[Kurt]

In my pursuit of pastureland for livestock raising in northern Hempstead county I am hearing about artesian wells in that area and also Pike county. I understand the area, just south of Crater of Diamonds, is gently rolling and considered the foothills of the Quachitas. And the Little Missouri is described as a "wild river" and very scenic. Anyone been in the area? What is it like. Thanks.

Kurt

[Old Fossil]

I have spent quite a bit of time in that area doing archeology work and I'll answer your questions individually. Artesian wells: In some parts of AR they would be considered very productive springs, but down there they are called artesian wells and some of them have pipes inserted in them and in the old days provided flowing water to nearby farm homes. Because the local water table has dropped, some of them no longer flow. Rolling hills: They do have low rolling hills, but they are not Ouachita Mountain foothills. The Ouachita's are many miles north. Little Missouri River: I'm getting technical on you but the Little Mo only skirts the north east corner of Hempstead County, in fact, it is the county line at that point. When someone referred to it as a "wild river" I'm not sure what they meant. It has a dam on the upper end and in the early 1900 had flood control drainage ditches dug across Clark County but they have not been maintained for many years and are no longer effective. They are called the North and South Terre Noire Creek Boat Ditches. The Little Mo bottom lands are good pasture/farm land, but if you buy there you need to be aware that the river drains a very large area and has a tendency to flood.

If you have any other questions I'll try to help. Good luck with your plans and welcome to The Natural State.

[Old Fossil]

Kurt, here are a couple of photos of the last artesian well with a pipe (that I know of) and the nearby Little Missouri River. They are in the vicinity of where Clark, Hempstead, and Pike Counties join.

[Kurt]

Your post and pics were very interesting. I am aware of the geography. The hills are very low in northern Hempstead. The pastureland I am looking at is just southeast of McCaskill and a few sections south of the Little Missouri. It is not particularly scenic but that is why the land is less expensive and the livestock can graze. There are chicken farms nearby and I understand that the manure is spread on the fields to green them up.

I can send you information on the real estate listing if you like so you can give your opinion. There is a springfed pond on the land and seem to be lots of little "hole" ponds dug out in the area. Some are surrounded with whitish sand/marl/limestone? The land is in a small bowl that slopes from 500 feet down to 430 feet so I think there is some artesian/perking of water going on.

I will vist the area around Dec. 18. I am just looking for a place that is somewhat out-of-the-way and is not too expensive as I would eventually like to buy more land.

I used to own timber just west of Camden. I own some farmland in Chicot county. I would live in either Texarkana, Ruston, or Hot Springs. Little Rock is too big for me. But I would like a little retreat and some "cows" to look at. Thanks again. Do you know anyone who runs livestock in the area that I might be able to talk to? And anymore pics within a 50 mile radius would be welcome.

Kurt

[Old Fossil]

I have been through McCaskill many, many times but don't know anyone in the area. Just from observation driving down the hiway it appears to be good pasture land, but be aware that fire ants are very plentiful down there. The "whitish sand" you see is silica sand which is white when the organic stuff is leached from it. No need to send me the posting on the property because you will be "eyeballing" it before I can get down there before December 18th.

A couple years ago I corresponded with a man in a similar property shopping situation in Clark County, and when I sent him photos of the property he was interested in, which was a cut-over thicket that he thought would be open pine timber land, I never heard from him again . Good luck in your quest, and BTW, several miles south of your prospective property is the "Blackland Prairie" which is an interesting geological area.

[Kurt]

You are my best source for information and it really helps me to prep for my trip. The 3 counties referenced in my title are often the site of cut-over pinelands for sale at a rather reasonable price.
Silica sand probably means the possiblility of oil/gas but no one sells mineral rights anymore since the "fracking boom" started. Just surface rights.

"Blackland prairie" hmmmm! Is that richer land for farming? Not as rocky? I know there is a prairie belt in the eastern part of the state in the Delta.

I will investigate the "spring fed pond" and another little water hole that appears on the ariel maps to see if they are year-round water sources. The recent drought did a number on the cattle farmers in the area. That is probably why this guy is selling. Claims to have it all fenced in good 5-strand wire. The condition of the fences will be a factor. A stream runs through the southern part of the 85 acre parcel and undeveloped hardwood forties are to the west. Out of one of these forties Stony Creek, which is a year-round stream, appears to have its source.

Will go over to Nashville to talk to the guy there from Diamond Bank. It is a pretty isolated area--no tourist destination. But for a diversion a quick trip up to Diamond Crater for a fun time digging for gems in the hot summer sun That is why I am making the trip now, although the way the winter is shaping up there may be a skiff of snow as far south as McCaskill.

I have made a career out of discovering less inhabited areas of the South that are not tourist destination. I have been all over the Akansas Delta. And all over the Ozarks. But I don't really like driving in steep hills. This area in southwest Arkansas appears to be right up my alley.

And I am a rock hound and really interested in geology--so maybe we can share some more about that. The Quachitas are about as intersting geologically as you can get! But the land is not so cheap there or if it is it is hard to access. And I do want some revenue off of rented pasturage. I would like to get up to the extreme northern end of Hempstead county where there are artesian wells.
God Bless and keep in touch. You don't have any more pics of southwest Arkansas do you?

Kurt

[Old Fossil]

I'm not aware of any oil/gas wells in Hempstead County, but go south into Columbia and other counties and you will run into oil patches. Pike County has "asphaltic gravel", but no "tar pits" as in California.

Blackland Prairie and Grand Prairie are two different formations. Grand Prairie in east AR is alluvial soil and the Blackland is the bottom of the (millions years ago) Inland Sea with many fossils, but no rocks. The Blackland was huge millions of years ago but most of it has eroded away or covered with sand and gravel over the millions of years. There are only two places that I know about where it is still exposed. One is in west Clark County and the other is the Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Wildlife Management Area southeast of Nashville AR.

Many photos have been posted on "Exploring Arkansas". Many of them are of cemeteries and tombstones, but other stuff too.

I'm sending you a DM

[Kurt]

Thanks for your reply, Old Fossil. You should have an e-mail message from me. I took the liberty of attaching the brochure of the pastureland listing. That will give you a better idea as to where it is located. Guess I won't be growing beans or corn in the SW Arkansas black prairie lands! But I used to have a big fossil collection. i found one of the few trilobite fossils in Northern Minnesota. It is mostly igneous and basaltic rock there with little limestone or sandstone.