The Caulk Island property is in the southeast portion of Desha County, Arkansas, on the east side (Mississippi Side) of the Mississippi River and the unprotected (batture) side of the Mississippi River mainline levee system.
Lake Whittington forms part of the boundary of the island. This lake, formerly Bolivar Bend, was cut off from the main channel of the Mississippi River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1937.
Though the property is within the boundaries of Arkansas, the land is accessed through Mississippi. The easement is approximately 10,712 acres and is Mississippi Land Trust’s largest easement.
This property consists of
- bottomland hardwoods (45%)
- emergent forest/shrub/scrub (21%)
- open water (13%)
- hardwood restoration (8%)
- cottonwood plantation with hardwood under-planting (6%)
- open field (3%)
- out parcels (2%)
- pine forests (2%)
Caulk Island’s owners have consistently applied silviculture techniques to enhance the forest. These include reforestation, under-planting, timber-stand improvement, herbicide treatment of undesirable forest competitors, and tree shelter installation. A monument has been placed to commemorate the reforestation efforts at Caulk Island.
The owners promote hunting on Caulk Island to provide recreational opportunities, owner equity, and wildlife population control through sustainable harvest. The property has a high-quality white-tailed deer population.
Caulk Island is also home to nesting bald eagles and a black bear population.
Success Stories
Read through the stories of 12 landowners and the success that the conservation easements had.
Nash Buckingham’s Beaver Dam was a duck club organized in 1882. It was the property of the Owen family. Nash Buckingham, a renowned and well-loved outdoor writer, frequented Beaver Dam. The conservation easement is approximately 159 acres in the historic Mississippi River Alluvial Floodplain in Tunica County. Tunica County is mostly agricultural, producing cotton, corn,
The Caulk Island property is in the southeast portion of Desha County, Arkansas, on the east side (Mississippi Side) of the Mississippi River and the unprotected (batture) side of the Mississippi River mainline levee system. Lake Whittington forms part of the boundary of the island. This lake, formerly Bolivar Bend, was cut off from the
Coles Creek Land and Timber Company is located approximately 10 miles north of Natchez, Mississippi. This 1,355-acre tract is in a strategic area of the Mississippi Flyway. About 500 acres were reforested to bottomland hardwoods in 2001. Coles Creek’s owners strive to provide diverse habitat types to ensure the needs of all animals, not just
The Dead Tiger Mitigation Bank was organized to compensate for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits for unavoidable negative impacts to wetlands and streams. The bank is located within the buffer zone of the Stennis Space Center. The buffer zone restricts residential and commercial development, which will aid the bank’s long-term success. This mitigation bank
The late Grey Ferris of Vicksburg donated a 2,114-acre conservation easement with bottomland hardwoods and a small portion of pasture. The Mississippi Land Trust and Ferris negotiated the conservation easement terms together. This binding agreement prohibits any development not compatible with a relatively natural preserve. The property’s roads, walking paths, and a small shed can