Contributed by Becky Roark, Executive Director, Beaver Watershed Alliance
The Beaver Watershed Alliance (Alliance) and area partners have been working on efforts to promote Smart Growth for Water Resources through a variety of activities. Back in early 2024, the Alliance and Edgewater Coaching and Consulting held six public forums to engage NWA stakeholders in envisioning what water resources (rivers, lakes, and streams) will be like in fifty years, as we prepare for one million people in the region. The results of the forums included a strategy for taking action at the local level, as well as a framework for a regional conference on Smart Growth. Read the full report online.
Smart Growth covers a range of development and conservation strategies that help protect our health and natural environment and make our communities more attractive, economically stronger, and more socially diverse (US EPA). Smart Growth concepts can help bring a suite of tools and practices for any community to adopt voluntarily. Northwest Arkansas is home to Beaver Lake, the drinking water source for 1 in 5 Arkansans and shares two major watersheds, the Beaver Lake watershed, and the Illinois River watershed. Using Smart Growth practices will ensure that NWA maintains high-quality water resources, high-quality drinking water, and resiliency in watershed function.
To further efforts, the Alliance is working with the Illinois River Watershed Partnership (IRWP), Urban Land Institute, Beaver Water District, Olsson, and the NWA Council, with support from the Arkansas Dept of Agriculture – Natural Resources Division, to develop and host a Smart Growth for Water Resources Conference, to be held on April 2-3, 2025.
As part of the activities leading to the conference, the Alliance and IRWP are co-hosting a series of “Table Talks” to visit with area leadership on their perspectives on growth and water resources in NWA. To kick off the series, we interviewed Lane Crider, CEO of Beaver Water District, where we visited on the District’s role in water management, source water protection efforts, challenges the region is facing, and collaboration led by the District. We appreciate Lane’s insight and perspectives on these topics and the District’s leadership in managing and protecting our water resources for many years to come.
Watch Episode 1
The next “Table Talks” will include Nelson Peacock, CEO and President of the NWA Council, Tim Conklin, Director for NWA Regional Planning Commission, and Dr. Brian Haggard, Director of the Arkansas Water Resources Center. Stay tuned for more! The series will be posted to the Beaver Watershed Alliance YouTube channel and shared on their website and social media pages.