Challenges of the Watershed

Barriers to successful watershed management and restoration efforts often include a lack of ownership among its residents and a feeling that a particular stakeholder is to blame for all water quality issues.

Watershed management is bigger than any one industry or stakeholder group. It is important to move the process of watershed management to a more meaningful level of public understanding, discussion and action. There have been numerous watershed management plans written by each state, yet development and implementation of a comprehensive watershed plan has not been successfully accomplished.   

Issues of the Watershed

The Growth of Northwest Arkansas
In 1999, 53.8% of the land in the watershed was pasture, 39.3% was forest and 6.4% urban. (Census, 2000). Nearly one-quarter of the land areas changed its use between 1992 and 1999 (CAST, 1999).

From 1990 to 2000, the population of Washington and Benton counties grew 47% resulting in more than 100,000 new residents. Benton County grew by 12.1% and Washington County by 7.6% from 2000-2003.

As a result, there is a significant increase in residential, commercial and industrial development, road construction and other infrastructure construction. The potential impact of these activities must be addressed when considering watershed management and restoration efforts.

Non-Point Source Pollution / Siltation
NPSP affecting the Illinois River Watershed is primarily from pasture land that is also fertilized with poultry litter.

Conversion of forest to pasture, removal of riparian buffers for construction, road construction, road maintenance and other activities including in-stream gravel removal
contributes to siltation problems and the destabilization of the stream bed and excess band erosion.

Impairments in the waterways in the Illinois River Watershed are due to excess sediment and/or nutrients. As a downstream state, Oklahoma has adopted a numerical water quality standard of 0.037 mg/L phosphorus during base flow that will become effective in 2012. While confined animal agriculture and municipal wastewater dischargers may historically be phosphorus contributors, the problem is much more complex and should be addressed by all stakeholders in the watershed. Other nutrient sources such as excess fertilizers, pet wastes and poorly functioning septic systems, as well as sediment loads from improperly managed construction sites and eroding stream banks are likely impacting the watershed as well.