Originally commissioned by the Northwest Arkansas Council in 2009, the Beaver Lake Watershed Protection Strategy is the guiding document for water conservation and watershed stewardship for Beaver Lake. The Beaver Watershed Alliance has adopted the document and spearheaded the spring 2012 revision and submitted the document for U.S. EPA acceptance.
Key components and recommendations of the Beaver Lake Watershed Protection Strategy include (1) establishing a Beaver Lake Watershed Council (now the Beaver Watershed Alliance), (2) implementation of core best management practices, (3) development of a developer and contractor’s lake protection certification program, (4) establishing an education and stewardship program, and (5) devising a monitoring and adaptive management program. Stakeholder groups in nonprofit, environmental science, government, and utilities services realms are partnering on projects in coordination with the Protection Strategy to improve water quality on Beaver Lake and it’s watershed.