Proposed Lock Limitations Have Boaters Upset

A lack of money may put the Arkansas River on lock.

The Army Corps of Engineers wants to limit traffic through the state's 13 locks, but boat owners say it's a bad idea.

Right now, boats can travel though the river's locks at any time, day or night, but the corps wants to limit their use to two 4-hour windows.

A spokesperson says the locks on the McClellan-Kerr navigation system were built to last 50 years, and they have.
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But the corps' national office says they don't have the money to replace the locks, and state agencies can get more life out of them by performing daily, time-consuming maintenance.
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The corps already restricts use up near Fort Smith, but they're proposing limiting recreational traffic at the Murray and Terry locks near Little Rock.
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One boat owner says it would be disastrous for everyone.

"We understand the corps' problem, it's money, but at the same time, what they're proposing will kill recreation on the Arkansas River," says recreational boater Wayne Woods. "But at the same time, we're willing to work with them, and I think they're willing to work with us. We just need to find a common place that everyone can live with."

The corps says their idea to restrict recreational traffic is just a proposal right now, but they're serious about a maintenance plan to lengthen the life of those locks.

Source: http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=605292

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