Northwest Arkansas sees multiple improvements to fishing access

Sept. 2, 2020

ROGERS — Anglers in Northwest Arkansas will be able to get to their favorite fishing location a little easier with the addition of some much-needed infrastructure improvements, thanks to Marine Fuel Tax funds and contractors with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Funding for the work originally was approved by Commissioners in July 2019, and work has been ongoing since that time. Projects completed include:

• Paving and painting the parking lot and turn around at the Don Roufa Access on Beaver Lake.
• Placing large shot rock below the parking area at Highway 45 Access on Beaver Lake to prevent damage to the parking lot.
• Repaving the parking lot at Big Clifty Park, located on the east side of Beaver Lake. 
• Placing large rock on the upstream side of the Romphole Access on Kings River to prevent damage to the boat ramp.
• Replacing a low-water crossing with a bridge to allow better access to the Kings River. 

The Kings River bridge was part of a larger collaboration between the AGFC and The Nature Conservancy and was featured in the September/October issue of Arkansas Wildlife. Visit the magazine’s website at www.agfc.com/arkansaswildlife for more information on the project and to subscribe to this bi-monthly publication. 

Marine fuel taxes are collected on gasoline and diesel fuel used in boats throughout Arkansas. The money is held by the Arkansas State Department of Transportation and is distributed through a partnership between the AGFC and ADOT. Since its inception in 1969, Arkansas’s marine fuel tax has funded nearly $59 million in improvements to boating access in the state.