Baron Fork of the Illinois River

The Baron Fork of the Illinois River is a tributary of the Illinois River in the U.S. states of Arkansas and Oklahoma. The stream is sometimes called Baron Fork River, Barren Fork Creek or simply Barren Fork.^[1]

Etymology

Official Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) highway signs call the stream Baron Fork. According to a 2009 article in the Talequah Daily Press, that designation is rather modern, coming into use during the 1970s. Older maps and documents refer to the stream as Barren Fork. Ed Fite, administrator of the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission, is quoted as saying that Barren Fork is more accurate historically. Fite says that when explorers came up the Illinois River, they found the creek had no water and named it Barren Fork. Even the U. S. Geological Survey maps used the name Barren Fork until the 1970s, then changed to Baron Fork thereafter. The 2009 article points out that the book, "Oklahoma Place Names," listed a former community in Adair County had a post office from November 12, 1895 until December 31, 1942, named Barren Fork,"...from the Barren Fork tributary of the Illinois River.”^[2]

Course

The stream rises near Lincoln, Arkansas in Washington County, Arkansas and flows north to Benton County, Arkansas, then westerly through Adair County, Oklahoma and into Cherokee County, Oklahoma. It empties into the main branch of the Illinois River near the community of Welling, Oklahoma, just upstream of Lake Tenkiller.^[3][4]

The stream drains an area of 1,660 square miles (4,300 km²) in the two states and is said to be the largest contributor to Oklahoma's Lake Tenkiller.^[5] Its tributaries include Jordan Creek in Arkansas and Evansville Creek, Shell Branch, Peavine Creek, and Tyner Creek, all in Oklahoma.

Baron Fork was designated a Scenic River by the Oklahoma legislature in 1970, pursuant to the state's Scenic Rivers Act. The Act stated:

"The Oklahoma Legislature finds that some of the free-flowing streams and rivers of Oklahoma possess such unique natural scenic beauty, water conservation, fish,wildlife and outdoor recreational values of present and future benefit to the people of the state that it is the policy of the Legislature to preserve these areas for the benefit of the people of Oklahoma. For this purpose there are hereby designated certain "scenic river areas" to be preserved as part of Oklahoma's diminishing resource of free-flowing rivers and streams."^[6]

Recreation

Fishing is a popular sport along the Baron Fork. A news station once named the creek as "one of Oklahoma's 10 best streams." The item stated that the best access to the creek was in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. It cited smallmouth bass, black bass and sand bass fishing as being particularly good.^[7]

References

1. ↑ "Baron Fork Fishing." Accessed August 18, 2015.
2. ↑ Ridge, Betty. "Steeley or Steely? Baron or Barren?," Talequah Daily Press. April 27, 2009. Accessed August 30, 2015.
3. ↑ Oklahoma Atlas and Gazetteer (Map). 1:200,000. DeLorme. 2006. p. 37. 
4. ↑ Oklahoma Conservation Commission. "$26.4 Million to Upgrade Failing Dams" March 25, 2014. Accessed August 28, 2015.
5. ↑ Krause, Robert. "Illinois River," Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. 2011. Accessed August 18, 2015.
6. ↑ Smithee, Derek. Brief History of Baron Fork Creek Instream Flow Provisions. Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Undated. Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed August 20, 2015.
7. ↑ Godfrey, Ed. "Oklahoma's top 10 streams. NewsOK. May 29, 2005. Accessed August 20, 2015.

Coordinates: 35°51′03″N 94°54′50″W / 35.850833°N 94.913889°W / 35.850833; -94.913889