Drainage Area54.5% Ok – 45.5% Ark
Stream Flow53% Ok - 47% Ark
Area1,660 sq miles
IRWP Mission
To improve the integrity
of the Illinois River through
public education and community outreach,
water quality monitoring and
implementation of conservation and restoration practices
throughout the Illinois River Watershed.
Geocaching
Prairie Grove EAST Lab Students
Volunteer Monitoring Program
• 1993 ‐ 1994 data vs. 2008 ‐ 2009 data
37 sites
Nitrate (NO3‐N)
Phosphate (PO4‐P)
Sulfate (SO4)
Chloride (Cl)
IRWP Volunteer STREAM TEAMS collect water
samples following EPA techniques
Prairie Grove EAST Lab
AAEES StreamTeam
Mark SimmonsJoe Woolbright
Susan Bolyard, USGSKrystal Patterson, little Sis
IRWP StreamTeamsUA AEESFamily, Individuals, Big SistersJB HuntStephens IncUSGSBook store retireeCity of FayettevilleBoy Scout TroopT.G. Smith ElementarySchool of the ArtsPrairie Grove EAST Lab4-H Club10 Board members
VOLUNTEERS
Education and Outreach Campaign
Partner with Wal-Mart Stormwater Division Grant
Mass media campaignIRWP StreamTeam Super Hero Commercial ABC 40/29 “Watershed Wednesdays”KUAF Radio spots and interviewNewspaper ads
Website online challengeStreamTeam weekly web challenge with weekly prizes
O U T R E A C H C A M P A I G N
Education and Outreach Emphases
• Less than 40% understood storm drains empty into local waterways
• Most could not name their local creek• 41% applied fertilizer in the past year• Only 12% soil tested to determine
nutrient needs• Top sources for news/information
(TV, newspaper, radio)
S U R V E Y
W E B S I T E: StreamTeam Watershed Challenge
Future Volunteer MonitoringWork with AR Game & Fish Stream Teams with 3 Hach Test Kits
Continue with committed volunteers
Annual Monitoring Day with ADEQ Test Kits & Secchi Disks – streams and lakes
Measure riparian cover and streambank erosion of streams
Website communication
Continue partnerships
IMPROVEMENTS