White River - A Department of the Interior Designated National Blueways!

I was in Little Rock, AR on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 for the designation of the White River and its entire basin (watershed) as a "National Blueway", only the second watershed in the nation to receive such recognition!

The White Rivers Blueways Partners at the Designation Ceremony

(Look close - I am on the back row!)

Established in May 2012 by the Department of the Interior, the National Blueways System places national emphasis on the value of an approach to river conservation that considers all the activities and uses within the watershed and the effectiveness of local partner collaboration for project planning and delivery. National Blueways are chosen because they are nationally significant and highly valued for their recreational, economic, cultural and ecological assets.

For a larger map, Click HERE.

The National Blueways System is a program created to conserve natural amenities, enhance recreational opportunities, and foster sustainable economic activities within significant river systems across the country. The National Blueways System is part of the larger America's Great Outdoors Initiative to establish a community-driven conservation and recreation agenda for the 21st century. Blueways are extremely important resources for filtration of fresh water supplies, conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat, sustainable economic activities, and outdoor recreational outlets for millions of Americans.

A National Blueway designation doesn't establish any new protections for a watershed, but it does open doors to federal support for local and regional conservation, recreation, and restoration projects. In the case of the White River, the designation can improve coordination between local or regional communities and organizations and federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture agencies.

Among the speakers at the Wednesday's event were Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes, Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture Ann Mills, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Army's Civil Works Program Rock Salt, Fish and Wildlife Southeast Region Director Cindy Dohner, AR US Senator Mark Pryor, AR Congressman Tim Griffin, Clarendon (Ark.) Mayor Jim Stinson, National Wildlife Refuge Association President David Houghton, and Scott Simon, director of The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas. And these were only the speakers! There were over a hundred people in the audience representing federal, state and local governmental, conservation and nonprofit agencies. Over 26 stakeholder groups came together to nominate the White River for this designation.

So the question I have been asked many times already is what does this mean especially for the Upper White River Basin in Missouri and Arkansas. Although it is too early in the process to know for sure, my take is that it vastly improves the lines of communications between local grassroots organizations and the federal agencies thereby increasing our chances for projects and funding.

To hopefully answer some of the questions, the Multi-Basin Regional Water Council is hosting a public meeting on the White River Blueways designation on February 8th in Rogers, AR. The speakers will be Keith Weaver of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Jason Milks of The Nature Conservancy, both original partners of the Blueways nomination. The meeting will be held at the Center for Nonprofits, 1200 W. Walnut and will begin at 10 am. Lunch will be provided by Ozarks Water Watch and while there is no charge to attend, everyone needs to RSVP to insure we have enough seats and lunch. To register, call Angela Danovi at 479-295-7717 or email at adanovi@ozarkswaterwatch.org.

Here are some links to various documents for those who would like to read more:

For the complete 63 page nomination, Click HERE.

For "Frequently Asked Questions", Click HERE.

For "What is a National Blueway?", Click HERE.

For link to Arkansas News Bureau story, Click HERE.

____________________________________

Quote of the Week

"Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you."

~ Wendell Berry

________________________________________

Volunteers Needed To Help Monitor Water Quality in Streams of the Missouri Portion of the Upper White River Watershed

Ozarks Water Watch is looking for volunteers to participate in a special monitoring project in the Upper White River Basin. Data collected from this project will be published in our bi-state report "The Status of the Watershed" as well as provided to other watershed groups and regulatory agencies for their use.

Potential volunteers must be willing to collect four "grab samples" at predetermined locations during specific time periods over a six month season. Previous training is not required; however Stream Team Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring training is encouraged. This training is a lot of fun and it's free of charge. Project partners include MO Stream Team Watershed Coalition, MO Dept. of Conservation, MO Dept. of Natural Resources and the Lakes of MO Volunteers.

Volunteer orientation meetings for "Ozarks Water Watchers" will be held in late February or early March. For more information about the project and to RSVP for the orientation meeting, contact Ronna Haxby at 417-739-5001 or ronna@ozarkswaterwatch.org

___________________________________

HYDRAULIC FRACTURING: RESULTS FROM USGS FAYETTEVILLE SHALE (ARKANSAS) SAMPLED WELLS RELEASED

Mitchell Williams

Environmental, Energy, and Water Blog

The United States Geological Survey ("USGS") has issued a study that examined the water quality of 127 shallow domestic wells in the Fayetteville Shale area of Arkansas. The report is titled Shallow Groundwater Quality and Geochemistry in the Fayetteville Shale Gas-Production Area, North-Central Arkansas, 2011 ("Report"), and it found no groundwater contamination associated with gas production.

USGS states that scientists analyzed water quality - quality data from samples taken in Van Buren and Faulkner Counties in 2011, focusing on chloride concentrations from 127 wells and methane concentrations in carbon isotope ratios from a subsample of 51 wells.

A USGS news release states:

"None of the data that we have looked at as part of this study suggests that any groundwater contamination is resulting from natural gas production activities," said USGS hydrologist Tim Kresse. "However, this study does not speak to other wells that were sampled, every chemical used during the hydraulic fracturing process, or water quality changes that might take longer to occur. It does provide a baseline to use to evaluate any possible changes in the future."

Further, the Report states that groundwater chemistry in the shale aquifer system is in the study area as a result of natural processes.

* Chloride concentrations were not higher in the 2011 samples than in samples from nearby areas collected from 1951 through 1983

* Chloride concentrations from wells within 2 miles of a gas-production well were similar to concentrations from wells more than 2 miles from a gas-production well

* Methane concentrations and carbon isotope ratios indicate that almost all methane in groundwater samples is naturally occurring as a result of biological processes in shallow shale formations used as a source of water for domestic purposes and did not originate from the Fayetteville Shale

The news release and the report can be downloaded HERE.

_______________________________

Federal judge rules EPA overstepped authority trying to regulate water as pollutant in Virginia

FoxNews.com

Published January 04, 2013

Virginia officials scored a key victory Thursday in their battle with the Environmental Protection Agency over what EPA critics describe as a land takeover. U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady in Alexandria ruled late Thursday that the EPA exceeded its authority by attempting to regulate stormwater runoff into a Fairfax County creek as a pollutant. O'Grady sided with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, which challenged EPA's stormwater restrictions. "Stormwater runoff is not a pollutant, so EPA is not authorized to regulate it," O'Grady said. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says the ruling could ultimately save Virginia taxpayers more than $300 million.

An EPA spokesman could not be reached for comment after business hours. The EPA, citing an abundance of stormwater runoff, had proposed a plan that Virginia officials said could cost homeowners and businesses their private property. The EPA contended that water itself can be regulated as a pollutant if there's too much of it. The agency says heavy runoff is having a negative impact on Accotink Creek and that it has the regulatory authority to remedy the situation. Cuccinelli, a Republican, argued what the EPA has proposed is "illegal," and he's not alone in the fight. He was joined in the lawsuit against the federal agency by the Democratic-controlled Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

In legal filings, the EPA says that its plan is "in harmony with the broader purposes" of the Clean Water Act, including "reducing the water quality impacts of stormwater." "There is no possibility of homes being removed in this process," Simon Rosenberg, founder of the New Democrat Network, said. He called the claim by Cuccinelli an "overstatement."

To read more, Click: HERE.

Contact Info
OZARKS WATER WATCH MISSOURI OFFICE ARKANSAS OFFICE

David Casaletto, President PO Box 636, 2 Kissee Ave., Ste. C 1200 W. Walnut, Ste. 3405
(417) 739-5001 Kimberling City, MO 65686 Rogers, AR 72756

contact@ozarkswaterwatch.org