Mile 800.0 - rbd 800-796.5 Island 26 and Forked Deer Island 27

rbd 800-796.5 Island 26 and Forked Deer Island 27

When the river is above 20 CuG the water begins to slowly move into the back channel of Island 26, and by 25 with some flow, and by 30 with good flow. Stay bank right RBD as you come around Island 25 and look for the hole-in-the-wall opening near mile 800. There is a small island at the entrance that divides the inflow. If there is water flowing in and around the island, you are good to go, enter without hesitation. If there is no noticeable flow, or you can’t tell if it’s flowing in or not, avoid entering or you might be in for a six mile flat water paddle just to make four miles of main channel distance!

If the current seems sluggish initially it will quicken as the channel narrows behind the island, and then meanders slightly with cultivated fields on either side. Several miles in a paved roadway meets the channel RBD (Arkansas 430) and follows it for several more miles, both back channel and roadway turn to the south. There is a steep concrete boat ramp of 430 at 35.803262, 89.800067. Eventually the pavement veers off and woods return both sides, and the paddler is ejected back into the flow of the big river, although here at the base of Island 26 (RBD 796.5) you must make a decision to paddle hard back to the main channel over the top of a smaller island, or stay with the back channel water and jump in behind the next series of islands, this time the archipelago found behind Ashport Gold Dust Dikes. Keep reading below.