LITTLE ROCK DISTRICT

With some 487 miles of natural shoreline and 31,700 surface acres at top of flood-control pool, Beaver Lake offers the best in recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Beaver Lake is a nature lover’s delight during all seasons. Towering limestone bluffs, natural crevices, a wide variety of trees and flowering shrubs, and a diversity of wildlife and birds afford shutter bugs, hikers, and nature lovers many hours of enjoyment through out the year. Crystal clear waters beckon boaters, campers, fisherman, and scuba divers alike. Naturalists and hunters can enjoy the public lands adjoining the lake, as well as the Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, which covers 12,055 acres along the southern shores of Beaver Lake; as well as the newly purchased Devil's Eyebrow Natural Area, which covers 1,375 acres along the northern shores in the Indian Creek Arm. Beaver Lake is also the largest supplier of water for Northwest Arkansas, serving more than 400,000 customers.

This sign was placed at the Prairie Creek Park launching ramp on July 16, 2013 by  the Beaver Watershed Alliance, to educate and promote water quality at Beaver Lake. The US Army Corps of Engineers, Beaver Project Office, will support the effort by posting these signs at the Corps–operated launch ramps around Beaver Lake.

 The Beaver Watershed Alliance (BWA) was formed in 2010 to establish programming to maintain high quality drinking water in Beaver Lake and improve water quality on the Beaver Lake Watershed. The Alliance represents a diverse stakeholder group from conservation, education, water utilities, technical and science, business, and local government groups working together for the cause of clean water.

 Beaver Lake is the drinking water for 420,000 Arkansans, and is located in Benton, Carroll, and Washington Counties in the Ozark Highlands of northwest Arkansas, on the headwaters of the White River. The Beaver Lake watershed is 1,192 square miles in area, and primarily includes portions of Benton, Carroll, Washington, and Madison counties along with 17 incorporated municipalities. A small portion of the watershed is located in Crawford and Franklin counties. The lake itself is approximately 44 square miles in surface area and has an average dept of 60 feet throughout and contains 539 billion gallons of drinking water.

The BWA conducts a wide variety of programming ranging from awareness and education activities, conservation and stewardship-in-action programming, to technical workshops designed to engage, increase, and empower watershed stakeholders to carryout voluntary watershed protection measures. A major component of the BWA is to provide outreach and education programming necessary to provide residents of Northwest Arkansas with the tools necessary to protect Beaver Lake.

For information about the Beaver Watershed Alliance, visit their web site at: http://www.beaverwatershedalliance.org.