The Beaver Watershed Alliance (Alliance) recently hosted its annual Friendraiser at Bunch Park in Elkins, AR, along the White River. This annual celebration brings together community members, partners, and local leaders dedicated to protecting the Beaver Lake watershed. Guests gathered for an evening highlighting the importance of water stewardship and protecting our region’s source of drinking water, Beaver Lake. As part of the event, the Alliance recognized six outstanding individuals and organizations as 2026 Watershed Champions.
“The strong partnerships among community members, landowners, municipalities, and local organizations make it possible for the Alliance to fulfill its mission to restore and protect the Beaver Lake watershed,” said Becky Roark, Executive Director for the Alliance. “We are proud to honor these Watershed Champions who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and leadership over the past year.”
Watershed Champion – Professional Partner: Northwest Arkansas Land Trust
As a long-standing professional partner, the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust (NWALT) has worked side-by-side with the Alliance on numerous land protection and water quality initiatives, particularly within the War Eagle Creek watershed. This award also recognizes a major transition for the organization: honoring retiring Executive Director Grady Spann for his dedicated service and years of leadership, while welcoming incoming Executive Director Marson Nance to lead NWALT’s future conservation endeavors.
Watershed Champion – Professional Partner: Northwest Arkansas Land Trust
Watershed Champion – Volunteer Award: Har-Ber High School FFA & Jonathan Roberts
Jonathan Roberts and the Har-Ber High School FFA chapter have provided essential hands-on support for watershed conservation. Students attended the inaugural CommuniTree potting event in spring 2025, potting over 1,000 native trees and shrubs, and returned that fall to plant them at a large restoration site in Huntsville. Mr. Roberts and his students continue to assist with CommuniTree projects and are now utilizing their school greenhouse to help propagate and grow native vegetation. By pairing field projects with professional opportunities, Mr. Roberts provides students with invaluable real-world experience in natural resource stewardship.
Watershed Champion – Volunteer Award: Har-Ber High School FFA & Jonathan Roberts
Watershed Champion – Urban: City of Fayetteville
The City of Fayetteville has been a steadfast, long-term partner of the Alliance in advancing urban stormwater management and stream restoration. A highlight of this partnership includes ongoing efforts to restore Spout Spring Branch at Walker Park, alongside initiatives such as urban canopy preservation and LID installations. Through continuous collaboration, leadership, and commitment to green infrastructure, the City of Fayetteville serves as a leader in protecting urban waterways across Northwest Arkansas.
Watershed Champion – Urban: City of Fayetteville
Watershed Champion – Agriculture/Producer Landowners: Danny and Karen Goyne
Danny and Karen Goyne embody the spirit of voluntary land stewardship in the War Eagle Creek watershed, a crucial sub-basin for the region. On their property, the Goynes are installing farm ponds and alternative watering systems for livestock to protect local stream channels and reduce direct runoff. Beyond pasture management, the Alliance is working alongside the Goynes on a Selective Timber Harvest Plan for their woodlands, as well as evaluating a sediment basin project designed to intercept runoff from an unpaved road before it reaches the creek. Their proactive efforts directly protect water quality downstream in Beaver Lake.
Watershed Champion – Agriculture/Producer Landowners: Danny and Karen Goyne
Watershed Champion – Forest & Grasslands Landowner: Mike Johnson
Mike Johnson has demonstrated outstanding commitment to restoring native habitat and managing land for watershed health. Over five years ago, the Alliance first collaborated on Mr. Johnson’s property alongside the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) and the Ozark Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) to execute a prescribed burn. Reseeded with native prairie species, the pasture has transformed into a thriving Oak savannah. In 2025, the Alliance installed a series of low-tech erosion control structures on an actively eroding drainage on the property, which Mr. Johnson continues to host as a demonstration site for educational workshops.
Watershed Champion – Forest & Grasslands Landowner: Mike Johnson
Watershed Champion – Streamside: Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC)
The Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC) has been a steadfast partner to the Alliance for over a decade, collaborating on a wide array of stream restoration projects and assessments throughout Northwest Arkansas. In addition to their regional leadership, this award specifically recognizes WCRC’s outstanding staff and dedication to source water protection. WCRC’s engineering expertise, commitment to natural channel design, and dedicated streamside management continue to reduce sediment loading and protect regional water quality.
Watershed Champion – Streamside: Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC)
The Alliance congratulates all 2026 awardees and extends its gratitude for their hard work and dedication to protecting our watershed. To learn more about the Beaver Watershed Alliance or get involved in local watershed protection, visit beaverwatershedalliance.org.
