Millwood State Park, Arkansas
I've really wanted to explore the Arkansas part of the Arklatex region, but haven't been able to because of the historic flooding. I went to Millwood State Park in Ashdown on Sunday. When I got there, most of the park was closed off. All the buildings were wrapped in yellow caution tape and locked up. I couldn't walk the trail because most of it was covered in about an inch of water. I noticed that some of the park structures I saw last time were missing.
There was a sign in the parking lot by the marina marking how high the water got: "292.5 feet, June 2015." I stared at the water level marker, which was high above the roofs of the buildings, not believing what I saw. A man parked his car beside me, got out, and took several photos of the marker. I felt really bad for the people who live in this area.
I mostly stayed in the parking lot by the marina. There were lots of Canada geese and coots, plus some Lesser Scaup. I did walk along part of a trail that followed a ridge overlooking the lake, but it was very muddy and wet.
Afterwards, I drove to the recreation area on the other side of the dam to look for more birds. Unlike in the park, there were a few green things growing there, like henbit and sand bittercress. I hope the area and its people quickly recover.
