During the 1960’s and until the later-1970s a duple of rock about a mile below Ponca and above Roark Bluff gave problems to canoeists of the day. Even though the Buffalo River is rated as a Class 1 and occasionally Class 2 River, these rocks caused problems for about 50% of the canoeists. The issue was a large rock in the middle of the river which forced canoeists to the right into a rocky bank. Experienced canoeists had little problem going to the left of the whole obstruction. Going between rocks was also possible but required good ferrying and stopping skills.
During the floods of the late 1970s to the mid-1980’s the rocks where moved and buried by the flooding waters; and there is no longer a narrowed passage. Photos follow from the mid-1970’s:
