Water Resource News: Arkansas Basin Development Association Volume 12 Number 2

• Description: Water Resource News: Arkansas Basin Development Association Volume 12 Number 2
• State: CO
• Date: 8/6/2001
• Title: Water Resource News: Arkansas Basin Development Association Volume 12 Number 2
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

THREE NAMED TO ARKANSAS RIVER HALL OF FAME
The Arkansas River Historical Society
honored three prominent civic leaders by naming
them to its Hall of Fame during a noon luncheon
at the May 9 Arkansas River Navigation
Conference in Fort Smith, Ark. Honored were:
L.E. "Ed" Thompson of Pine Bluff Ark., M.S.
"Mitch" Mitchell of Wichita, Kan., and Jack
Story of Tulsa, Okla.
The Hall of Fame is a tribute to those who
have contributed "outstanding service to the
development ofthe Arkansas River, its Basin, and
the McClellan -Kerr Arkansas River Navigation
System," said Jeff Jones, president of Green
Country Oil & Gas and president ofthe Historical
Society.
L.E. "Ed" Thompson has been in the
forefrontin the promotion and development ofthe
McClellan -Kerr Arkansas River Navigation
System. He has been a board member of both the
Arkansas Basin Association and the Arkansas
BasmDevelopmentAssociation (ABDA), andhas
served as member and chairman of the Arkansas
Waterways Commission.
Thompson has twice served as president of
the Arkansas - Oklahoma Port Operators
Association and has served two terms — one as
chairman — on the Inland Waterways Users
Board, where he actively supported construction
of Montgomery Point Lock and Dam (MPLD). He
is a member of the coalition for MPLD, and has
served as a director for the National Waterways
Conference, Inc. Ed has aggressively pioneered
development and utilization of facilities along the
waterway as well as its continued development.
As president ofthe Fine -Bluff Warehouse
Company (PBW); Thompson inaugurated
intermodal river -rail -truck terminal operations on
the navigation system at the Port of Pine Bluff.
Soon after, PBW began intermodal operations at
the Port of Fort Smith. Through the years, he was
instrumental in development of innovative multi-
modal transportation and material ' handling'
services at both Pine Bluff and Fort Smith.
Among the' many firsts attributable to his
leadership were the development of covered "all-
weather" loading facilities, LASH barge service
and container -on -barge shipments — all at Pine
Bluff.
M.S. "Mitch" Mitchell has been linked
for most of his life to projects involving the
Arkansas River. He rose through the ranks as an
engineer for the City - County Flood Control Office
from 1949 until completion ofthe Wichita Valley
Center Flood Control Project (WVFCP) that
consisted of about 50 miles of channels and 10
miles of levees in 1959.
As supervisor of the Flood Control and
Stream Maintenance Section for the City of
Wichita and Flood Control Superintendent for
Sedgwick County, 1957 -1978, he was responsible
for operations, maintenance, repair and
improvement for this project. In addition to this,
he was staff secretary for the Waterway
Development Advisory Board, 1974 -1977.
As early as 1959, with assistance from the
Corps' Tulsa District office, he developed a cross
section plan for the Arkansas River, downstream
from the point of diversion on the WVFCP. He
directed construction of this design — a channel
approximately 10 miles long — through the city.
Most of this system is still in place today.
His service to the city and county included
his position as member for river/stream issues for
the Sedgwick County Environmental Resources
Advisory Board from 1980 -1982, and member of
the City Drainage Criteria Task Force. He was a
member of the Water Resources Committee from
1987 -1998, and Environmental Resources
Committee, 1999 -2001, for the Wichita Chamber
of Commerce.
John "Jack" Stay has been linked to the
development of the McClellan -Kerr Arkansas
River Navigation System since the 1950s. As a
member of the ABDA, he served on the
Membership Committee, Tri-State Committee &
SEE1 HALL OF'F' "E PAGE to
Page . 9