A Lifelong Connection with Ozark Water.

By Ronna Haxby

For those of you who don't know me yet, I am the new administrative assistant and projects manager for Ozarks Water Watch.  David is currently spending a few days in Colorado visiting his daughter, but as David was leaving he asked me to take the opportunity to introduce myself to the readers, to let you know who I am and why I'm interested in water quality. My initial reaction was why would anyone want to read about me?  But, as I thought more about it, I decided that since I have had a life history of being connected to the Ozarks and its waters, maybe I could write about that.

I'm one of the lucky people who was actually born and grew up in the Ozarks. I've seen it change from an isolated, largely rural area, mostly populated with multi-generation locals, to a much different place. The tourism economy, largely brought about by the creation of Table Rock Lake and the development of Branson, launched a whole new era of population growth and development, bringing with it many changes to the land and the water.  I feel very fortunate that through it all I have maintained a strong personal connection with our abundant waters.

I was born in the lovely little town of Marshall, Arkansas in Searcy County near Bear Creek , a tributary of the beautiful Buffalo River. When I was a baby my parents decided to take me and my sister with them down to the Buffalo for an afternoon of swimming and fishing. It was a hot summer day so they sat me at the edge of the river to splash and play in the cool water. My mother was right beside me and my father was out about chest high in the river when he looked down into the water to see a little naked baby headed right toward the deep. My mother must have turned away from me for just a moment, and that's all it took. My father scooped me up expecting screams of terror, but to his surprise I just sputtered and grinned. They set me on the shore and within a few seconds I was right back in the river. They couldn't take their eyes off me for even a moment.  I had discovered the water and I was hooked for life!

Every summer since I can remember we would drive to the Canaan Cemetery, near Marshall, for "Decoration Day". Back in the early 1960's this was a community event that lasted most of the day. We would always bring a basket of food and stop at a local shady spring to have a picnic. We didn't have to pack water because there was always clean cold water flowing from rock wall at the bottom of the hill. Even in the heat of summer we could fill our tin cups and enjoy a fresh, cold drink.  The locals knew this was sweet water and nobody ever worried about getting sick from drinking it. They had never heard of e-coli and certainly didn't think it was in this water. We still go down there for Decoration each year, but we bring water with us.

In 1965 my parents moved to Branson to be the first potters at Silver Dollar City. The Branson development and ensuing population explosion had not yet begun. We would frequently go to one of the local lakes for recreation; Table Rock for swimming and Taneycomo for trout fishing and a quick game of freeze-out just below the dam. At that time Table Rock Lake was still young and you could see the rocks sparkle on the bottom in 20 feet of water. I didn't realize at the time just how lucky I was to swim in that kind of water. It was glorious!

We moved to Stone County, MO when I was about 13. I had a spunky little horse named Cindy and Little Indian Creek was within riding distance of our log cabin. It's a place I would ride as a teenager to gather my thoughts and get relief from the summer heat in the cold, spring fed water.  My favorite spot back then is still beautiful, but has changed considerably and is now part of Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.

Ronna, Ellie & Peppie at the shore

I realize that Table Rock Lake will never be the pristine, crystal clear lake that it was when it was young. Still, it is a wonderful body of water and well worth the effort to keep it that way and hopefully even make it a little cleaner. I am connected from birth to the springs, creeks, rivers and lakes of these beautiful Ozarks and I look forward to writing future articles that help keep us informed of activities that affect the water quality and of ways that we can all participate in doing our part to be good stewards of the land and water. 

Sunset from Ronna & Ray's point

Quote of the Week

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Current News Articles

A cold snap had ruptured a major pipe installed the same year the light bulb was invented. Homes near the fashionable Dupont Circle neighborhood were quickly going dry, and Mr. Hawkins, who had recently taken over the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority despite having no experience running a major utility, was responsible for fixing the problem. 

As city employees searched for underground valves, a growing crowd started asking angry questions. Pipes were breaking across town, and fire hydrants weren't working, they complained. Why couldn't the city deliver water, one man yelled at Mr. Hawkins.

Such questions are becoming common across the nation as water and sewer systems break down. Today, a significant water line bursts on average every two minutes somewhere in the country, according to a New York Times analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data. 

In Washington alone there is a pipe break every day, on average, and this weekend's intense rains overwhelmed the city's system, causing untreated sewage to flow into the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers.

State and federal studies indicate that thousands of water and sewer systems may be too old to function properly.

For decades, these systems - some built around the time of the Civil War - have been ignored by politicians and residents accustomed to paying almost nothing for water delivery and sewage removal. And so each year, hundreds of thousands of ruptures damage streets and homes and cause dangerous pollutants to seep into drinking water supplies. (more)

To Read More, Click: HERE.

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Final Decision Issued on Missouri's List of Impaired Waters  

News Releases from EPA Region 7

EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks said, "EPA fully supports Missouri's efforts to develop pollutant reduction plans, which will restore water quality in the state. The impaired waters list helps the Missouri Department of Natural Resources set priorities for restoration activities in Missouri's lakes, streams and rivers."

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources submitted its impaired waters list to EPA for review and approval as required by the Clean Water Act. The Act requires EPA to review the state's list of impaired waters to determine if the state reasonably considered available water quality-related data, and identifies waters to be listed.

EPA considered and incorporated a number of comments from local citizens and representatives of organizations in the final decision. The public is a key EPA ally in achieving the Clean Water Act's goal, which is to restore the integrity of the nation's waters.

A water body is placed on the impaired waters list when monitoring finds that pollutant levels prevent the lake, river, or stream from attaining its beneficial uses. Beneficial uses in Missouri include human recreation, agricultural water supply, and maintaining healthy aquatic life.

EPA's Oct. 6, 2011, decision letter provides a more detailed description of the EPA's review and the basis for this action. The decision letter, including the 2010 impaired waters list, is available at www.epa.gov/region7/newsevents/legal.

 

Read the Decision Letter: HERE 

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Table Rock, Taneycomo make final list of impaired lakes in Missouri

By Tyler Francke, Branson Tri-Lakes News

 

Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo remain on a list of impaired Missouri waterways that has been reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency and approved earlier this month.

 

Taneycomo is listed for exceeding standards for nitrogen. It was also on the proposed list for low dissolved oxygen, as it had been since 1994, but the EPA removed this consideration from its final draft.

 

File photo, Lake Taneycomo, Branson Tri-lakes News

 

Table Rock had made its first appearance on the proposed list for nitrogen and chlorophyll and remains for both considerations by the EPA.

 

Additionally, Table Rock's James, King and Long Creek arms in Stone County have been added for generic nutrient pollution.

 

David Casaletto, executive director of Ozarks Water Watch, helped the Missouri Department of Natural Resources develop the proposed 2010 list of impaired waterways.

 

He said the EPA has final say over the list and is not yet sure why the agency made the changes it did. However, he said he and others plan to discuss the matter with officials in the coming weeks.

 

"The EPA didn't agree with the list we came up with," Casaletto said. "They've decided this is the list for 2010."

 

Casaletto stressed that none of the nutrient issues in the Tri-Lakes Area are public health matters, although higher nitrogen levels might eventually spark an algae bloom that could be dangerous.

 

"Algae, left unchecked, could be harmful. That has happened in other lakes," he said. "But we're way far away from that. Nothing in our lakes is harmful." (more)

 

To Read More CLick: HERE