New map depicts water sources for Northwest Arkansas residents
Posted on Friday, January 11, 2008
A new map will show residents in Northwest Arkansas where their drinking water really comes from.
Issued by the Beaver Water District in partnership with Audubon Arkansas, the map depicts the seven subwatersheds that make up Beaver Lake the primary drinking source for one in eight Arkansans.
Its a public awareness campaign to inform people where the Beaver Watershed is and where the water that fills Beaver Lake comes from, said Bob Morgan, manager of environmental quality for the Beaver Water District. It also includes information on its history and what people can do to protect it.
Dabney Brannon, regional conservation manager for Audubon Arkansas, said the map is designed to influence the decisions of residents, as well as policy-makers, about how their actions can impact the overall water quality of Beaver Lake.
The term watershed isnt widely understood, he said. Its an area of land that drains the water and sediment material into Beaver Lake. Its important to recognize that the land we live on carries rainwater to our water supply. What we apply to our land and grass can be carried to our rivers and eventually into Beaver Lake.
Brannon said the map of the Beaver Lake Watershed illustrates the relationship between the land and the water by showing the subwatersheds along with county boundaries, city planning areas, roads and highways, creeks and streams, mountains, and Beaver Lake. The reverse side of the map contains educational facts such as management measures for the watershed, bio-indicator species for watershed health, homeowner best management practices for healthy watersheds, information about the history of drinking water in Northwest Arkansas and the formation of Beaver Lake.
In the past, weve done a map of the West Fork Watershed or the White River, but this is the first map I know of that includes all seven sub-watersheds, Brannon said. The goal is to keep our water as pristine as possible for the benefit of our community and the wildlife of Northwest Arkansas.
Brannon said the water supply from Beaver Lake is currently safe to use.
The water we drink is safe, but when you overload it with sediment or nutrient, it takes more work to create usable water, he said. Its a detriment to the overall water quality.
The Beaver Water District supplies drinking water to more than 250, 000 people and industries in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and surrounding areas.
Residents can obtain their own copy of the Beaver Lake Watershed map by contacting Amy Wilson, public affairs director for the Beaver Water District, at 756-3651 or by visiting its Web site at www. bwdh 2 o. org.
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