State Park, on Millwood Lake between Saratoga and Ashdown, will soon be announcing a partial reopening date. Park Superintendent Mark Myers said crews should complete electrical repairs to the marina by the end of this week, while work continues on campsites and other park facilities. Myers said insurance adjusters have tabulated the damage to the park at $431,000 dollars, just below the half-million dollar deductible. Myers said its now a "waiting game" as FEMA works to tabulate damages following Little River County being declared a disaster area. He said because the park is a state agency, some things will have to go before the legislature.
Millwood State Park has been closed since May 12 as record flooding hit the lake. To put the flood in perspective, the lake normally covers 29,000 acres, but covered 85,000 acres when it broke its record crest of 24 feet above normal pool elevation.
The flood inundated a renovation project that was 85 percent complete that included upgrading 27 campsites with electrical, water and sewer connections. Myers said a roof floated off one building while the top of a bathhouse had damage from a boat propeller.
The floating marina itself was not damaged as crews extended building pilings to keep it secure, however, there was not enough electrical cable to handle the 24 feet lake rise, leading to a break. It has been repaired to handle a catastrophic 28 feet increase in lake level. The marina will reopen soon and will remain open this winter, a time when it has been closed in the past. The opening of campgrounds, trails and day use areas will be phased in.
Superintendent Myers said in a normal year there would be 250,000 visitors, but this year's count, which included spring break, is only at 50,000 due to the loss of three major outdoor holidays.
The long term environmental impact may be somewhat bleak "in the woods" as the park awaits next spring to see if the oak trees survived. Myers said the hickory trees have died and the pine trees are stressed and facing pine beetle infestation. He said the stress from weeks of high water transitioning into a severe drought will take a major toll.
Millwood State Park has been closed since May 12 as record flooding hit the lake. To put the flood in perspective, the lake normally covers 29,000 acres, but covered 85,000 acres when it broke its record crest of 24 feet above normal pool elevation.
The flood inundated a renovation project that was 85 percent complete that included upgrading 27 campsites with electrical, water and sewer connections. Myers said a roof floated off one building while the top of a bathhouse had damage from a boat propeller.
The floating marina itself was not damaged as crews extended building pilings to keep it secure, however, there was not enough electrical cable to handle the 24 feet lake rise, leading to a break. It has been repaired to handle a catastrophic 28 feet increase in lake level. The marina will reopen soon and will remain open this winter, a time when it has been closed in the past. The opening of campgrounds, trails and day use areas will be phased in.
Superintendent Myers said in a normal year there would be 250,000 visitors, but this year's count, which included spring break, is only at 50,000 due to the loss of three major outdoor holidays.
The long term environmental impact may be somewhat bleak "in the woods" as the park awaits next spring to see if the oak trees survived. Myers said the hickory trees have died and the pine trees are stressed and facing pine beetle infestation. He said the stress from weeks of high water transitioning into a severe drought will take a major toll.
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