Thanks to property owner Jane-Ellen Ross, 100 additional acres in the Beaver Lake Sourcewater Protection Zone have been permanently conserved, forever protecting water quality in the Beaver Lake Watershed! The Beaver Lake Source Water Protection Zone is one of our four priority conservation areas. The landscapes in this area drain to the Beaver Lake intake within 24 hours of a rain event. Saving land in this priority area helps keep our water clean.

The property has a variety of habitat types, including pasture and forest, and includes soils classified as prime farmlands. 

As urban sprawl increases throughout the Beaver Watershed, it is estimated that forested land will decrease by 60-70% and pasture will decrease by 15-21%. (Beaver Lake Water Protection Strategy). As our natural landscapes are converted to developed areas, rainfall that once absorbed into the ground will collect on paved surfaces and rapidly wash into our waterways, increasing the amount of pollution that makes its way into the lake.

Protecting natural areas allows nature to keep our water clean. Vegetation slows the flow of water reducing stream bank erosion. Plants also act as a natural water filter by trapping excessive sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen. If allowed to enter Beaver Lake and its tributaries, these pollutants cause an over-growth of algae, clog fish gills, disrupt the aquatic food web and impact the taste and odor of our drinking water. 

Thank you to all of our landowners who work with the NWA Land Trust to protect and preserve our quality of life!