Note: The following was sent into MonticelloLive.com as a letter to the editor….
To Whom It May Concern,
It has been brought to my attention that the draining of Lake Monticello will be discussed at the upcoming City Council Meeting.
It is my understanding that the lake needs to be lowered to repair the levy. During that time, the Game and Fish Commission would like to drain it even further to kill off the Grass Carp which would in turn help to improve the habitat for sport fish. As an avid fisherman I am all for any attempt to improve the sport of fishing but as the President of SeaArk Boats, lowering the lake for an extended period of time, would be detrimental to our business.
Having a lake nearby has been very beneficial to our business. We use it daily to test new models, perform break-in procedures,test propellers, and test for proper “set up” on outboard engines. Closing the lake would force us to drive to the Arkansas River in Pine Bluff, over an hour away (or two hours round trip). This would create the need to add a minimum of two full time employees and possibly another vehicle. Not to mention, the extra fuel and maintenance expenses but most of all production time. This new hurdle could not have come at a worse time for our business as we have spent several million dollars on facility upgrades and have added more than 50 new employees since last May. We currently have plans to increase production 60% by January 1, 2018. This would require even more need of the lake for in water testing.
Another issue that would be caused by this proposal is that we would have to relocate our fall Dealer Shows. This year we plan to have over 40 dealers attend our In-Water Show here in Monticello. This will bring over 100 people to Monticello during the last week of September. As our production numbers grow our dealer participation will increase.
We also use the lake to photograph boats for our national advertisement and brochures. Not having access would force us to use the Arkansas River, Lake Degray, or Lake Ouchita.
In conclusion, Sea Ark Boats is a growing business that depends heavily on the use of Lake Monticello to test and market its product. If the council proceeds with the decision to drain Lake Monticello, it would have a stagnating effect on a deep rooted local business. Again, I’m a big advocate of improving our fisheries but have all options been considered? Would a possible solution be to hold bow fishing tournaments on the lake help reduce the number of Grass Carp? If so, SeaArk Boats would be willing to help sponsor such an event.
Sincerely,
Steve Henderson
President, SeaArk Boats