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Missed an issue of Ozark Waters?
Visit the Ozarks Water Watch website to find archives of all our newsletters.
www.ozarkswaterwatch.org
Want to join a Watershed Group? Click on the site you want to join...
Table Rock Lake Water Quality
http://www.trlwq.org
James River Basin Partnership
http://www.jamesriverbasin.com
Kings River Watershed
http://www.kingsriverwatershed.
org/about_us.html
Illinois River Watershed Ptshp
http://www.irwp.org/
Elk River Watershed
http://www.erwia.org/
Friends of the North Fork and White River
www.friendsoftherivers.org
Save the Illinois River
www.illinoisriver.org
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Upcoming Events
Click on the Event Title to go to the event webpage.
Green Development Workshop
March 10, 2011
By: Arkansas Urban Forestry Council
To register online:
www.arkansastrees.org
Master Gardeners of the Ozarks Spring Gardening Workshop:
March 19, 9:30am - 3pm
Faith Lutheran Church in Branson.
Pre-register by March 15 by calling 417-357-6812 or online:
http://mgozarks.com
Stream Team's 2011 Introductory Level Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Workshops:
Springfield, Sat. March 26th
8:30am - 5:00pm
(see other locations also)
To register: login to
Stream Team Web Page
W. K. Lewis
Shoreline Cleanup
on Table Rock Lake:
April 2, 2011
Arkansas Earth Day 2011 Sat. April 23rd 10am - 3pm at North Little Rock's North Shore Riverwalk more information at: |
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Ozark Travels
David Casaletto
One of the benefits of working for Ozarks Water Watch is the chance to travel to various locations in Missouri and Arkansas. The Ozarks can hold their own with any location on our planet. Although our recent snow events caused me to miss a few meetings, I took advantage of the break in the weather and put a few miles on my car.
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Bull Creek before the snow melt |
A week ago Saturday, my wife and I headed out to Bull Shoals, AR to speak to the Arkansas Master Naturalists at the beautiful James A. Gaston Visitor Center overlooking the Bull Shoals Dam and White River.
 | | James A. Gaston Visitor Center |
 | | Bull Shoals Dam |
Along with approximately 40 Master Naturalists, there were representatives from the Friends of the North Fork and White Rivers, a very active water quality organization. When Dwan Garrison asked me to speak I told her I had just put together a presentation on Low Impact Development (LID) and would be happy to come down and give my 30 - 45 minute talk. That is when I learned that Master Naturalists require a certain number of continuing education hours and that she really needed a 2 hour presentation. So I combined my presentations on water quality issues, water quality monitoring, septic system remediation and LID into a 263 slide powerpoint presentation! And I will say I don't think I have ever spoken to a more engaged and enthusiastic group.
On Tuesday, I headed north to Missouri's Capital, Jefferson City, for a two day round of meetings. First stop was a meeting with Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) representatives. Ozarks Water Watch and MDNR are working on the final stages of a $1 million State Revolving Fund (SRF) grant that will cost share with property owners to replace failing septic systems. Then it was off to a legislative dinner on Tuesday night and a legislative breakfast on Wednesday morning. At 8 a.m. I was at the capitol building for the Senate budget hearing for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).
 | | Missouri State Capitol |
One of the ongoing major issues is the fact that the state statue that allows MDNR to assess fees for permits for wastewater treatment plants, land disturbance, CAFOs, etc. expired at the end of 2010 when the Missouri legislature failed to pass an extension bill. At this time MDNR cannot collect fees when these permits are issued and if a fee bill is not passed soon, the regulatory duties may fall to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by default. As you may have gathered, politics have come into play and we will await the outcome.
After the hearing I headed over to MDNR's headquarters on the south bank of the Missouri River. The newly appointed and confirmed MDNR Director, Sara Parker Pauley, graciously gave me a few minutes to discuss water quality issues and to catch up on current events. Sara and I worked together eight years ago on wastewater issues around Table Rock Lake when she was MDNR Deputy Director and I was Program Coordinator for the Table Rock Onsite Wastewater Demonstration Project. I think the governor made a great decision in appointing Sara and in the few minutes I had to talk with various MDNR employees, I know they agree also.
Thursday found me at the Table Rock Lake State Park Marina to watch Missouri Governor Nixon and DNR Director Pauley award a $540,000 319 Nonpoint Source Grant to Gopala Borchelt, Executive Director of Table Rock Lake Water Quality.
 | | MO Governor Nixon & MDNR Director Pauley |
This grant will demonstrate and educate the public on preventing storm water runoff pollution with the use of rain gardens and native plants.
With the week almost over, I spent Friday at the Bentonville, AR library attending a meeting of the Multi-Basin Regional Water Council. Leaders from watershed groups in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas get together quarterly to network and catch up on water quality issues. It was my first chance to be with this group and it was great to again visit with Sarah and Kate from Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). Sarah and Kate are the driving force behind the Arkansas Watershed Advisory Group (AWAG) and the fantastic AWAG meeting in Mountain View, AR last fall.
As I am writing this article at home, the thermometer is heading towards 70 degrees (was it really -16 a few days ago?) and I am thinking about heading down to the dock for a boat ride to see some of our winter visitors from the north, the bald eagles. During the last warm spell, my wife and I stopped the boat to watch one eagle perched in a tree while six others circled overhead. I just checked my calendar and it looks like I am headed to Springfield, Jefferson City, Little Rock and Branson next week. Another chance to enjoy the Ozarks beauty!
Quote of the Week
There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before.
~Robert Lynd, The Blue Lion and Other Essays
Current News Articles |
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Water watchers give streams a 'C'
Springfield News-Leader.com, February 17, 2011
Water quality in streams flowing into Table Rock and other lakes is stable, but work to improve it needs to continue, the head of a group that graded streams said Wednesday.
Today, Gov. Jay Nixon is scheduled to visit Table Rock to announce a grant to do just that. To read more...
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110217/NEWS01/102170345/-1/RSS
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Report: Quality of Some Ozarks Rivers, Streams "Impaired"
Ozarks FIRST.com, February 16, 2011
(Branson, MO) -- Governor Jay Nixon will stop in the Ozarks Thursday on the heels of a discouraging water quality study of area rivers and streams.
The Ozarks Water Watch Foundation has released its third annual "Status of the Watershed." For more...
http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=406126
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Nixon announces water project grant to aid Table Rock Lake, Lake Taneycomo
Springfield News-Leader, February 18, 2011
Before a backdrop of Table Rock Lake on a sunny day, Gov. Jay Nixon announced a grant that will help keep those waters blue.
The $550,660 grant will help improve the quality of water at Table Rock, as well as Lake Taneycomo, by helping reduce storm water runoff. More...
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110218/NEWS02/102180343/-1/7daysarchives/Nixon-announces-water-project-grant-aid-Table-Rock-Lake-Lake-Taneycomo |
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EPA Budget Proposal Focuses on Air and Climate Rules, Cuts Water Grants
The New York Times, February 14, 2011
U.S. EPA would take a 12.6 percent funding cut under President Obama's budget request for fiscal 2012, which would shrink the amount of grants for state and local water projects while keeping money flowing toward enforcement and the new air pollution regulations that House Republicans are trying to starve of funding. More...
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/02/14/14greenwire-epa-budget-proposal-focuses-on-air-and-climate-79655.html |
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