Personnel from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Mountain Home Project Office and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission are conducting prescribed burns on public land surrounding the Twin Lakes through the second week of April. Burns are being conducted when weather conditions are favorable.
Burn locations around Norfork Lake include Chapin Point, Dillinger Point, Woods Point, Arnett Point and the Tracy Ferry Area. The Bull Shoals Lake burn locations are Strawberry Point and Indian Point. Anyone with hunting stands in these areas will need to remove them to avoid damages.
According to the Corps, periodic burning improves stand health, enhances wildlife value and reduces wildfire fuel loads by removing debris including leaf litter, treetops and limbs. Prescribed burns also improve habitat for wildlife by promoting vigorous growth of non-woody vegetation and grasses important to wildlife for food and protective cover.
Baxter County Sheriff John Montgomery is cautioning area residents about reports of children seen walking on frozen sections of Norfork Lake."The Sheriff's
The deadline for the Norfork Lake Master Plan revision public comment period is Thursday.
The current Norfork Lake Master Plan was developed over 33 years ago. The master plan revision will classify, or possibly reclassify, the government lands around Norfork Lake based on environmental and recreational considerations, public input and an evaluation of past, present and forecasted trends. The revision once completed will serve as the new Master Plan for Norfork Lake.
The U.S. Corps of Engineers will not be conducting any public meetings on the master plan due to COVID-19. Submitting comments online through the website is the only means of having input on the plan.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) has announced freshwater drum have been located in Norfork Lake.
“When in the field, we occasionally come across things that make us scratch our heads,” says Jeremy Risley, AGFC District Supervisor. “On Sept. 11, we sent an email about observing a turtle swimming across Norfork Lake. Being as it is 2020, we wanted to provide another unusual observation that occurred on Norfork Lake.”
Freshwater Drum, often referred to as “gaspergou,” are native to Arkansas. Commonly found in large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, drum derives its name from mature males’ ability to contract a unique set of muscles that vibrate against the swimming bladder to produce a loud drum-like sound, Risley explains.