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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.
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
(Captain's meeting 3-24)
For info & volunteer:
call: (417) 739-4100
or email:
Arkansas Earth Day 2011 Sat. April 23rd 10am - 3pm at North Little Rock's North Shore Riverwalk more information at: |
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Spring Cleaning
David Casaletto
As I was driving down Y Highway Saturday heading home, there were people on the side of the road wearing bright orange safety vests. They had bright yellow bags in their hands and were filling them up with trash. These volunteers want to make a difference and they take pride in keeping their stretch of roadway clean. We are fortunate to have hundreds, even thousands of volunteers in the Ozarks willing to donate a little of their time to help out with numerous cleanup activities on both land and water.
One of my favorite events is the Table Rock Lake Shoreline Cleanup now called the W.K. Lewis Shoreline Cleanup. W.K. Lewis was a founding director of Table Rock Lake Water Quality and owner of the Kimberling Arms Resort that was located on the Northwest corner of the bridge at Kimberling City. W. K. was the ultimate volunteer, giving countless hours back to the community in which he lived. The lake cleanup that now bears his name is held each year the first Saturday in April, this year April 2nd.
Each year around a 1,000 volunteers clean hundreds of miles of shoreline picking up tons of trash, tires, metal and really weird stuff such as appliances, a shower stall, a couch, and much more. (Why people throw these things in the lake is another story for another day!) My granddaughter Madison has been a shoreline cleanup volunteer for all of her 5 years, spending her first cleanup in a backpack while mommy picked up trash. Now she knows that another season of lake fun starts with cleaning the shoreline. Picture at right of Ron, Angela & 9 mo. old Madison at her 1st cleanup!
If you would like to volunteer for this cleanup call Table Rock Lake Water Quality at 417-739-4100 or email contact@trlwq.org .
The James River Basin Partnership also holds cleanup events. The first is the Lake Springfield Cleanup held on Earth Day which is April 22nd. Volunteers meet at Lake Springfield Southwood access located just past the Veterans' Cemetery. This cleanup is by canoe but there will also be a shoreline cleanup if you would prefer to be on land. Snacks, a limited amount of canoes, gloves and trash bags will be provided!
On Saturday, June 11th is the 13th annual River Rescue. Scores of volunteers take to their canoes to clean up the James River and its tributaries, removing a mountain of trash by floating it downstream to the dumpster location. To volunteer or to find out more about either event, call Melissa Bettes at 417-836-4847 or email her at melissabettes@missouristate.edu.
Another cleanup coming soon is the 6th Annual West Fork Arkansas Stream Cleanup and Celebration will be held Saturday, May 14th, at Riverside Park in West Fork, AR. To volunteer for or to sponsor this event, contact Nicole Hardiman at Audubon Arkansas at nhardiman@audubon.org or 479-527-0700 for more information.
There are numerous other cleanup events held each year so check with the organizations in your area if you would like to help out. I am very appreciative of everyone who volunteers for these projects. Contact us if you would like Ozarks Water Watch to help spread the word for your event.
Quote of the Week
The world turns softly
Not to spill its lakes and rivers,
The water is held in its arms
And the sky is held in the water.
What is water,
That pours silver,
And can hold the sky?
- Hilda Conkling
Current News Articles
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Rain garden to beautify church grounds, improve Deer Creek water quality
Suburban Journals, March 9, 2011
A ground breaking ceremony for the Mount Calvary Rain Garden is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, March 11, at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Brentwood. The new rain garden is intended to help with stormwater flow.
The rain garden is a 3,000-square-foot bio-retention system at the church, 9321 Litzsinger Road, which will soon consist of more than 10,000 square feet of native Missouri plants. To read more...
http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/metro/news/article_e900eab3-bc38-5490-98ad-9852515aa95c.html |
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New FEMA floodplain maps in effect
CC Headliner.com, March 8, 2011
John and Heather Brynildson bought their Sparta home in 2005. They've watched their family grow and they plan on raising their three children in that home.
But now, after receiving a letter from their mortgage lender requiring them to get flood insurance, they are reconsidering those plans. For more...
http://ccheadliner.com/news/article_b0de7e20-49ab-11e0-bb0b-001cc4c03286.html |
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Trout anglers' help sought in keeping damaging algae strain out
News-Leader.com, March 9, 2011
If "rock snot" sounds disgusting, that's because it is, Tim Banek says.
Rock snot is the popular name of an invasive algae that is seen as a serious threat to Ozarks streams. More...
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103100330 |
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Federal mandate will mean changes to city water treatment
Ozark County Times, March 10, 2011
Because of a federal mandate by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources will begin stricter monitoring of certain levels of bacteria in water supplies, forcing the city of Gainesville to upgrade the current lagoon system.
Starting in the fall, DNR will begin monitoring fecal coliform bacteria levels more closely, said Gainesville mayor Don Luna. To read more...
http://www.ozarkcountytimes.com/news/article_66b03144-4b2d-11e0-8a6b-0017a4a78c22.html
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