Beaver Lake Watershed Public Awareness and Education Project

This project aimed to educate the public and regional stakeholders about the importance of maintaining high water quality in the watershed. Problems such as increased nutrient runoff and sediment load are becoming increasingly prominent as regional development grows. This project addressed these issues through the promotion of BMPs in the media, distribution of educational materials, expansion of the creek sign program to inform citizens about the destination of area streams into Beaver Lake, expansion of online resources, as well as the introduction of education programs aimed at adults, youth, and the construction community. This project led to the development of three Arkansas Stream Teams, a program which involves citizens in water quality monitoring and thus encourages residents to take ownership of their watershed. Thousands of people were reached through the total efforts of this project, which ended in 2006.