Utilizing Watershed-Based Programs to Restore Streams, Riparian Corridors, & Wetlands in the West Fork White River Watershed
Tyler Anderson
Watershed Conservation Resource Center
Fayetteville, AR
Authors: Sandi J. Formica and Matthew Van Eps
Watershed assessment and planning in the West Fork White River (WFWR) watershed has resulted in the implementation of twelve stream restoration projects through state and national grant programs and local funding. The WFWR watershed is located in the upper White River basin and Mississippi River - Critical Conservation Area. The WFWR is one of six tributaries to the upper White River that forms Beaver Lake, the drinking water source for over 500,000 residents of Northwest Arkansas. Sediment and phosphorus loading to rivers in Beaver Lake watershed are a concern and planning efforts seek to reduce these contaminants to protect Beaver Lake’s water quality. Placed on the state’s 303(d) list of impaired streams in 1998, assessment work found that streambank erosion contributed 66% of the sediment load to the WFWR watershed. Further watershed planning identified twenty-nine reaches of river in need of restoration and prioritized sites for restoration to reduce sediment and phosphorus loadings from streambank erosion. The Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC) has worked with partners to secure grants to design and implement stream restoration projects beginning in 2007. The most recent funding sources being USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership (RCP) program (2016-2021), leading to the development of a WFWR Watershed Plan authorized by the NRCS PL-566 (2020 and ongoing) to conduct river restoration projects to reduce sediment and phosphorus inputs. Based on streambank erosion monitoring, GIS analysis of aerial photography, and streambank sampling, it is estimated that these twelve projects are preventing 18,500 tons/year of sediment and 7,560 pounds/year of phosphorus from entering the WFWR.
Additional benefits of the restoration of river channels, riparian areas, wetlands, and floodplains include a) seventeen miles of the WFWR was removed from the State’s 303(d) list in 2022 and b) improved smallmouth bass fisheries was documented. Through the WFWR Watershed Plan and the PL-566 program: 1) restoration of the highest priority reach is funded and construction is underway, 2) a low-head dam will be removed and two miles of associated river restoration is under design, and 3) design funding for additional eight priority sites has been requested.
About Tyler Anderson
Tyler Anderson is a Water Resources Engineer with the Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC) in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He has a B.S. degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering with an emphasis in Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering from Purdue University. He has been with WCRC since 2013 and is responsible for project design, technical support, construction oversight, and site assessment. Over the years, the WCRC has received several awards for its restoration efforts including recently being awarded the “Arkansas State Conservationist’s Partnership Award” in 2022 in recognition of outstanding contributions in support of the programs and missions of the NRCS in Arkansas.
