The area known as the "Sunken Lands" in northeast Arkansas was formed in the multiple earthquakes from the New Madrid fault in late 1811-early 1812. This series of earthquakes were the most powerful in recorded history east of the Rockies. Several of them lasted for hours, with estimates of as many as 2,000 individual occurrences within those short months, and 5 major earthquakes. They were felt as far east as western New York, and as far south as New Orleans, Louisiana. Among the many changes to the landscape, the earthquakes caused major subsidence and upheavals as much as 50 feet of elevation change from the existing surface. Along the St. Francis River, in Clay, Craighead, Greene, and Poinsett counties, around 40 miles of the river bed subsided and average of 20 feet, turning a winding river into a lake, and creating a large network of swamps from grasslands and forests.
Some of the high notes that I will focus on include the effects of this origin story on the settlers on the area, and the continued legacy of disputed property boundaries in the area. After numerous projects to try and tame the new hydrology in the area through levees and channelization, the most flood-prone regions where left to return to a natural state, preserving a piece of bottomland habitat within a region that has had high conversion to cropland. The majority of this sunken land has been protected by the state in a Wildlife Management Area, and provides a unique view into the presettlement appearance of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. I will also cover the ongoing activities to try and manage the flow of water through the area, and the impacts that has to recreation and wildlife habitat.
This is my first blog, and I'm glad you're here!
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