Landowner Support

Landowner Assistance Programs

The Beaver Watershed Alliance has specialized staff and strong partnerships to help landowners achieve conservation goals on their property. If you own or manage land in the Beaver Lake watershed area, our services include assisting you to develop a plan, exploring funding programs, and providing technical recommendations and assistance.

Technical Assistance Categories

Forestry Assistance

The Beaver Lake watershed is 68% forested. Forests are important for watershed health because they clean, infiltrate, filter and remove sediment and nutrients from rainwater runoff after storm events. They are also a part of a thriving industry in Arkansas and landowners are increasingly interested in making wise management decisions that benefit the triple bottom line of environmental health, economic benefit, and social well-being (through helping to maintain water quality of the region’s water supply).

Based on a grant-funded forestry assessment in 2014 and ongoing feedback, many owners of forested lands are struggling with diseased timber and declining forest health overall, while some are simply interested in learning more about the forest and various forest management approaches whether it be for wildlife habitat improvements, sustainable harvesting, controlled burning, conservation easements, or forest management plans.

Now being aware of landowner needs, Beaver Watershed Alliance works with local and state partners to help meet the conservation needs of forest landowners, which also helps to protect water quality and wildlife habitat. Keep in touch for forestry workshops and funding opportunities through our Enews or Calendar.

Contact the Alliance to set up a free site visit and received a free Site Assessment Plan to help chart your path to forestry management. 

Educational Resources:

  • BL Watershed is a Forest of Recognized Importance 
  • Arkansas Forestry Association 
  • Arkansas Dept of Ag – Forestry Division 
  • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services – Forestry Division 
Streamside Assistance
Over 2,800 miles of streams network and weave through the Beaver Lake watershed area. All waterways in this basin eventually end up in Beaver Lake, our drinking water source for half a million Arkansans. The Ozarks are full of a variety of types of surface waterways, from intermittent to ephemeral streams, springs to creeks to rivers, to our lakes – we have abundant water resources in the Northwest Arkansas region.

With these abundant water resources, comes challenges of streambanks eroding away and riparian loss. Riparians are the lands adjacent to waterways, which hold the soils in place and help stabilize streambanks. When they are removed or reduced in area, the consequences equal erosion, land loss, habitat loss and a host of other issues that are negative for water quality, including algae growth. Erosion is when soils are washed away, downstream. The buildup of sediments downstream are hard to reverse or repair, as they accumulate and create dead zones.

These challenges cause problems not only for landowners, but also for the entire region. Landowners lose valuable land and workable soils, drinking water treatment cost go up to treat excess sediment and nutrients, aquatic life declines due to loss of oxygen in muddy waters, to name a few.

The Alliance seeks to proactively prevent these issues before they worsen. If you live along a creek, stream, river or lake, our staff can assist in not only addressing the issues you may be having with erosion, but also help look at preventable measures you can take to ensure your streamside properties are intact for years to come. Contact the Alliance for a free site visit.

Streamside Resources:

  • Watershed Conservation Resource Center
  • Riparian Guide for the Ozarks
  • Streamside Permits
  • Add more…
Urban/Residential Lot Assistance

Northwest Arkansas is the 6th fastest growing metropolitan area in the country (verify). The Ozarks is quicky becoming a destination for visitors and those looking to call it home. As urban development increases, and more roofs, parking lots and roads are built, there are rain runoff challenges that come with it. Northwest Arkansas has the opportunity to engage in SmartGrowth, a term coined to provide frameworks that allow for development and water quality to work in tandem.

As a homeowner, apartment dweller, renter, or developer, you have options available to address water runoff on your property. There are voluntary landscape practices you can install to reduce flooding, reduce erosion and redirect water to where it needs to go, in the ground.

Through Site Assessment Plans for residents and developers, and Comprehensive Management Plans for communities, the Alliance provides technical assistance to help address urban water challenges.

Resources for Urban/Residential Properties

  • Native Plant guide
  • Rain Gardens
  • Bioswales
  • Green Parking Lots
  • Development Fact Sheet
  • Rain Harvesting
  • Low Impact Development Manual
  • Add more….
Agricultural/Pasture Lands Assistance

Agriculture is Arkansas’ largest industry, adding around $16 billion to the state’s economy annually (AR Farm Bureau). Pasturelands play an important role in the Ag economy, and farmers have the opportunity to help improve water quality through land management techniques while gaining efficiencies and reducing costs.

When soil stays in the field, it not only provides better soil for crop production but also reduces sediment entering the water table. You can reduce erosion through cover crops, no-till, and crop rotations.

  • Enhanced management of the use of fertilizers and pesticides to keep them on the field or pasture can reduce costs as well as the potential for loss. Nutrient management is one of the best things you can do for water quality and your bottom line.
  • Infield practices like filter strips and riparian buffers can help reduce runoff, but filtering the runoff to remove sediment, chemicals, and waste can improve downstream water quality.
  • Preventing animal waste from entering water sources is a key way to protect water quality. This can be achieved through prescribed grazing, waste storage, and waste management. (Source Farmers.Org)

The Alliance works closely with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services, Farm Bureau, and state and federal programs to provide technical assistance to Agricultural producers. Contact us for a free Site Assessment Plan and technical assistance to aid you in selecting land management practices. Stay informed of upcoming workshops and funding opportunities by signing up for our Enews or attending an event.

Agricultural Resources

  • NRCS
  • FSA
  • Soil and Water Districts
  • Pasture Aeration
  • Nutrient Surplus Area map
  • UAEX Fact Sheets

Mini-Grants

The Alliance assists landowners financially through the Land Management Practice Mini-Grant Program. You must live in or manage land in the Beaver Lake watershed and have a Site Assessment Plan completed to apply.

County Soil and Water Conservation Districts

The County Soil and Water Conservation Districts are a Division of Arkansas government. The districts provide support for county residents making use of USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Services. They rent equipment, assist with implementing Nutrient Management Plans (NMPs), and offer other services. Find out more information about each county below:

Site Assessment Plans

A Site Assessment Plan (SAP) is a free resource provided to landowners in the Beaver Lake watershed to chart the path of conservation and land management. A staff member will visit your property with you, listen to your goals, and assess the land area using GIS technology and scientific data. The SAP can also be a starting point to apply for local funding programs to help cover the costs of installing, planting, repairing, or restoring your landscape.