Dear fellow paddlers,
If any of you have ever enjoyed paddling the rivers, streams and creeks of Arkansas, then I’d like to ask for your help. Currently approximately 16% of Arkansas’ total stream miles are designated as "Extraordinary Resource Waters." ERW’s currently have special protections which prevents any significant physical alterations of their habitat. However, a third party, the River Valley Regional Water District, is currently petitioning to change the rules so that they can build a dam on one specific stream - Lee Creek. The danger of this proposed rule change is that it would affect not just Lee Creek: EVERY extraordinary resource water, ecologically sensitive waterbody or natural and scenic waterway in the state of Arkansas would lose important protection if this change is allowed.
A very clear explanation of the proposed rule change and major reasons for opposing the change can be found here: http://www.adeq.state.ar.us/water/pdfs/adeqstatement.pdf
Some of the key highlights of why we oppose the change are:
The change would put ALL of Arkansas’s ERW’s, ecologically sensitive waterbodies and natural and scenic waterways at risk. In essence, the new change would literally make it easier to dam an unnamed ditch in Arkansas than it will be to build a dam on any of Arkansas’ most precious waterways.
The proposed change is being lobbied for supposedly due to the need for drinking water, however: an ERW can ALREADY be used for drinking water through methods that do not physically alter the stream. There are two other ERW rivers in Arkansas (the Saline River and Middle Fork of the Saline River in Benton and Hot Springs Village, respectively) which are currently used as drinking water sources, but through the use of weirs and offsite storage basins.
The new rule would only require an Environmental Impact Statement. If the current rules were followed, then a more rigorous study would be required which would be an evaluation of ALL PRACTICABLE ALTERNATIVES to the project including an environmental assessment of the impacts of each alternative, an engineering and economic analysis, and a socio-economic evaluation of the project in the local area. Without evaluation of these alternatives, taxpayers that will be paying for this VERY EXPENSIVE dam will not even learn about the fact that the stream could be used for drinking water using weirs and offsite storage basins for a much lower cost, or that other alternatives such as using the Arkansas River as a drinking water supply exist.
The third party petitioning for the change are trying to say that Lee Creek (or any other ERW that is dammed) would still be considered an Extraordinary Resource Water, even though the very thing that makes the stream an ERW (that it is a free flowing stream) would be destroyed!
Here’s the main message and facts:
Main message: Why would a community or water district want to get drinking water from a $167 million dam (cost estimate in 2000) when clean, affordable water can be obtained from existing, nearby sources?
Facts:
Arkansas has more than ample water in existing lakes, reservoirs and the Arkansas River to meet our water needs for decades to come.
A better solution than another dam on another of our extraordinary streams is communities working together to make the best use of existing water supplies rather than a piece meal approach by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission.
Extraordinary Resource Waters, (ERWs). are the purest, raw water bodies in Arkansas.
Of 20,000 stream miles in Arkansas, only 16 % of those are designated "extraordinary" and given extra protection.
Their economic value for tourism and recreation is worth many millions of dollars to the state’s economy. People from all 50 states and many countries come to Arkansas just to recreate on our streams.
These streams and a few lakes are the most important waters for fishing and outdoor recreation.
Arkansas’ most rare and endangered wildlife inhabit these waters.
Special interests are seeking to revise and weaken Regulation 2 which governs Arkansas Surface Water Quality Standards. There is no need to change Regulation 2; it would weaken protections of our very best streams.
If the Pollution Control and Ecology Commission adopts the weakened standards, an ordinary ditch will have more protection than the Buffalo, Caddo, Cadron, Cossatot, Devils Fork of the Little Red, Illinois Bayou, Saline, Spring and Strawberry Rivers as well as Lake Ouachita, to name a few.
You can also find more discussion of this topic on the following threads from the Arkansas Canoe Club message board:
http://www.arkansascanoeclub.com/mb/viewtopic.php?t=2227
http://www.arkansascanoeclub.com/mb/viewtopic.php?t=1532
http://www.arkansascanoeclub.com/mb/viewtopic.php?t=2232
What I am asking, is that if any of you have paddled these wonderful Arkansas waters, whether floating the Buffalo and seeing those incredible, towering bluffs, or maybe enjoying incredible whitewater paddling down the Cossatot, or anything in between, please take a moment to send an email or write a letter to let your opinion be heard. Let them know that you travel to Arkansas and bring your tourist dollars because of Arkansas’ Extraordinary Resource Waters, and that you do not want to see protection of these waterways degraded by this proposed change.
Comments should be sent to:
E-mail: reg-comment@adeq.state.ar.us
U.S. Mail:
Attention: Doug Szenher
Public/Media Affairs Manager
AR Department of Environmental Quality
Public Outreach and Assistance Division
P.O. Box 8913
Little Rock, AR 72219-8913
The deadline has just been extended so that we have until June 2 to send in comments. From all the paddlers in Arkansas, thank you for your help and support!
The following e-mail was recently received by DDRC from a "concerned taxpaying citien" of Crawford County:
VBJean@aol.com wrote:
The people in Crawford County are very aware what water resources are available now and what will be available in the future. We have had a very competent commission that has volunteered their time the past 5 years studying what our alternatives to Pine Mountain are.
We do not need the extremists (especially from other states) advising us. If you are so well informed about our streams here, than you should know that there's only about three times a year that there is enough water in this stream to do any canoeing.
We feel that having water to drink and bathe in is far more important than your recreation is.
Taxpayer of Crawford County, Arkansas
