This public service announcement warns Villagers that unauthorized vehicles on our earthen dams are prohibited, and citations may be issued to violators. HSV Dam Reality – Now You Know!
Todd Noles, Hot Springs Village POA Superintendent of Lakes/Dams, Forestry, Common Property, and Wildlife, said the Village Police Department will begin issuing citations for unlawful driving on dams. Only authorized vehicles are allowed on earthen dams, and you may be issued a citation if you do not have permission to drive a vehicle on the dam. According to Arkansas Code 5-72-110, driving on dams without permission is prohibited.
Noles said Cortez Dam and Balboa Dam are paved, and driving a vehicle on a paved dam is allowed.
“The dam going to DeSoto Beach is structured so that it doesn’t have the volume of water up against it, as our larger dams do. Traveling to DeSoto Beach necessitates driving in this area. The main dam on the other side of the Lake DeSoto Spillway is restricted to authorized vehicles only. Dams where driving is not permitted are marked with signs saying, ‘Authorized Vehicles Only,'” said Noles.
Noles asks that all unauthorized vehicles remain off of the earthen dams. The term ‘vehicles’ includes but is not limited to trucks, automobiles, ATVs, and motorcycles. If in doubt, don’t do it.
Driving on an earthen dam can create ruts and potholes and damage the dam’s integrity from the crest point. When damage occurs, the POA must regrade the area, roll the surface, and purchase and lay new gravel. This uses valuable manpower, equipment, and funds that could be utilized elsewhere. The community pays for damage caused by a few people.
The State of Arkansas inspects dams, and the POA can be sanctioned if certain requirements are not maintained. Violations can include rutting and potholes.
“If any public levee or any private levee is constructed and maintained for protection against overflow, any person who drives any vehicle or rides on the levee without the consent of the owner, using the levee as a roadbed, or who cuts, tears down, destroys, or injures a barricade, fence, or other construction erected or built for the protection of the levee, is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.”
“The provisions of this section do not apply to instances in which a road has been laid out by lawful authority that has ceased to be of any practical use to the county in the rear of the levee, or a lawful authority has established a crossing over the levee.”
Update on Timber Management Program and more
On another note, “The POA has completed the timber management program near the Cooper Conservatory area. This program, which was necessary to help maintain the health of our forest, began on Tuesday, August 8. We are cleaning up, hauling brush out of the area, and repairing the road with the assistance of the Parks and Recreation Department,” stated Noles. While departments didn’t always work together in the past, that has changed under the leadership of Public Services Director Ken Unger and General Manager Kelly Hale. The different POA departments now combine resources and function as a more cohesive and efficient team.
“Wildflower seeds are being sown, and a new parking lot has been built. By next spring, residents will begin enjoying the colorful flowers,” stated the Superintendent.
Entergy has been working to clear trees along DeSoto Boulevard, and Noles plans to seed wildflowers in this area. Anticipating that it will take two full years before the wildflower growth peaks, next spring still promises a colorful carpet.
Cover image caption: Lake DeSoto Dam “Authorized Vehicles Only” Sign.
By Cheryl Dowden; Photography by Joe Dowden
Does this include golf carts on lake Balboa?
Todd Noles said that driving a vehicle on a paved dam is allowed.
Thanks Todd, Cheryl, Kelly and Ken,
Great HSV teamwork.