Data, Facts & Maps

Dave Donaldson Black River WMA

Name & Zone:
 Dave Donaldson Black River
WMA Zone 170		 PDF Map 614 KB
8.5x11
County:
 Clay, Randolph, Greene

PDF Map 914 KB
11x17



PDF Map 10.2 MB
11x17 Detailed  



AGFC Interactive Map

   

Flash Map Side 1 3.63 MB
Flash Map Side 2 2.69 MB

Location: The area is located 10 miles south of Corning, 10 miles east of Pocahontas, 20 miles west of Paragould and 15 miles north of Walnut Ridge.
Phone: 1-877-972-5438
 
About the Name: The Black River WMA was originally named after the Black River that flows through the area. After his retirement in
1977, Dave Donaldson, an employee of the Game and Fish Commission for over 30 years was honored by the renaming of the area for his many contributions to the agency.
Ownership: To date the commission owns approximately 25,000 acres in Clay, Randolph and Green counties.
Age: Acquisition began in 1957.
Purpose: The majority of the area was purchased during the 50’s and 60’s as an effort to preserve bottomland habitat and provide top quality waterfowl hunting to Arkansas sportsmen. Wetland habitat was disappearing at an alarming rate because of an ever-increasing agricultural demand for rice and soybean land. Black River represents a significant portion of the remaining bottomland hardwood habitat in eastern Arkansas and provides critical wintering habitat to thousands of migratory birds. The area also provides critical habitat to many species of neo tropical migrant birds. Because of Its importance to the Mississippi Flyway population, waterfowl management is emphasized. The Dave Donaldson- Black River Public Hunting Area includes some of the finest greentree reservoir duck habitat in Arkansas.
Description: Hardwood Forests are comprised of several tree species. The dominant species are nuttall oak, overcup oak, pin oak and water oak. Bald cypress, tupelo and willow may be found along the numerous sloughs that form a network of waterways on the area. The major streams are Black River and Little River. Lake Ashbaugh and Hubble Lake are two impoundments located on the East Side of the area adjacent to Black and Little Rivers. Capital improvements include approximately 17 miles of levees designed for water manipulation through gated pipes and water control structures. Two inverted siphon structures that were developed in the late 1960’s allow the transfer of water from one side of Black River to the other by piping water under the riverbed. Plans are in the works to renovate the siphons in order to better control water levels.
Access: Main access points may be reached by going north on Highway 90 about 2 miles from Deleplaine. Turn left on Highway 280, then north about 4 miles to a stop sign, turn left and this will take you to the Brookings access on Black River. From Brookings, go east on highway 280 toward the town of Peach Orchard about 1 mile and turn left on a secondary blacktop road, go about 1 mile to the Hubble Bridge access on Little River. From Corning go south on Highway 67 to Reyno and watch for the Datto access. Lake Ashbaugh may be reached from highway 304. Watch for Game and Fish Commission sign indicating the lake accesses about 4 miles west of Delaplaine.
Hunting
Opportunities: 		Waterfowl hunting accounts for the vast majority of recreational use days on the Dave Donaldson-Black River WMA. Waterfowl hunters are attracted from all over the U.S. to the Black River.

Squirrel populations are highly cyclic depending on the abundance of oak acorn from year to year. Hunter success is good in most seasons, although participation is primarily limited to the opening days of the fall season.

The area supports a thriving deer population. Hunting is limited to archery-crossbow and limited permit muzzleloader hunting. Prolonged natural flooding tends to limit year around habitat availability for deer as well as management options for them. Otherwise, the habitat is of good quality and some trophy class bucks are taken every year on the area, although over all hunter success seems to be relatively low. A sizeable population of turkeys exists on the area. Check the annual turkey regulations guide for turkey hunting information. Hunters and trappers also find a good population of furbearers on the area. Beaver, muskrat, mink and raccoon are fairly plentiful.
Sportsman
Information: 		The area lies within the Black River Flood Prone Zone and is subject to closure to deer and turkey hunting with all weapons, when the river reaches critical levels. Please consult current WMA regulations for details and for other regulations that are specific to the Dave Donaldson-Black River Area. All area regulations are subject to annual review and revision as needed.

Daily River gauge readings are published in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette newspaper (Corning Gauge, Black River) or by calling the Jonesboro Regional office (870) 972-5438.

Topographic maps are Peach Orchard, O’Kean, Reyno Manson, Knoble and Pocahontas, available from the Arkansas Geological Commission (501) 296-1877.
Management
Practices: 		Specialized farming on about 200 acres of agricultural land and seasonal flooding of about 7,000 acres of green timber to attract waterfowl is done yearly. Selective thinning of trees is done to stimulate the growth of new timber, to provide a diverse habitat type and to remove unhealthy or unproductive trees from the forest. This is usually accomplished through commercial timber sales. Trees are selected for removal by commission Biologists and Foresters in order to meet specific management objectives for the area, directed at maintaining or improving wildlife habitat and overall forest health.

The Brookings Moist Soil Unit was developed in 1998 to provided wintering habitat for ducks and other migratory birds. This 200-acre site is managed to produce natural native vegetation and invertebrates, which are essential elements to the health of ducks. Fur bearers, deer, wild turkeys and shorebirds also benefit from moist soil management practices.
Recreation
Other Than
Hunting: 		Along with Lake Ashbaugh there is excellent fishing on the Black and Little Rivers. The main species to fish for in the river are catfish, crappie and largemouth bass. Bald and golden eagles have wintered around Lake Ashbaugh since its completion in the late 1970s. Numerous eagles can usually be sighted on or around the lake on any given day from November through February. 
Camping: Although there is little interest in overnight camping on Black River, camping is permitted in designated campsites. These are marked on area maps that are available at the area headquarters, or from commission employees and regional commission offices. . These are primitive areas and no modern facilities are available. Mosquitoes, biting flies and poison ivy are extremely common and campers should be prepared for them. Venomous snakes, especially cottonmouths are common in and near all water sources.
Restaurants
and Other
Facilities: 		Public restrooms may be found in Peach Orchard, Delaplaine, Corning, Paragould, Pocahontas and Walnut Ridge. 

Overnight, lodging is available in the larger cities of Corning, Paragould, Pocahontas and Walnut Ridge.
Safety: The most significant hazards to area users are undoubtedly boating and water safety related. The fact that almost all waterfowl hunting access requires boating, results in heavy "rush hour traffic" prior to the opening of shooting hours daily. Compliance with boating safety rules and laws is absolutely essential. Area rivers are narrow, crooked, and deep and carry swift currents. Capsizing boats or falling overboard without personal flotation devices would most likely be disastrous. Watch for poisonous snakes during summer and fall. Biting flies and mosquitoes are a nuisance during warm weather. Poison Ivy grows profusely over 100% of the area. A compass is essential to all but those most familiar with the area. Lost hunters are a commonplace occurrence.