Monthly Archives: December 2017

Thank you for your support in 2017

 

We had a busy and productive year with Ozarks Water Watch at Beaver Lake in 2017.  From educating children and adults about watersheds and water quality to supporting cleanups and leading water quality volunteer monitoring, we made meaningful impacts in Northwest Arkansas and the Beaver Lake Watershed in 2017 and we couldn’t have done it without you.


2017 Accomplishments:

Educated 670 students and adults about watershed geography, aquatic life, water quality, and protecting our drinking water

Led or supported 13 public events across Beaver Lake Watershed

Talked with 26 different groups of students and adults about protecting our water quality

Collected 64 stream samples and produced 448 new data points on water quality of streams in the Beaver Lake Watershed

Collected 35 lake samples from Beaver Lake and smaller lakes in the Beaver Lake Watershed and produced 140 new data points on water quality of Beaver Lake and the smaller lakes in the Beaver Lake Watershed

Trained 30 new people in stream monitoring

Trained 65 new master naturalists in watershed geography, water quality protection, and aquatic life surveys

Launched Ozarks Water Watch at Beaver Lake – Our new website and branding for our work in the Beaver Lake Watershed and Northwest Arkansas

Provided 1148 residents on septic systems in Benton and Washington Counties with educational information about protecting the health of their family and the environment by completing maintenance on their septic systems.

Over 250 people completed our watershed warrior quiz

 


Blogs and Stories We Covered in 2017

Arkansas Water Resources Center plays important role protecting water quality – Described our on-going partnership with Arkansas Water Resources Center and the role they play in providing high quality and reliable water quality data for Arkansas.

Ozarks Water Watch at Beaver Lake! – We relaunched our website in October with a new name change and new sections on volunteer monitoring.

Featured BMPs at ArTex Ranch in Washington County – Our partners with Beaver Watershed Alliance sponsored a field day at ArTex Ranch where we learned about best management practices some of our best landowners in the watershed are doing to grow trees for harvest, cultivate wildlife, and protect water quality.

Managing landscapes with prescribed fire – Provided information and education about the importance of prescribed burning and provided resources for landowners who are interested in learning more about implementing prescribed burns on their property.

Low rainfall and drought conditions across Northwest Arkansas – Looked at rainfall data, lake levels, and drought in Arkansas to answer questions about the interaction between precipitation, lake levels, and drought that was being seen in Northwest Arkansas in February 2017.

Septic Smart Week 2017:

Septic Smart Week was held the 3rd week of October.  During Septic Smart Week, we provided educational blogs and social media posts to inform individuals about how and why to manage their septic system.  Our 2017 Septic Smart Week Series is below.

  1. Homebuyer’s Guide to Septic Systems Part 1 – SepticSmart Week 2017
  2. Homebuyer’s Guide to Septic Systems Part 2 – SepticSmart Week 2017
  3. Homebuyer’s Guide to Septic Systems Part 3 – SepticSmart Week 2017
  4. Ten Ways to be a Good Septic Owner

Secchi Day on Beaver Lake 2017:

Secchi Day on Beaver Lake was held on August 17, 2017.  We wrote two blogs about Secchi Day.  The first described our role in serving for the first time as a site launch manager and the role of volunteers who collect samples on Secchi Day.  The second described the results found from the 12th annual Secchi Day on Beaver Lake.

  1. Secchi Day on Beaver Lake 2017
  2. Secchi Day 2017 Results

Thank you for all you did to help us in 2017 and we are looking forward to even more in 2018!