Arkansas River

On June 5, 1971, the President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, was the keynote speaker for the Dedication of McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa. Other dignitaries in attendance were: Senator John L. McClellan of Arkansas; Robert S. Kerr Jr., son of the late senator; Governor and Mrs. Dale Bumpers of Arkansas; Governor and Mrs. David Hall of Oklahoma, United States Attorney General John Mitchell and his wife Martha; House Speaker and Oklahoma Congressman Carl Albert; Congressman Ed Edmondson of Oklahoma's second district; Oklahoma Senators Henry Bellmon and Fred Harris; Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt of Arkansas; and Congressman Page Belcher of Oklahoma's first district. The press corps sported such luminaries as Dan Rather for NBC and Herb Kaplow for CBS. Entertainment included Jazz entertainer Al Hirt and Singer Anita Bryant.

"There was a contagiously good spirit among the thousands of visitors at the dedication ceremony. It was like an old-fashioned family outing on the Fourth of July, wholesome and patriotic. People were proud of the occasion, proud of the port and the accomplishment it represents--and they were proud to greet the President....Everyone at the dedication was not necessarily a Nixon fan. There were Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, doves and hawks...people of all kinds. But it was a good-time occasion unmarked by ugly differences in politics or philosophy." --The Tulsa World

The Arkansas River, in central Colorado, provides some of the best brown trout fishing in the west. The Arkansas starts just north of Leadville Colorado. The first 150 miles of the river, from Leadville to Pueblo, is prime trout water. Conditions vary widely along this section so the river is broken up into 4 sections; Leadville to Buena Vista, Buena Vista to Salida, Salida to Canon City, Canon City to Pueblo. The Arkansas drops over 5000 feet in elevation over this 150 mile stretch from Leadville to Pueblo. Seasons are quite different on each of these sections. The Arkansas through Canon City may be experiencing Spring conditions, while the Leadville area is still full blown winter. Due to this sudden change in climate and elevation, fishing conditions vary depending on which section of the river you plan to fish, and at what time of year you plan to be there. The Arkansas boasts high catches of browns and rainbows to 20 inches. Browns dominate the fishery.