Severe weather (4/4) and continued heavy rainfall expected for much of Arkansas Friday - NWS/NOAA

The threat for severe weather continues for this Friday into Friday night. All modes of severe weather will be possible including very large hail, damaging winds and even a few tornadoes.

Specifics About Hazards (If Any): A warm front will lift northward into Arkansas today, eventually stalling out once again across the north-central and west-central sections of the state. Conditions along and south of the front will become very unstable by this afternoon as temperatures warm into the 80s. All modes of severe weather will be possible, including damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes. A few long- track tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

There is a high risk for excessive rainfall today into tonight for a large portion of the state. Several inches of rainfall are possible, which may lead to flash and river flooding.

Thunderstorms will remain likely on Saturday into Saturday night, with strong to severe weather potential remaining. All modes of severe weather will be possible Saturday afternoon and evening, including large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes. The highest threat for severe weather on Saturday will be across the southeastern two-thirds of the area.

Areas of heavy rainfall will continue on Saturday into Saturday night as well, with the threat for flash and river flooding continuing to remain a very significant hazard.

Expect the threat for heavy rainfall and severe weather to exit the region by Sunday afternoon. Some areas could see temperatures dropping into the low and mid 30s Sunday and Monday mornings. This may result in some frost or freeze conditions for some areas over northwestern portions of the state. Otherwise, the threat for hazardous weather will become low into the middle of next week.

Several inches of additional rainfall are expected through Sunday morning. Most areas could see an additional 4 to 6 inches, with some areas seeing potentially over 8 inches.

Spotter Activation (Day 1 - Friday/Friday Night): (More Widespread Severe Weather). Scattered to numerous severe storms are expected. The focus area includes much of Arkansas. You can help by monitoring and forwarding severe weather information. If there are strong to severe storms (i.e. wind damage, quarter size hail or larger, etc.) at your location, please consider submitting a report via an online form found here. Thank you for your assistance!

Western Arkansas targeted for Severe Weather Friday

...THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THE ARKLATEX INTO WESTERN ARKANSAS...

...SUMMARY...

Several clusters of strong to severe storms are possible from central Texas across the ArkLaTex and into the lower Ohio Valley Friday and Friday night. The greatest threat for tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds will be from the ArkLaTex across western Arkansas, including potential for strong to potentially intense tornadoes.

...Synopsis...

A mid-level trough, centered across the Southwest and northern New Mexico, will start to shift east on Friday. As this occurs a broad, strong low-level jet will develop across eastern Texas and into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. This strengthening lower tropospheric flow will aid in the northward advancement of a warm front, located from central Texas to the Mid-Mississippi Valley at the beginning of the period, to eastern Oklahoma an near the MO/AR border by 00Z Sat. This reorientation of the frontal boundary should be favorable for supercells with the potential for large hail (some 2+ inch), damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes (some potentially EF3+).

...ArkLatex to Western Arkansas...

As a warm front lifts north across Arkansas through the day, a very unstable environment (2500-4000 J/kg MLCAPE) will develop from the ArkLaTex into western Arkansas as temperatures warm into the mid 80s with dewpoints in the low 70s. Some weak convection may maintain along the frontal zone in eastern Oklahoma during the morning and early afternoon. However, more robust convective development is not anticipated until mid-afternoon when height falls start to overspread the region, and the influence of the entrance region of the upper-level jet increases ascent. In addition, most high resolution guidance indicates a local area of low pressure may traverse the frontal zone to near northwest Arkansas by 21Z. The combination of these factors, which have decent agreement among 12Z guidance, points toward multiple supercells along the frontal zone during the mid to late afternoon and into the evening. These supercells, in an environment featuring 2500-3500 J/kg MLCAPE and 0-1km SRH ~400 m2/s2, will support the potential for strong to intense tornadoes. Messy storm mode could limit the longevity of any of these supercells/tornadoes, but even with limited duration, the environment supports a tornado threat. A more conditional long-track tornado threat, which would also bring greater opportunity for EF3+ tornadoes, exists east of the frontal boundary. Synoptic forcing ahead of the boundary is relatively weak, but very strong instability (3000-4000 J/kg MLCAPE) is forecast with minimal inhibition across the warm sector. Therefore, more discrete, open warm-sector supercell development is possible, but will be more dependent on mesoscale details which will become more clear in the Day 1 timeframe.

Severe weather late Tuesday night for Arkansas; heavy rainfall and flash flooding through the remainder of the week

• [WHAT] Severe weather and heavy rainfall

• [WHEN] Late Tuesday night through Saturday night. ○ Severe weather threat late Tuesday night through Thursday. ○ Heavy rainfall and resulting flash/river flooding threat Wednesday through Saturday.

• [WHERE] Most of the state will be at risk for severe weather as well as the heavy rainfall.

Lake Millwood tops the chart in 2024 bass tournament report

BY Randy Zellers

SARATOGA — Between a recent February flurry of big bass and a steady showing in Arkansas bass fishing tournament trails, it came as no surprise to the Arkansas Black Bass Program team when Millwood Lake proved to be the best Natural State fishing tournament destination of 2024.

Alton Burton (left) and Taylor Murphy (right) holding four of the fish that made their 33.44-pound five-fish limit during a Brad’s Custom Rods and Tackle Tournament Trail event last July. Photo courtesy Brad Thomas.

The southwest Arkansas fishery was ranked number one through an assessment of fishing quality indicators in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s recently released Arkansas Tournament Information Program annual report.

“We compile information like number of fish caught by angler, total weights, winning weights and number of fish weighed that exceed 5 pounds,” Eric Naas, AGFC Black Bass Program biologist, said. “From that information, we can monitor a lot of trends throughout the tournament community and how it can help us manage the fisheries that we get data on.”

Naas says the overall results are similar to last year, but they continue to show small increases in some categories anglers always pay attention to.

Arkansas angler Jaret Rushing fishing with his youth team during a recent event on Millwood Lake. Photo courtesy Jaret Rushing.

“Across all bass tournaments we could gather records for throughout the state, average first-place weights went up slightly, as well as the average number of bass caught per angler per tournament day,” Naas said. “In 307 tournament reports, the average angler weighed 2.12 bass per day compared to 1.87 in 2023. Anglers also weighed an average of 4.31 pounds of fish per day in 2024 compared to 3.75 pounds per angler per day in 2023. That may not seem like much, but considering it’s stretched over 300 tournaments, it’s a nice increase.”

Naas stresses that figures pulled from the report can be affected by the low frequency of reports for certain lakes.

“Some lakes may only have six or seven tournament reports while others have dozens, and one bad tournament day can throw off the final results a lot if there aren’t many cards to balance things,” Naas said. “That’s why we only rank lakes with at least five tournament reports, but even then, we’d like to get more reports.”

Roughly 73 percent of the tournament results actually were tracked down by Naas, who spent many hours scanning the social media accounts and websites of tournament organizations and fishing groups.

“We can get a lot of the data we need from those posts you see of tournament results, but if organizers would add a few more details, like the number of fish caught over 5 pounds and the number of fish per angler, we could make use of a lot more reports,” Naas said. “Of course, filling out the online form at www.agfc.com/atip takes only a couple of minutes and they can do that right at the boat ramp, too.”

Millwood has been a mainstay near the top of the rankings since the ATIP report was created, but this is the first time since 2016 that it took top honors.

Anglers wait patiently for an early February Anvil Jaw Bass Club tournament at Lake Hamilton. AGFC photo by Randy Zellers.

“There are a lot of factors that go into Millwood’s high production for anglers,” Naas said. “For one, it has a vast amount of fishable water compared to the deep highland reservoirs in the state. Being a lowland reservoir, it’s also very fertile with a lot of nutrients in the lakebed and water. Combine that with south Arkansas’s long growing season, and you have a good combination of factors to grow a lot of fish and let them grow large. That and the (AGFC’s) Florida Bass Program.”

According to database records, Millwood bass have seen ample influence from Florida bass through the AGFC’s hatchery system. Since 1984, more than 7.84 million Florida largemouth bass have been stocked in Millwood to increase growth potential in the population.

“Millwood has one of the best contributions of Florida bass in the state,” Naas said. “Especially considering the size of the reservoir.”

Jeremy Risley, AGFC Black Bass Program coordinator, says Millwood is a perfect example of how the AGFC has used Florida bass in its stockings to increase overall growth in the lake.

“When we stock a Florida bass, we’re not just stocking those fish to grow big and be caught,” Risley said. “The idea is to get their genetics into the system and keep them high. We’ll actually have fairly few ‘pure’ Florida bass in the system, but the more genetics of Florida bass a largemouth has, the better its chances of having good growth when conditions are favorable.”

Among Millwood’s impressive stats last year was the largest five-fish limit weighed, a 33.44-pound sack caught during a Brad’s Custom Rod and Tackle Tournament Trail event. Unlike many prespawn tournaments with hefty weights, this 30-pound-plus sack was weighed in July, when many fish typically are entering their lowest weight period of the year.

“Last year was a good year for top weights, with 23 total derbies having winning weights over the 20-pound mark,” Naas said. “Only 15 tournament result cards with 20-pound-plus bags were turned in during 2023, by comparison.”

The effects of high water in the White River chain of lakes are also fairly obvious when you compare the last five years of reports. Beaver Lake, which has seen a pattern of higher water during spring for the last few years has climbed from a ranking of 15 in 2020 to the third-place spot in 2024, falling just short of Nimrod Lake (the top lake in the report during the last three years). Freshly flooded habitat has created a burst of productivity not only for the bass, but also for the forage in the lake, creating ideal growing conditions. During the same time frame, nearby Bull Shoals Lake dropped from the number one spot in 2020 to a ranking of 12 last year.

Millwood Lake receives a healthy portion of Florida bass from AGFC hatcheries. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath. 

“Bull Shoals is starting to see the same effect Norfork had with too many high-water years in a row,” Risley said. “It’s created too many mouths to feed and overall growth has slowed as a result.”

You can’t talk about bass tournament fishing without at least touching on forward-facing sonar. Risley and Naas both acknowledge the shift in fishing styles on many bodies of water, but the latest evidence indicates the overall impact of LiveScope on tournament weights may not be as drastic as once feared.

“We did track one tournament series last winter that had three tournaments allowing live sonar and three that the technology was banned,” Naas said. “The weights increased, but only slightly. Winning weights were an average of 3 pounds heavier and the average weight per bass caught was 0.5 pounds heavier, but the number of fish caught and number of 5-pound-or-larger fish was consistent between the tournaments. It’s a very small sample size, but that’s what we have to go on. The more data our tournament anglers and directors give us, the more we will be able to monitor any effects of the technology on bass tournament weights.”

Risley agrees and says he does see a slight increase in weights now compared to tournaments before forward-facing sonar became popular, but a lot of factors can go into tournament results.

“Timing, location, weather and local conditions have so much impact on tournament weights that it’s nearly impossible to make a blanket statement without a lot of data points to compare,” Risley said.

Visit www.agfc.com/atip to see the complete report and reports from the last decade. Tournament directors can also find an online reporting form to enter their tournament information on this page to help generate future reports.

Greer remembered for mentorship, love of science, and good insect memes

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

HOPE, Ark. — Amanda Greer is being remembered for her love of family, science and a good insect meme. By Mary Hightower. 780 words. With portrait of Greer, file photo

Greer, born in Warren, passed away Feb. 19 following a battle with cancer.

Agriculture was her life. She farmed and worked as a cotton scout and crop consultant in the 1990s. In 2006, she joined the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture as a Chicot County extension agent, moving later to Lafayette County, first as an agent, then as staff chair. Between her time in Chicot and Lafayette counties, Greer also worked as a program technician at the former Southeast Research and Extension Center in Monticello.

Amanda Greer is being remembered as a teacher at heart who loved science and a good insect meme. (U of Arkansas file photo)

In 2018, she started as lab manager for the Arkansas Nematode Diagnostic Lab, based at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope.

Kim Rowe, Hempstead County extension agent, knew Greer for two decades and said she looked to Greer for her expertise in weed identification, plant diseases, and insect and nematode problems.

“She was always patient with me busting up in her lab,” Rowe said. “She would confidently solve any mystery, no matter how much time it took.

“While I will certainly miss her mentorship and assistance professionally, mostly I will miss my friend who loved quality insect memes, photos of lichens, and trying exotic foods,” Rowe said.

Daniel Rivera, director of the Southwest Research and Extension Center, said Greer was a private person, but could be gregarious once she got to know someone.

“She was warm, witty, funny, generous with her time, and thoroughly enjoyed working in the nematode lab,” Rivera said. “She always took time to educate me about nematodes, and she was that way with anyone who came to visit the lab. From kids to state senators, all were taught equally! Her eyes would light up when they would find out something new or neat. She just loved the science.

“She felt a responsibility to ag producers, the Division of Agriculture, and the lab, and took great pride in the work the lab put out,” Rivera added. “Amanda was the living embodiment of our core values.” 

Rivera said Greer would also light up when she spoke of her daughter, and “Amanda loved talking about Dakota's accomplishments.”

Greer was also a diehard Razorback fan who loved to go to the games with her husband, William, and daughter Dakota.

“From my friend Amanda, we can take one final lesson: to be strong, steadfast in your tasks, and ensure that you spend time and enjoy the ones you love as much as you can,” Rivera said.

Terry Kirkpatrick, who oversaw the nematode lab before retiring and recommended Greer for the job, having been her adviser through her master’s studies and had seen her at work as an extension agent.

Her success as an extension educator was because “she was a teacher at heart,” Kirkpatrick said. “It took her about 15 minutes to win over the farmers in Lafayette County, because she was out there with them.

“She might show up at suppertime on a Friday night at a farmer’s house and say, ‘I just walked through your rice field and you’ve got blast and you probably need to think about spraying that first of next week’,” Kirkpatrick said. “She was just Johnny-on-the-spot and she’d take them out there to look for blast or root knot nematodes, or whatever the disease of the week was.”

“Quietly and not in the headlines, she had a significant impact through all the things she did,” Kirkpatrick said.

Ken Korth, head of the entomology and plant pathology department for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and the Division of Agriculture, said “we were so fortunate that Amanda was able to take on the leadership position at the nematode diagnostic lab. 

“Her expertise and approach made her an outstanding diagnostician. I think her strong performance truly benefited from a broad background in agriculture, having served as a county agent and working on the family farm,” Korth said. “Amanda earned her master’s degree in our department working under the direction of Dr. Terry Kirkpatrick. It was especially enjoyable to have one of our alumni back working as a colleague.” 

Jerri Dew, Lafayette County extension staff chair, said that Greer was highly respected in the row crop community.

“Many Lafayette County farmers still had close ties to her and consulted with her regularly,” Dew said. “When I came to work in Lafayette County, Amanda helped me more than any other person in extension. She is going to be sorely missed by a lot of people.”

Greer is survived by her husband of 22 years, William "Shotgun” Greer, and daughter, Dakota Greer.

A visitation and funeral service were held in Lake Village.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Winter Weather Briefing from the National Weather Service in Little Rock

• [WHAT] Winter weather conditions, including accumulating snow, mixed sleet and snow, and some freezing rain is forecast to spread across the state today through Wednesday, resulting in widespread travel impacts.

• [WHEN] Winter precipitation will begin across northwest Arkansas later this morning, and expand towards central to southern Arkansas by this afternoon to evening, and persist through Wednesday morning (February 19).

• [WHERE] Significant accumulating snowfall is expected across the northern third of the state, with mixed precipitation including sleet/snow and freezing rain over the southern two-thirds of the state.

• [ADDITIONAL INFO]

• Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for portions of northern and central Arkansas due to heavy snow and sleet. This is where forecast confidence is highest for impactful accumulations.

• Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for the remainder of the state where lesser snow, sleet, and freezing rain totals are expected.

• Hazardous cold is forecast by Wednesday morning with single digit to negative morning wind chill values forecast through Friday morning. Cold Weather Advisories are in effect for a large portion of the state tonight, and additional cold weather headlines will likely be needed through Friday morning.

State of the State 2025: Leaders highlight ways to meet growing energy needs

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

The energy sector has welcomed the emergence of the lithium industry in Arkansas while it grapples with rising electricity demand and declining generation as coal-fired plants are retired. Leaders look to a mix of solutions to meet demand, avoid an “energy crisis” and “restore American energy dominance.”

Lauren Waldrip, executive director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association (AAEA), highlighted one of the state’s most notable developments over the past year: the expansion of the lithium industry in southwest Arkansas.

“That is a new component of our membership,” Waldrip said. “We are seeing participation from folks like Exxon, Standard Lithium, as well as community and municipality organizations from that side of the state.”

State of the State 2025: Leaders highlight ways to meet growing energy needs

Updated Weather Briefing from the National Weather Service

• WHAT HAS CHANGED: The Flood Watch has been expanded to include portions of northern central Arkansas.

• A strong storm system will approach the state from the southwest through the day today, and rainfall will become widespread from west to east across the area later this evening through Thursday.

• As the system moves through, excessive rainfall is possible from southeast Oklahoma across portions of western and northern Arkansas, resulting in increasing flash flooding potential. Area rivers and basins are also expected to see an increase in streamflow, with some locations possibly reaching flooding levels.

• Additionally, a few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across mainly southern Arkansas Thursday afternoon and evening.

• The threat for hazardous weather is expected to come to an end by Friday morning as the storm system moves east of the state.

The greatest probabilities for rainfall in excess of 3 inches currently lies across portions of western to central Arkansas, and primarily over the high terrain regions. A large probability exists for much of the northwestern half of the state to receive at least 2 inches of rainfall.

Heavy rain and severe weather possibilities for Arkansas this week

• A strong storm system will approach the state from the southwest in the coming days.

• Rain will become widespread from west to east across the area Wednesday evening through Thursday

• As the system moves through, heavy rainfall is possible from southeast Oklahoma across portions of western and northern Arkansas.

• Additionally, a few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across mainly southern Arkansas Thursday afternoon and evening.

• The threat for hazardous weather is expected to come to an end by Friday morning as the storm system moves east of the state.

Weekly update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

The Arkansas General Assembly will convene for the 2025 Regular Session on Monday, January 13. 

The first day of the session will include the swearing-in of all members and the formal election of the Speaker of the House. While the Speaker is officially elected at the start of the session, the 94th General Assembly previously selected Rep. Brian Evans of Cabot as Speaker-designate. 

On January 14, the second day of the session, House and Senate members will convene jointly in the House Chamber to hear an address from Governor Sanders. This address will outline the Governor’s legislative priorities and provide key recommendations on the pressing issues facing Arkansas. 

Several important deadlines will shape the legislative process this session. Members must file legislation affecting publicly supported retirement or pension plans, the licensure of health care providers, or state/public school health insurance by January 27. Legislation regarding lottery-funded scholarships or constitutional amendments must be filed by February 12, and all appropriation bills must be filed by March 3. 

The Speaker will announce committee chair assignments on the first day of the session, and those assignments will be available at arkansashouse.org. Committee meetings and House floor proceedings are open to the public, providing Arkansans with an opportunity to see and participate in the legislative process. Those who wish to voice their support or opposition to a bill can sign in to speak during committee meetings, ensuring their perspectives are heard.

House committee meetings and floor proceedings are live-streamed and recorded, ensuring Arkansans can follow the legislative process in real-time from anywhere. Agendas and links to live-streams can be accessed at arkansashouse.org. 

As your state representatives work to address issues ranging from education to health care to economic development, we invite all Arkansans to engage with the legislative process. Whether you reach out to your representative, attend a committee meeting, or follow our live streams, your input helps shape the future of our state.

Snow pictures from De Queen Lake in Southwest Arkansas on January 9th and 10th

Photo Images by Jon Bunyard

Winter weather headed for Arkansas; briefing attached

Winter Storm Warnings continue across the vast majority of Arkansas through the Thursday-Friday (January 9-10) timeframe. A Winter Weather Advisory is posted in the far southeast. The Winter Storm Warning area currently encompasses where the highest confidence for impactful conditions exist.

NWS issues a Winter Storm Warning for southern and central Arkansas

Portions of the Winter Storm Watch have been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning, valid through the Thursday-Friday (January 9-10) timeframe. The Winter Storm Warning area currently encompasses where the highest confidence for impactful conditions exist. Changes and expansions to the watch and warning areas are still possible and should be expected!

• WHAT HAS CHANGED: Portions of the Winter Storm Watch have been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning, mainly including the southern half of the state (south of I-40). This largely includes where confidence of impactful snowfall is currently highest. Expansions of the warning are still possible!

• WHAT WE KNOW: A strong storm system is forecast to impact Arkansas Thursday morning through Friday evening bringing heavy snow across much of the state. Greatest confidence for impacts will be across west-central to central Arkansas.

• WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: Exact placement of greatest snow amounts, and where locally greater totals could occur due to banding. Where snow may change over to sleet, freezing rain, or just rain near the Louisiana border. Expect changes and refinement to the forecast!

Winter Storm Watch for Arkansas Thursday and Friday

Western to southwestern Arkansas and the Ouachita Mountains is expected to see the greatest snowfall accumulations.

• WHAT HAS CHANGED: • Forecast liquid-equivalent (QPF) was increased across the forecast area, which has increased forecast snowfall amounts. • A Winter Storm Watch has been issued across portions of western, southwestern, and central Arkansas, following the areas of highest confidence for winter weather impacts Thursday through Friday (January 9-10).

• WHAT WE KNOW: • A strong storm system is forecast to move across the southern Gulf Coast Thursday through Friday, and is expected to bring impactful winter weather to the state. • Greatest confidence for impacts remains across western to southwestern Arkansas.

• WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: • There is still uncertainty regarding the exact placement of where the greatest snowfall amounts could occur. This will be addressed over the next few runs of forecast data. • There is also uncertainty across the Arkansas/Louisiana border region with regard to mixed precip types (freezing rain versus wintry mix). Expect changes and refinement to the forecast!

Confidence continues to increase on an impactful winter storm across the state during the Thursday-Friday timeframe (January 9-10). New updates with this briefing include the issuance of a Winter Storm Watch for a large portion of the state. 

 The greatest impacts are currently expected across western to southwestern, and portions of central Arkansas. Expect changes to the footprint of greatest snowfall accumulations, and the Winter Storm Watch!

Severe Weather Outlook for Arkansas from the National Weather Service in Little Rock

A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across western Arkansas Wednesday evening and Wednesday night.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible today across the region into this evening. Late tonight, strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible mainly northwest of the region. Look for strong south winds today outside thunderstorms with wind gusts upwards of 30 mph possible. There will continue to be an elevated fire threat due to very dry conditions with those conditions continuing until rainfall materializes later today into Thursday.

A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across eastern and southern Arkansas Thursday.

In SW AR, rain chances will continue through the end of the work week, into the upcoming weekend and into early next week as well. At this time, strong to severe thunderstorms do not appear likely through early next week. Temperatures will remain mostly above normal through the extended period as well.

The forecast for Halloween evening calls for rain chances across the southeast with dry conditions elsewhere. Temperatures will largely be in the 50s and 60s.

State park access reopens at Millwood as AGFC knocks back invasive plant

BOOM MAZE
A series of floating booms was placed around the Millwood Lake State Park boat access during a recent eradication effort to help prevent Cuban bulrush from spreading by wind and wave action. AGFC photo.

BY Jim Harris

HOPE — Boat traffic has resumed in areas of Millwood Lake that were affected by the discovery of Cuban bulrush, an aquatic invasive plant, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s southwest region fisheries office.

Dylan Hann, AGFC district fisheries supervisor in Perrytown, said a containment boom to restrict the movement of floating pieces of Cuban bulrush near the Millwood State Park access, were modified so boaters can drive through it and reach spots to fish. It’s like a floating oil containment boom used with spills, and this one has been shaped to let boaters navigate through it while preventing the plant from spreading outside of the cove. “It’s similar to the containment that we have at boat ramps on Lake Columbia to prevent another invasive floating plant, giant salvinia, from congregating at the boat ramp and spreading to new waters” he said.

A contractor has sprayed the areas with Cuban bulrush twice this month, Hann said. This has helped knock the plant back, Hann added.

The plant “does produce seeds, so it’s likely going to produce new plants from the seed bank next spring. We’re going to work closely with the Millwood Corps of Engineers staff to make sure we stay on top of it. If we can knock it back next year before it produces seeds, we can get ahead of it,” he said.

OVERHEAD SHOT OF BULRUSH
Bulrush found and removed in Millwood Lake had an opportunity to spread seeds before it was eradicated, so AGFC will work with the Army Corps of Engineers to watch for and spray any additional plants that sprout in the next year. AGFC photo.  

Cuban bulrush looks like other aquatic grasses and sedges for much of the year, then around July to August it produces very noticeable seed heads that make it stand out as something clearly different from other lake vegetation. Millwood Lake also has mats of alligatorweed that the AGFC is treating through contractor spraying, and Cuban bulrush has been found growing on top of the alligatorweed, Hann noted. Cuban bulrush is a floating plant and is commonly found growing on top of other floating or emergent aquatic vegetation.  It can quickly  choke out shallow areas, creating dense floating mats that can block boating and fishing access and displace native native plants that are beneficial to native fish and wildlife, he added.

Cuban bulrush was likely transported to Millwood Lake from another waterbody unknowingly, by plant fragments or seeds hitching a ride on boats or trailers, which is how most invasive aquatic plants are spread to new waters.

The boating and angling public can help with stopping the spread of this and other aquatic invasive species by practicing: “Clean, Drain and Dry.” The public is urged to clean their boat, trailer and equipment after each use, completely drain all water from the boat and all compartments, and dry thoroughly. Also, the public is urged to keep an eye out for any suspicious plants (native or not) and report them to your local fisheries biologists. Be sure to note the location of the sighting and take a photo that includes the roots, leaves and flowers.

If you suspect you’ve come across an invasive aquatic plant, please report it online at www.agfc.com/ans.  Reports are used to help AGFC rapidly respond to contain and eradicate, if possible, new invasive species introductions before they can spread and establish.

BULRUSH IN PADS
Cuban bulrush can grow on floating plants and develop mats too thick for fish to live if left to grow uncontrolled. AGFC photo. 

The discovery of Cuban bulrush in Millwood was made only when an AGFC biologist doing bass sampling recently noticed the unusual pods in the aquatic vegetation.

“There are areas of the lake in expansive backwater sloughs that have Cuban bulrush with no way to effectively contain them with containment booms,” Hann said. “One advantage we had with the state park is it’s an isolated place where there isn’t any Cuban bulrush immediately outside that boom along the dam or along the northwest bank leaving the state park, so we were just trying to keep that area contained,” Hann said. “The booms are there to help catch floating vegetation. We want it to be contained there and not drift to other parts in the lake. We put out 800 feet of containment boom at the state park.”

U.S. Department of Energy awards $225 million to lithium efforts in Southwest Arkansas

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Standard Lithium Ltd. and Equinor announced Friday (Sept. 20) that its jointly-owned U.S. subsidiary, SWA Lithium LLC has been selected for up to $225 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

This selection is one of the largest ever awarded to a U.S. critical minerals project and is part of the second wave of funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) aimed at expanding domestic manufacturing of all segments of the battery supply chain and increasing production of critical minerals in the U.S.

None of Arkansas’ Congressional delegation voted in favor of the IIJA. The provisional grant is dependent on completing successful final negotiations with the DOE.

The $225 million funding by the DOE will support the construction of the Central Processing Facility for Phase 1 of the Southwest Arkansas project, which is being designed to annually produce 22,500 tonnes of battery-quality lithium carbonate.

U.S. Department of Energy awards $225 million to lithium efforts in Southwest Arkansas

National Weather Service issues a heat advisory for the four-state region

Sevier-Howard-Little River-Hempstead-Nevada-Miller-Lafayette- Columbia-Union-Caddo-Bossier-Webster-Claiborne-Lincoln-Union-DeSoto-Red River-Bienville-Jackson-Ouachita-Sabine-Natchitoches- Winn-Grant-Caldwell-La Salle-McCurtain-Red River-Bowie-Franklin- Titus-Camp-Morris-Cass-Wood-Upshur-Marion-Smith-Gregg-Harrison- Cherokee-Rusk-Panola-Nacogdoches-Shelby-Angelina-San Augustine- Sabine-

156 PM CDT Mon Jun 24 2024

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT TUESDAY...

* WHAT...Heat index values up to 109.

* WHERE...Portions of south-central and southwest Arkansas, north-central and northwest Louisiana, southeast Oklahoma, and east and northeast Texas.

* WHEN...Until 7 PM CDT Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments to reduce risk during outdoor work. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

Jacob Seymour running for 4-H State Office

Submitted by: Kim Frachiseur, CEA-4-H

The Sevier County Extension Office would like to announce that Jacob Seymour of De Queen is running for an Arkansas 4-H State Officer position.

Jacob Seymour

Each year, Arkansas 4-H Youth vote in seven of their peers each summer to represent Arkansas 4-H for the year. The officers are inducted each year at the annual Arkansas 4-H State O-Rama activities. The seven positions include President, First Vice-President, Delta District Vice-President, Ouachita District Vice-President, Ozark District Vice-President, Secretary, and Reporter.

Seymour will be running for the Ouachita District Vice-President position. Jake is the son of Debbie and Justin Seymour. He was named 2022 Arkansas Teen Star and is currently an Arkansas State Ambassador. When asked what inspired him to run, Seymour stated, “I would love to raise more awareness in my district and also the state level about 4-H. I meet a lot of people that think 4-H is just cows and chickens. I would like to teach them there is so much more to 4-H.”

District Vice-Presidents are elected during each corresponding 4-H District O-Ramas and the remaining positions are elected during Arkansas 4-H State O-Rama. Candidates campaign throughout the summer at events such as O-Rama and Teen Leader Conference.

4-H state officers also get the chance to travel the state while working on events and their skills.

“They will be representing Arkansas 4-H throughout the state,” Rex Herring said. “Some specific skills that the officers will grow in will be public speaking, interacting with sponsors and administrators of various organizations. If elected, Jake will do a great job.”

2024 Arkansas State Ambassadors and Teen Stars named

Submitted by:  Kim Frachiseur, CEA-4-H 

Nine 4-H’ers from Sevier County were selected as 4-H State Teen Stars for the 2024 year. Sevier County 4-H’ers Charlie Collins, Nick Diaz, Raegan Frachiseur, John Moe, Monica Rivas, Chips Stamps, Ty Wagner, Katie Williamson, and Evan Wolcott are nine of fifty-one teens from across the state to achieve this title. On June 5, a special banquet was held during the 4-H Arkansas Teen Leader Conference to honor these youths for their outstanding achievements in their areas of 4-H projects and activities, leadership, and community service.

One 4-Her from Sevier County was chosen as 4-H State Ambassador this year. Kyle Williamson was chosen from kids all across the state of Arkansas to represent Arkansas 4-H. This year, only thirty 4-H’ers were selected for this opportunity. Before a youth can become an ambassador, they must first achieve several goals. They must show growth in their educational project, be an excellent speaker in front of large crowds, participate in county, district, and state level activities, prove they have above average leadership skills, mentor other youth, and do community service projects. The biggest accomplishment being working outside of 4-H to better their community.

Kyle Williamson is the 16-year-old son of Ronnie and Tiffany Williamson. By having this opportunity, Kyle hopes that his vast knowledge of different subjects and his strong work ethic will help not just all of 4-H, but our community also. Arkansas 4-H Ambassadors assist with 4-H promotion at the county and state level, pushing the Arkansas 4-H program at every opportunity. Ambassadors assist with statewide 4-H programs such as the Teen Leader Conference, serve as banquet planners or workshop speakers, and represent 4-H at various activities such as fairs, donor events, awards programs, and community and state organizations' annual meetings.

Front row left to right:  Evan Wolcott, Raegan Frachiseur, Katie Williamson, Monica Rivas, Nick Diaz, Chip Stamps. Row 2: John Moe, Zae-Lei Frachiseur, Jacob Seymour, Kyle Williamson, Max Rosson. Not Pictured: Charlie Collins and Ty Wagner.