Briarwood Area ~ Since 1997 ~
Neighborhood Association
Little Rock's Second Safest Neighborhood
The Briarwood Spill
Wednesday morning, September 5, 2007, rain started at 8:30 and then poured down, from 9:15 to 10:00 ... 1.75 inches fell in 45 minutes. The Briarwood Area Neighborhood Association [BANA] wanted data on the waterway called the Briarwood Spill that went through the middle of the area for better control so, although there was no visible flooding, photographs were taken.
The scene on the right was looking north, up the Spill from Briarwood Drive.
and the
Deluge of September 5, 2007
The photographs in this series were taken between 10:30 and 10:45 that morning.
The photo to the right was taken from the bridge on Sun Valley, near the intersection with Flag Road, looking east (upstream) from Sun Valley.
The channel for the Spill seemed deeper at this point than at Briarwood Drive. The current was swift but there was little sign of white water.
The Briarwood Spill leaves the BANA neighborhoods and crosses under Interstate-630, as shown in our photo survey of the complete course of the waterway. Click here to view the survey.
The picture to the right was the entrance to Kanis Park after the rain had practically stopped. The park was closed as shown by the gates. Boyle Park, farther south on Rock Creek, was also closed at the time.
The picture on the right was taken inside Kanis Park at the point where the Briarwood Spill crosses the park's entry road.
Note a car's headlights visible in the photo. There seemed to be three vehicles in the park, probably marooned in until the water went down.
Water in the spill was shallow and had spread out over the road. It looks placid but, at the time, the current was pronounced.
The picture on the right was taken looking towards the north, up the Briarwood Spill where it runs under I-630.
The height of the water can be judged by the distance from its surface to the bottom of the footbridge.
The land in Kanis Park is extremely low and much of the grassy area of the park was saturated.