The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has released a list of lakes and streams falling below its standards, and two local bodies of water are included on the list of the impaired.
According to KARK of Little Rock, the proposed list is part of a report the Federal Clean Water Act requires Arkansas to submit to the Environmental Protection Agency every two years.
ADEQ found four parts of the Buffalo National River and Big Creek, a nearly 19-mile tributary of the river, have the potential for pathogens, or disease-causing bacteria.
According to the Northwest Arkansas Times, only a 14.3-mile segment toward the middle of the 150-mile river is listed as impaired, meaning the amount of pathogens exceeds water-quality standard. The rest of the river is listed as not impaired.
About 15 miles of Big Creek are also categorized as impaired, again because of pathogens, and the final 3.7 miles of the creek before it flows into the Buffalo is listed as impaired because of abnormally low dissolved oxygen levels, but not for the presence of pathogens. The source of the pathogens is not currently known.
While ADEQ continues its research and efforts to restore the quality of the watershed, the public can weigh in on the proposed list during a hearing on August 17th at 1:00 at ADEQ’s headquarters in North Little Rock.
Comments can also be submitted via email to WaterbodyComments@adeq.state.ar.us. Email submissions must be made before September 10th.
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