Information on Jack Cr.

Jack Cr.

	Rating: II-III
	TDCR: 4442
	Location: To reach the take-out, take Hwy 23 south from Booneville
		aprrox 1.5 miles and turn left on Jack Cr. Rd. going toward
		Grayson and Jack Cr. Recreation Area. The road will eventually
		turn to gravel. At the next four way intersection, turn
		left (East) onto a paved road.  Follow this road downhill to
		Jack Cr. Rec. Area and the bridge over Sugar Cr.  Jack Cr.
		Campgorund is the take-out. To reach the put-in, go over
		the bridge over Sugar Cr. and follow this road to the next
		bridge which crosses Jack Cr. You can either put in at this
		bridge or take one of the small dirt roads to the left
		(West) which will take you up to Ramsey or Pigeon Cr. and
		add a few miles of class II+ water to the run if the water
		is high. The creek is only one hour from Fort Smith and
		Russellville, so it's a great afternoon run for paddlers in
		these areas.
	Topo Quad(s): Sugar Grove, Freedom Mountain
	Gradient: 65 fpm
	Length: 3 mi
	Season: RAIN
	Gauge: One possible way to gauge Jack Cr. is to look at the USGS
		Petit Jean R. gauge at Booneville. If this gauge is reading over
		10 feet there should be enough water for a good run, unless
		rain was spotty. Also look at Dutch Creek at Waltreak.  A
		reading of 6.0 or better can be a good indication of water
		on Jack and Sugar Cr.  Typically Jack Cr. takes a bit more 
		rain than Sugar Cr., and about 1.5"+ in the area is a good 
		indication that it will be comming up.  When you get to Sugar Cr.,
		water comming over the low water bridge at Knoppers Ford
		usually means you'll have enough for a run on Jack Cr.
	Hazards: Willow strainers, downed trees, and hydraulics at high
		levels
	Description: Jack Cr. is a great little creek run in the Ouachita
		Mountains. The scenery along the creek is superb! The creek
		races between intricately layered and folded bluffs as it
		appraches its confluence with Sugar Cr., creating
		fast-paced class II and III rapids and taking the paddler
		through some of the most interesting scenery in the state.
		Surfing oppourtunities abound, with several nice waves and
		holes to catch on the way down. Watch out for willow
		strainers in a few places that can pin paddlers who
		misjudge the fast currents flowing through them.  However,
		the trees aren't usually as bad as those on Sugar Cr.,
		so if the creeks are high, Jack is a much better choice.
		At high levels, also watch out for a couple of chutes
		into really big hydraulics!  If you want to extend your 
		run, you can follow the small roads upstream from the 
		put-in bridge that lead to Ramsey Cr. or Pigeon Cr. 
		Pigeon Cr. is extremely small, and Jack Cr. must be 
		very high before Pigeon Cr. will be running. The rapids 
		in these two creeks are not really any more challenging 
		than Jack Cr., but the stream beds are narrow (especially 
		Pigeon Cr.!) and the gradient is steeper.  If Jack Cr. is 
		too bony, try Sugar Cr. upstream of the Jack Cr. 
		confluence, a good class II+ to III run when Jack Cr. is
		too low to boat.