James Fork Of The White: Transformation Of An Ozark River

Damming Ozark rivers has stopped (at least for now), but are we still changing them? A new 352-page all-color book looks at the effect of development on a famous float stream and our efforts to protect riverine resources. Once the James River was the premier float-fishing stream of the Ozarks. From Galena, Missouri, sportsmen and sportswomen embarked on guided floats down the James and the White Rivers to Branson. Gravel bars they camped on are now 150 feet under the waters of Table Rock Lake. Though truncated and transformed by development, Leland and Crystal Payton found the James worthy of a book with more than 450 contemporary and vintage photographs.

The Paytons spent five years driving gravelly back roads and two-lane blacktops searching out and photographing the crumbling foundations of old water mills, springs, caves, and antique bridges. They floated the James and explored its tributaries. Research revealed a forgotten history of failed attempts to protect Ozark waterways, which culminated in the growth of volunteer organizations and governmental agencies with river conservation agendas. The impact of federal legislation like NEPA and the Clean Water Act are covered as well as changing patterns of river recreation. Many of the problems and solutions identified in this book are applicable to other Ozark rivers.

Railroads, highways, dam projects, tourism, the growth of towns, agriculture, industry, media and art, political will and cultural values all interact. The river we see today is an outcome of all these forces. Even though transformed and changing, the watershed of the James Fork of the White is still in many places scenic and beautiful; where it lacks aesthetics, it is intriguing. After years of research, a mystery remains. The Paytons never found an explanation that holds water why this river is called the James.