plants that become detrimental to boating and angling activities. This work typically takes place in the spring and summer when the plants are actively growing, which increases herbicide uptake.
Recently, acres of floating mats of aquatic vegetation, including alligatorweed, frogbit, water pennywort, water primrose and American lotus were targeted for control on South Fork Lake, located in Rick Evans Grandview WMA in Hempstead County (6 acres), Bois d’ Arc Lake (12 acres) and Long Slough, located near Sulphur River WMA in Miller County (10 acres). Specific target locations and species of aquatic plants were treated (below photo) in an effort to keep bank fishing, boating and angling opportunities available throughout the fall fishing season.