Moro Bay Open for Business

                After a temporary closure due to flooding, Moro Bay State Parks’ Cabins, Campground, and Visitor Center are now open.  Though a little too late for Arkansas’ Spring Break, things are looking good now and for Easter weekend.   The Ouachita River Crested at 86.0 ft. on Friday March the 20th  and it has taken it this long to fall to the point where the water is no longer across the roads.  This flood was comparable to the average flood the Park gets about every 5 years or so.   The current river level at Moro Bay State Park is 83.80 (as of 8 am on 3-31-15).    That is still far above the summer normal which is 65ft.  The Low Water Trail, Ferry Exhibit, Day Use Area, and Playground south of the visitor center will still be inaccessible due to high water for the next few days.  However, the grass is green, the Mayhaws are blooming, and Bald Eagles have been seen near the park.  I have attached a few photos I took this past week (Bald Eagles, Mississippi Map Turtle, Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Henbit wildflowers, and Mayhaws blooming in the park).  Many of the old-timers say, “If the Mayhaws bloom in the Water, they will fall in the water”.  If you agree with this saying we will continue to have high water this spring.   In my 10 years at Moro Bay State Park I have seen that this is often true.  This is because Mayhaws usually bloom in March for our area and fall near the end of April through the first of May.  They get the name Mayhaw because they are usually ripe around the first of May and they are a member of the Hawthorne family.  It makes since that if the river is high in March when the Mayhaws are blooming, it will stay high as we receive our usual amount of rainfall in April and through the first of May when the fruits of the Mayhaws are ripe and falling.  Another thing I have noticed during my time here is that when we get a sizeable spring flood that last as long as this one has, the fishing in the late spring and early summer is excellent as the water recedes.   That being said our staff looks forward to a good season of camping, fishing, and boating at Moro Bay State Park as visitors return to enjoy time outdoors with their friends and families.