Beaver Watershed Alliance

As our Smart Growth for Water Resources Conference on April 2-3 draws near, we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible sponsors and partners who have made this event possible! Your generous contributions to our region and your commitment to collaboration in addressing future water resource challenges have been key to bringing this event to life. Thank you for your invaluable support! Registration for the conference is available at: https://lnkd.in/gWh5-Y-y Interested in becoming a sponsor? You can play a key role in bringing together regional leaders, innovators, and stakeholders to drive sustainable solutions for this rapidly growing region and future water resource challenges. Email [email protected] for more information. Beaver Water District Illinois River Watershed Partnership Urban Land Institute Northwest Arkansas Olsson Northwest Arkansas Council US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Arkansas Department of Agriculture Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission Garver Freese and Nichols Ewing Outdoor Supply Newell Development Wallace Design Collective Ecological Design Group

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 31: The Beaver Watershed Alliance is requesting proposals from qualified contracting firms interested in providing Low Impact Development (LID) construction services for the Smart Growth for Source Water Protection grant project. The project site is 597 East Miracle Drive, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701. We will not be accepting proposals after March 31st. If interested, please find more information on our website: https://lnkd.in/gxTENem4 or by contacting Emily Finley at [email protected].

Don't miss out--the registration deadline is just two weeks away! Email [email protected] with any questions. Register at the following link: https://lnkd.in/gn-uw3h9

We want to say a big thank you to the incredible sponsors of the upcoming Smart Growth for Water Resources Conference! Your generous support for our region and dedication to working together to tackle future water resource challenges have been instrumental in making this event a reality. Arkansas Department of Agriculture U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Northwest Arkansas Council Beaver Water District Olsson Ewing Outdoor Supply Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission Interested in becoming a sponsor? You can play a key role in bringing together regional leaders, innovators, and stakeholders to drive sustainable solutions for this rapidly growing region and future water resource challenges. Email: [email protected] for more information. Registration is open and available at: https://lnkd.in/gn-uw3h9 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Northwest Arkansas Council Olsson Beaver Water District Ewing Outdoor Supply Ecological Design Group NWA Regional Planning Commission Wallace Design Collective Freese and Nichols

In preparation for our Smart Growth for Water Resources Conference on April 2-3, 2025, the Alliance and the Illinois River Watershed Partnership are organizing “Table Talks” to involve local leaders in discussions about growth and water resource issues. We recently spoke with Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, to explore the future of the rapidly expanding Northwest Arkansas region. You can watch this Table Talk on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/g3hAXGwH Nelson Peacock joined the Northwest Arkansas Council as president and CEO in 2017 after working as a senior vice president of government affairs for the University of California Office of the President. Prior to that, Nelson was appointed by President Barack Obama to lead the Office of Legislative Affairs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he was responsible for all aspects of the department’s interactions with Congress on issues related to counter terrorism, immigration, cyber security and natural disasters. Nelson oversaw the congressional teams of seven operational agencies of Homeland Security, including the Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Nelson also served as senior counsel to Senator Joe Biden on the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate where he advised the future President on homeland security, crime and intellectual property issues. Nelson has a Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas and Master of Laws from the George Washington University School of Law.

Earlier this week, the Alliance had the opportunity to attend the Arkansas Outdoor Summit during?#ARGovCon25. It was inspiring to hear from our partners at?Arkansas Game and Fish Commission?and the?Northwest Arkansas Land Trust! We’re thankful to be part of a state where so many people are passionate about the outdoor industry and dedicated to finding innovative ways to balance regional growth with natural resource conservation. A special thanks to?Visit Bentonville?and the Ledger?for their incredible hospitality! (Pictured below: Morgan Johnson Stephanie Bolin Mer Wilder Grady Spann Kalene Griffith Adam Cramer Mary Beth Hatch Spencer Griffith)

Last week, the Alliance and the Watershed Conservation Resource Center had the chance to showcase our work at Walker Park during the Texas Urban Riparian Symposium in Waco, Texas. Urban riparian areas are crucial in maintaining water quality across the United States, providing opportunities for recreation and access and healthy ecosystems that filter pollutants and sediment out of surface water before they reach our waterways. We also had the privilege of learning from various Texas-based organizations about successful programs and projects aimed at enhancing water resources. Looking forward to the next event! In the photo: (Left) Emily Finley, ASLA BWA's Urban Watershed Specialist (Right) Jordan Forbis WCRC's Vegetation Management Specialist

Join us on March 20th for the first Water Webinar of 2025, with speaker Garrett Lampson! He will be presenting on the use of PCSWMM Modeling in the City of Rogers to understand current and future stormwater conditions. The water webinars are featured as part of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Conference, scheduled for July 22-24. The webinars are a series of mini-sessions focusing on science and water topics. Beaver Watershed Alliance will host the first one of the year on, March 20th. There will be additional sessions each month through October, excluding July due to the conference. Our partners will take turns hosting and selecting topics for these webinars. Stay tuned for information on future webinars! Garrett Lampson, Stormwater and Stream Corridor Engineer for the City of Rogers will be speaking about the efforts within Rogers to model their stormwater network through the use of PCSWMM. The City is using their model to understand where flooding is occurring in the City, locate capacity issues within the system, identify regional detention opportunities, and apply for federal grants. Garrett will also discuss how the model has helped address communication barriers and garner support for additional action across the City of Rogers. You can register through our website or directly register at the following link: https://lnkd.in/gtFANqmc City of Rogers, Arkansas Arkansas Department of Agriculture

Our Executive Director, Becky Roark, had the pleasure of discussing our Smart Growth for Water Resources Conference with Jack Travis on Ozarks at Large. They chatted about important conference details and our "Table Talks" podcast series, in collaboration with the Illinois River Watershed Partnership. We’re grateful to Jack and KUAF for highlighting us on their broadcast! Listen to the interview at the following link: https://lnkd.in/g9j83Y2U KUAF 91.3 Public Radio Ozarks at Large

Let’s co-create resilient growth & protect our watershed! Through advocacy and thought leadership, we can co-create a water-smart NWA that enables watershed protection and resilient growth that ensures high-quality water resources for the region. Register & learn more: https://lnkd.in/g_JkZZ2j... Scholarships are available for City/County staff & leadership. Email [email protected] for details. Thank you to our partners and sponsors: Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Beaver Water District, Freese and Nichols, Illinois River Watershed Partnership, Northwest Arkansas Council, Olsson, Prism Design Studio, Urban Land Institute Northwest Arkansas! Interested in sponsoring? Download our packet: https://lnkd.in/gED_i-XZ...