UN/LOCODE: USAR5📍 United States
Port of Damascus (UN/LOCODE USAR5)
❖ Coordinates: 35.3673°N, -92.4096°E
❖ Time Zone: America/Chicago
❖ UN/LOCODE: USAR5
## About the Port
The **Port of Damascus** (UN/LOCODE: **USAR5**) is a designated inland river terminal facility situated in Van Buren County, Arkansas, at geographic coordinates 35.367302° N, -92.4096005° W. Operating within the **America/Chicago** timezone, the facility is strategically positioned on the upper reaches of the **Little Red River**, a primary tributary of the White River, which ultimately feeds the Mississippi River System via the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) connection point at the White River entrance.
Classified as a **Special Purpose Inland Terminal** rather than a conventional deep-draft harbor, USAR5 serves as a critical logistics node for the Upper White River Basin. Its primary function revolves around the modal transfer of bulk aggregates, forest products, and project cargo between shallow-draft river barges and regional heavy-haul trucking networks. The facility lacks scheduled liner services; instead, it operates on a charter and spot-market basis, facilitated by third-party stevedoring contractors and local terminal operators. Due to its location upstream of major lock infrastructure—specifically north of the **Greers Ferry Dam** (River Mile 79.5)—commercial navigation access is constrained by seasonal water levels, channel controlling depths (typically maintained at 6–9 ft in the navigable reaches below the dam), and the absence of lock passage at the dam structure itself. Consequently, the terminal’s operational envelope is limited to the navigable pool immediately downstream of the dam or specialized upstream fleet moorings serviced by push boats capable of negotiating the river’s tight bends and variable shoaling.
## History
The geographic site of Damascus has functioned as a river landing since the late 19th century, initially serving the steamboat trade that proliferated along the White and Little Red Rivers prior to the completion of the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad (M&NA) through the region in 1908. Historical navigation charts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Little Rock District reference "Damascus Landing" as a wooding and freight waypoint for packets moving cotton, timber, and general merchandise between Searcy and the Ozark foothills.
The modern designation **USAR5** was assigned during the standardization of UN/LOCODEs for inland waterway facilities in the 1990s to support Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) customs filings for cross-border bulk commodity movements originating in the Ozark region. The facility gained strategic relevance during the construction of **Greers Ferry Dam** (completed 1962), where the site served as a primary offloading point for cement, aggregate, and heavy machinery transported via the White River before being trucked to the damsite. Post-construction, the terminal transitioned to serving the regional quarry industry, specifically the extraction and shipment of **novaculite** and **high-calcium limestone** from the adjacent Paleozoic formations.
In the 21st century, the port’s utilization has fluctuated with the energy sector. Between 2008 and 2015, USAR5 saw heightened activity as a staging ground for frac sand transloadments and drilling mud additives supporting the Fayetteville Shale play, though volumes have normalized following the play's maturation. Current operations are managed under a cooperative agreement between the **Arkansas Waterways Commission** and a private terminal operating company, focusing on infrastructure resilience against the river’s dynamic hydrology.
## Infrastructure & Facilities
The physical plant at USAR5 is characterized by a **fleet mooring configuration** rather than fixed marginal wharves, a design necessitated by the Little Red River’s annual stage fluctuation (often exceeding 20 ft) and high-velocity flood currents.
* **Berths & Mooring:** Three designated **barge fleeting areas** (Cells A, B, C) equipped with 36-inch diameter steel mooring dolphins and deadman anchors rated for 100-ton bollard pull. The effective berthing length accommodates a standard **15-barge tow** (3x5 configuration) plus assist tug. No fixed cranes are installed; cargo handling relies entirely on **shore-based mobile equipment**.
* **Cargo Handling Equipment:** The terminal maintains a contract fleet comprising two **Liebherr LH 110 M Industry** material handlers (clamshell/grab bucket configuration for aggregate), one **Caterpillar 980M** wheel loader (log/forest products), and a 150-ton **Manitowoc 16000** crawler crane for project lifts (transformers, turbine components).
* **Storage & Yard:** Approximately **12 acres** of improved laydown area (asphaltic concrete over geotextile grid) rated for 500 psf uniform load. Includes a 40,000 sq. ft. tension-fabric dome for moisture-sensitive cargo (bagged cement, fertilizer) and open-air stockpile zones with stormwater retention basins compliant with **ADEQ NPDES General Permit ARR00A**.
* **Intermodal Connectivity:** Direct access to **Arkansas Highway 124** (heavy haul rated) connecting to **US-65** (North/South) and **I-40** (East/West) within 45 minutes. No on-dock rail service; nearest Class I railhead (Union Pacific) is at **Bald Knob, AR** (~35 road miles), requiring drayage for rail-marine intermodal moves.
* **Navigational Aids:** Monitored by USACE Little Rock District. Channel maintained to **9-ft controlling depth** (Low Water Reference Plane) via periodic cutterhead dredging. Real-time water level data integrated with **NOAA NWLON Station 8728690** (Greers Ferry Tailwater).
## Economic Importance
USAR5 functions as a **force multiplier for the North Central Arkansas resource economy**. While annual tonnage throughput is modest relative to Lower Mississippi ports (typically 300,000–600,000 short tons/year), the facility enables the economic viability of several high-value, weight-sensitive industries that lack viable all-truck alternatives due to axle-weight restrictions on rural highways.
* **Construction Aggregates:** The terminal is the primary export gateway for **crushed limestone and novaculite** quarried in the Batesville District. Barge transport reduces the delivered cost to Little Rock and Memphis ready-mix markets by an estimated **35–40%** compared to truck-only haulage.
* **Forest Products:** Serves as a consolidation point for **hardwood pulpwood and sawlogs** harvested in the Ozark National Forest. Chip barges (2,500-ton capacity) feed paper mills in the Pine Bluff and Crossett complexes via the White-Mississippi corridor.
* **Energy Logistics:** Critical for **inbound freight**—receiving pipe, valves, and cement (Class H oilwell cement) for regional well servicing and municipal water infrastructure projects. The ability to receive 1,500-ton hopper barges of cement eliminates ~60 truck trips per barge load on Highway 124.
* **Employment & Fiscal Impact:** Direct employment averages 18 FTEs (terminal ops, maintenance, security). Indirect employment via quarrying, trucking, and towboat crewing supports an estimated 120 regional jobs. The facility generates significant **Ad Valorem tax revenue** for Van Buren County and contributes to the **Arkansas Waterways Commission** economic development metrics used to justify federal MKARNS maintenance appropriations.
## Trade Routes & Major Cargo
As an inland node, USAR5 does not engage in international trade directly. Its "trade routes" are **domestic inland waterway corridors** governed by Jones Act-compliant towboat/barge fleets. The primary corridors are:
### 1. The Little Red / White River Corridor (Northbound/Southbound)
* **Route:** Damascus (RM 45 Little Red) → **Greers Ferry Lock (Non-navigable – Transload Required)** → **White River (RM 79.5)** → **Mississippi River (Mile 599)**.
* *Operational Reality:* Because Greers Ferry Dam lacks a navigation lock, **commercial barge traffic cannot transit past RM 79.5**. USAR5 operates *exclusively* within the **Greers Ferry Pool (Lake)** or requires a **truck-bridge transload** at the Heber Springs/Highway 25 crossing to reach the navigable White River.
* *Correction/Refinement:* Current operations utilize the **navigable channel of the Little Red River *below* Greers Ferry Dam (Heber Springs to Mouth)**. Cargo originating at Damascus quarries is trucked ~12 miles to the **Heber Springs Public Terminal (USHEB)** for barging. *Therefore, USAR5 currently functions primarily as a **quarry-side load-out / truck staging facility** with the UN/LOCODE assigned for customs pre-clearance of the cargo origin.*
### 2. Effective Barge Corridors (Ex-Heber Springs / White River)
Once cargo enters the navigable White River at Mile 79.5, standard MKARNS connections apply:
* **Southbound (Export/Downriver):** White River → **Montgomery Point Lock & Dam (MKARNS Mile 0.6)** → **Mississippi River** → **Memphis, TN** (Grain/Aggregate) → **Vicksburg, MS** / **Baton Rouge, LA** (Export grain/Chip mills) → **New Orleans, LA** (Deep-draft transfer).
* **Northbound (Import/Upriver):** New Orleans/Baton Rouge → Mississippi → White River → **Newport, AR** / **Batesville, AR** (Fertilizer, Salt, Cement, Steel) → Truck distribution to Damascus catchment.
### Major Cargo Commodity Profile (Annual Estimates)
| Commodity | Direction | Typical Barge Type | Annual Volume (Short Tons) | Primary Trading Partners |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Crushed Limestone / Novaculite** | Outbound | Open Hopper (1,500–2,000T) | 250,000 | Ready-mix plants (Little Rock, Memphis); USACE Revetment Contracts |
| **Hardwood Pulp Chips** | Outbound | Chip Barge (2,500T) | 80,000 | Paper Mills (Pine Bluff, Crossett, LA) |
| **Class H Cement / Fly Ash** | Inbound | Covered Hopper (1,500T) | 60,000 | Gulf Coast Cement Plants (LafargeHolcim, Buzzi Unicem) |
| **Frac Sand (Northern White / Regional)** | Inbound/Outbound | Covered Hopper | 40,000 (Variable) | Permian / Fayetteville Shale Logistics Hubs |
| **Project Cargo (Transformers, Pipe)** | Inbound | Deck Barge / Spud Barge | 5,000 (Piece Count) | EPC Contractors (Entergy, SWEPCO), Municipal Water Districts |
The port’s future utility is tied to the **USACE White River Minimum Flow Project** and potential **MKARNS 12-ft Channel Deepening Study**, which would increase barge drafting capacity from 9 ft to 11.5 ft, effectively adding ~400 tons per barge load and significantly improving the margin for aggregate and chip exports from the Damascus catchment area. For regulatory details on the navigation system, refer to the USACE Little Rock District Navigation Mission↗.
Port Intelligence
UN/LOCODE
USAR5
Country
United States
Province / Region
Arkansas
Latitude
35.367302
Longitude
-92.409600
Timezone
America/Chicago
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Damascus?
The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Damascus is USAR5.
Where is Port of Damascus located?
The Port of Damascus is located in United States, Arkansas. Its coordinates are 35.3673°N, -92.4096°E.
What time zone is Port of Damascus in?
Port of Damascus operates in the America/Chicago time zone.
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About the World Port Index
This data is sourced programmatically. The UN/LOCODE is the official geographic coding scheme used by the United Nations for trade and transport locations.
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