Town Hall meeting starts at 7 tonight Yvonne Richardson Center

Town Hall Meeting to be Held December 14, 2009

DEC
10
2009
Mayor Lioneld Jordan will be holding the final Town Hall Meeting of the year at the Yvonne Richardson Community Center on Monday, December 14, from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to come. The Yvonne Richardson Community Center is located at 240 East Rock Street.

Instructions that Natural Resources Conservation Service contractors are supposed to be following

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Golden paddle awards announced by Illinois River Partnership

Congratulations to the

2009 GOLDEN PADDLE AWARD WINNERS

Golden Paddle Awards recognize leaders in watershed stewardship

and natural resource conservation in the Illinois River Watershed.

Six awards are given annually to individuals or entities that

exemplify good stewardship in the protection,

preservation, and enhancement of the watershed.

AGRICULTURE

Gene Pharr, Washington County Farm Bureau

BUSINESS

Flint Creek Power Plant, Gentry

Eagle Watch Nature Trail

CONSERVATION

Ozark Ecological Restorations, Siloam Springs

Joe Woolbright

CONSTRUCTION

Stitt Energy Systems, Inc., Rogers

Orlo Stitt

GOVERNMENT

City of Fayetteville, Mayor Lioneld Jordan

West Side Treatment Plant & Woolsey Wet Prairie

TECHNICAL/RESEARCH

Susan Bolyard, US Geological Survey Hydrologist



Over 100 people joined the IRWP in honoring these

2009 recipients at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale at the annual IRWP Stakeholders Meeting, November 10.



To join 202 members of the IRWP today and go to

www.irwp.org/membership.html



Thanks to our Sponsors, Members, and Volunteers

for your many contributions to preserve, protect and restore

the Illinois River Watershed.

Veterans Memorial 5K entry form for 8 a.m. Saturday, November 7, 2009, linked below video

Veterans Memorial 5K entry form for Saturday, November 7, 2009

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Please click on image to ENLARGE view of a sample of items that will be in the goody bags of the first 300 runners who sign up for the Nov. 7, 2009, Veterans 5K.

Please click on image to go to Flickr page to Enlarge logos of first two major sponsors of the Veterans' 5K race set for November 7, 2009, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Where several Fayetteville city workers need to be tomorrow: Springdale city administration building

November 5 Streambank Restoration Workshop, Springdale 9 am. to 3 pm. Thursday at the Springdale city administration building.
To register for free riparian demonstration workshop, email contact@irwp.org
IRWP Streambank Restoration Workshop
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
The Workshop will be led by Bobby Hernandez, Region 6 USEPA Community Planner and Jon Fripp of Fort Worth,NRCS.
Workshop partners include the City of Springdale Tree City USA committee, the Arkansas Forestry Commission, the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC), Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
PURPOSE:
The workshop will cover several key areas of restoration including:
TECHNIQUES: Various streambank restoration techniques and successful technology and projects will be emphasized as well as unsuccessful restoration projects highlighted.
DEMONSTRATION: Demonstration of Jet Stinger technology will be used to plant willow cuttings along streambanks in the host city of Springdale, Arkansas.
IMPLEMENTATION: Implementation of low cost riparian and stormwater Best
Management Practices to improve water quality and reduce pollution in the Illinois River Watershed.

Senate and House Chairmen of joint-performance committee of the Arkansas General Assembly invite public to attend meeting in Rogers on Oct. 20-31, 2009, to hear Northwest Arkansas comments on watershed issues

THE ARKANSAS GENERAL ASSEMBLY JOINT PERFORMANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE
Chairmen: Senator Denny Altes and Representative Lindsley Smith

invite you to a pair of legislative meetings in Rogers next week (Oct. 30 and 31) to study water quality and quantity issues.
Below is the agenda for Friday afternoon's Legislative Joint Performance Review Committee meeting and for Saturday's Joint Performance Review Committee meeting. We hope you will come, and please inform others about this important issue of water quality and quantity.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites, Rogers, 3303 Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Grand Ballroom 9-10
A. Call to Order.
B. Approval of Minutes—October 5, 2009

C. Disposal of water used during drilling in the Fayetteville Shale Gas and the possible impact on underground aquifers and wells.
1. Comments by Ms. Joyce Hale, League of Women Voters
2. Comments by Mr. Tim Snell, The Nature Conservancy
3. Comments by Ms. Debbie Doss, Arkansas Canoe Club
4. Comments by Mr. Larry Bengal, Director, Oil and Gas Commission
5. Comments by Ms. Teresa Marks, Director, ADEQ
6. Discussion by Committee Members

D. Discussion of the Illinois River Watershed and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), also MS4 and stormwater regulations-Reg 2 changes.
1. Comments by Ms. Delia Haak
2. Comments by Mr. Randy Young, Executive Director, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
3. Comments by Mr. Evan Teague, Arkansas Farm Bureau
4. Comments by Dr. Brian Haggard, Director, Arkansas Water Resources Center
5. Comments by Ms. Teresa Mark, Director, ADEQ
6. Discussion by Committee Members

E. Adjournment

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Center for Nonprofits at St. Marys--1200 West Walnut Street in Rogers.
A. Call to Order.

B. Discussion of the White River Watershed Protection Plan and sediment turbidity in Beaver Lake.
1. Comments by Mr. Alan Fortenberry, Beaver Water District
2. Comments by Mr. Mike Malone, Northwest Arkansas Council
3. Comments by Mr. Randy Young, Executive Director, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
4. Comments by Ms. Teresa Marks, Director, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
5. Discussion by Committee Members

C. Discussion of the Watershed Management Plan for the State of Arkansas
1. Comments by Mr. Tony Rimack, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
2. Comment by Mr. Ken Smith, Executive Director, Audubon Arkansas
3. Comments by Ms. Joyce Hale, League of Women Voters
4. Discussion by Committee Members

D. Update on the 2010-2011 Biennium Plan of Work for the Arkansas Water, Waste Disposal and Pollution Abatement Facilities General Obligation Bond Program.
1. Comments by Mr. Randy Young, Executive Director, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
2. Discussion by Committee Members

E. Adjournment

Guess having such meetings in Fayetteville isn't likely because there could be an angrier, larger crowd on hand and demanding to add comment.

Watershed workshop should be offered to city workers involved in several departments

If the city sent 20 supervisory employees to the meetings couldn't a reduced price be negotiated? Or should special sessions with those workers be planned at a group price that could truly make a big difference in both the Beaver Lake and Illinois River watersheds?
Who needs to attend?
Water and sewer officials, trail coordinator and top staff members, park planners and workers, transportation department leaders, urban forester's staff members, city planners, city planning commissioners, city council members: Basically anyone who makes decisions and anyone operates any machinery, including mowers.
If city workers all understand and use best-management decisions voluntarily, then there will be a chance that developers and residents will begin to do the same.

“WEPP Model Workshop for
Watershed Assessment and Planning Applications”

November 17 - 19, 2009, Fayetteville, Arkansas


Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is the Nation's largest source of water quality problems with sediment being one of the most common pollutants, contributing to the impairment of many of our lakes and streams. Understanding erosion processes and sources of sediment associated with land-use practices is an important component of watershed assessment and aids in evaluating management practices to reduce sediment. The Water Erosion Prediction Project or WEPP model is a tool that can be used to predict soil erosion and sediment delivery to provide science-based information for watershed planning.

The WEPP hydrology and erosion model mathematically describes soil erosion and sediment delivery processes. For a single run, WEPP uses several decades of stochastically-generated daily weather to predict daily plant growth and decay, residue accumulation and decay and the soil water balance. For each day with precipitation WEPP predicts infiltration and runoff; and sediment detachment, transport, deposition and delivery along a hill slope and through a stream system. The WEPP model distributes soil loss spatially (at a given point on the hill or in the stream network) and temporally (on a daily, monthly, or annual basis).

Upon completing this course: 1) participants will have a better understanding of erosion processes; 2) they will be able to predict erosion from roads and disturbed hill slopes using online interfaces; 3) they will know how to modify files in WEPP Windows to analyze forests and farmland hillsides and to support GeoWEPP watershed analyses; 4) they will have completed two sets of GeoWEPP exercises, one for identifying critical areas of erosion within a watershed following a wildfire and one for setting up GeoWEPP to complete a Cumulative Watershed Effects analysis including forest and farmlands; and 5) they will gain experience in collecting road and hill slope data in the field and use it to run the WEPP model. A detailed course agenda is attached.

Key topics that will be covered include:
· Overview of science in the WEPP hydrology and erosion model using local climate, soil and topographic details.
· WEPP on-line training with web-based interfaces for forest and farm applications
o Best Management Practices for reducing sediment loss from roads
o Evaluating disturbed sites in forest, farm and urban areas
o Data collection in the field for roads and hillside sites
· Fundamental features of the WEPP Windows and GeoWEPP GIS interfaces as applied to disturbed hillsides and Cumulative Watershed Effects analyses
· Watershed management applications and hands-on sessions
· Case studies in which the WEPP is used to model sediment from forests and farm land at a watershed scale and as a watershed management tool.
· Opportunities to network with other area watershed management specialist.

Who should attend this training: This workshop is designed for professionals who work in the areas of natural resource management, water quality protection, watershed management, and/or nonpoint source pollution. Specialists who will benefit from this training are likely to be employees of federal, state, county, and local agencies, watershed practitioners, scientists, engineers and consultants. You do not have to be a modeler to attend this training. The current WEPP model is easy to learn and is user friendly. The principles and practices presented through this workshop are beneficial to professionals at all levels including managers.

Training approach, instructor, and presenters: The workshop will be taught through interactive lectures, hands-on modeling sessions, and case studies. The workshop will use data collected during a field session to make the WEPP model runs.

Dr. William John Elliot, P.E. is the main instructor for the training. He is a leading international expert on the WEPP model and its applications. Dr. Elliot assisted with the development of the WEPP model and has spent more than 20 years expanding and improving its capabilities. He has over 40 years experience in the area of soil erosion - process and prediction and has taught WEPP workshops throughout the United States, Uganda, and Brazil. Dr. Elliot is currently a research engineer for the Air Water and Aquatic Environments Science Program, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station in Moscow, Idaho.

Other experts will share their experience in utilizing the WEPP model for watershed assessment and planning. Course presenters include: Ethan Inlander, The Nature Conservancy; Alan Clingenpeel, USDA, Forest Service, Ouachita National Forest; and Matthew Van Eps, P.E. & Sandi J. Formica, Watershed Conservation Resource Center.

Host and partners: The Mid-South Watershed Training Program was developed by the Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC) through a US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) grant to provide watershed management training and technical tools needed by environmental professionals, watershed coordinators, conservation districts, and other watershed stakeholders to conserve, restore, and protect our natural resources. Through this program, the WCRC has partnered with the US EPA, USDA Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy to design, organize, and conduct the workshop.

Agenda and Travel Information: The course schedule, content, and speakers can be found in the agenda. Also detailed travel information including location, lodging directions, and parking can be found at the WCRC website, watershedconservation.org.

Registration: Space is limited, so please register early. To register, complete the attached registration form. If you have questions concerning registration, please contact Lori Linn at llinn@watershedconservation.org or at (479) 444-1916. The course tuition is $550 and includes course materials, three continental breakfasts, two lunches, one dinner, and break refreshments.


to protect, conserve, and restore natural resources using a watershed approach

Matthew A. Van Eps
Associate Director
Watershed Conservation Resource Center
380 W. Rock St.
Fayetteville, AR 72701
vaneps@watershedconservation.org
tel:
fax:
5013527294
9283962546

Ducks Unlimited Banquet October 29, 2009, in Fayetteville, Arkansas

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The Morning News reports that Mayor Jordan says green-job training program coming to NWACC sites in Fayetteville and Bentonville

The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Green Job Training Center Coming To Fayetteville
By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE — Fayetteville will be a site for a green collar job training center, the mayor announced Tuesday.
"This is a huge thing for us, to be able to train workers for these green jobs," Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan said.
Two training centers will be located in the state, as part of a U.S. Department of Energy grant. One will be administered by NorthWest Arkansas Community College. The other will be run by Pulaski Technical College in Little Rock.
The programs will train energy auditors, energy raters and weatherization professionals.
"We were fortunate that federal stimulus dollars are available for these types of things," said Karen Minkel, director of strategic planning and internal consulting for the city of Fayetteville, speaking at a summer meeting of the Fayetteville Forward Economic Accountability Council, Green Economy Group. At the time, the group was charged with brainstorming a range of green job creation options. The training center idea was still in its infancy.
The $1.3 million grant going to the community college is not intended for bricks and mortar facilities, but is intended to develop curriculum, officials said.
Some courses will be offered at the Bentonville campus, but a majority will likely be taught at a Fayetteville location, Jordan said.
"Though we don't know where just yet," Jordan said. "That's part of the negotiations that still have to happen."
Numerous details are yet to be worked out about the center.
Fayetteville hopes that being a recipient of the energy grant positions it to also receive a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to pay tuition costs.
"You see, that's real important. If you're unemployed in south Fayetteville, there's a good chance you can't afford these types of things, and this labor grant could help," Jordan said.
The project is a months-long coordinated effort among Fayetteville, NWACC, the University of Arkansas and the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. It represents a central theme to the kinds of jobs Jordan wants to see formed in Northwest Arkansas.
"I truly believe that we would not have it in Fayetteville if he had not pulled everyone together," said Don Marr, Jordan's chief of staff.