Little Red River
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The Little Red River is a river in north-central Arkansas.
The upper tributaries of the Little Red River are known as the South Fork, the Middle Fork, and the Devils Fork.
The South Fork begins in the Ozark National Forest near Scotland in Van Buren County and flows into Greers Ferry Lake near Clinton.
The Middle Fork begins only a few miles from the South Fork near Tilly in Van Buren County but flows northward into Searcy County. In Searcy County the river turns east and flows into Stone County where it turns south and flows to meet Greers Ferry Lake in Cleburne County.
The Devils Fork begins in Northeastern Cleburne County, Arkansas and flows southwest to meet Greers Ferry Lake near Ida, Arkansas.
The three forks converge into the North section of Greers Ferry Lake, which is connected to the South section of the lake by the Narrows, the site of the former Little Red River. The Little Red River begins to flow again at the Army Corps of Engineers hydroelectric dam at Heber Springs. The single channel runs from the dam to its mouth at the White River near Georgetown, Arkansas, a distance of 30 miles. The area around the mouth of the river is within the Henry Gray/Hurricane Lake Wildlife Management Area south of Augusta in White County.
The water level of the lower sections varies greatly because of releases of cold water from the dam at Greers Ferry during power generation. These water releases can be challenging for boaters. The lower section has a varied geography with areas of gravelly rapids, boulder strewn areas, and slow, deep, pools.
The lower stretch of the river is well-known for its excellent trout fishing. The US Fish and Wildlife Service maintains a trout hatchery just below the Greers Ferry Dam and release large numbers of mature trout into the lower Little Red regularly. Greers Ferry Lake is the home of the world-record walleye and the Little Red itself is the home of the world-record brown trout (40 pounds 4 ounces (18.3 kg)).
During the American Civil War the Battle of Whitney's Lane took place near Searcy on the banks of the Little Red.
Carl Garner, in his job as manager of the Little Red River and Greers Ferry Lake, sought participation from the local citizenry to collect trash scattered about the waterways. However, he was without sufficient funding for a staffed cleanup. Eventually, his efforts resulted in the Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day promoted by Keep America Beautiful.
[edit] See also
There is also a Little Red River in Alberta, Canada. Named after the red colour of the water due to red ochre deposits through which it runs. It is a tributary to the Peace river and runs to the east of the Wabasca river. It gives the Little Red River Cree Nation its name.
