UACES Facebook Extension hosting local forum to help communities identify water quality priorities
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Extension hosting local forum to help communities identify water quality priorities 

Fast facts

    • The March 3 forum will be an opportunity to help communities identify watershed priorities & goals for residents living within the Bayou Bartholomew Watershed
    • The Bayou Bartholomew Watershed affects seven counties, including Ashley, Cleveland, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Jefferson and Lincoln counties

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STAR CITY, Ark. — People who live, work, recreate or own property in the Bayou Bartholomew watershed are invited to participate in a March 3 forum on local water quality.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is hosting the forum in Star City to discuss water quality concerns and community priorities for reducing pollution in waterways in the Bayou Bartholomew Watershed.

The watershed crosses multiple county lines and is the drainage basin for communities in parts of Ashley, Cleveland, Chicot, Desha, Drew, Jefferson and Lincoln counties. The forum, which starts at 9 a.m. and is expected to conclude at noon, will be at C & L Electric Cooperative, 900 Church St. in Star City.

The forum is an extension of an annual stakeholder meeting that the Division of Agriculture’s Public Policy Center holds each year in Little Rock. The stakeholder meeting is a product of a partnership between the Division of Agriculture and the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, the state agency responsible for developing and implementing programs to reduce nonpoint source water pollution.

The Cooperative Extension Service is hosting forums across the state as additional opportunities for Arkansans to get involved in local water issues.

“It’s important for people who live or work in the Bayou Bartholomew Watershed to get engaged and participate in conversations about local water quality priorities,” said Kristin Higgins, a program associate with the Public Policy Center. “Improving and maintaining water quality requires the commitment of people from different organizations and perspectives working together.”

Extension staff will lead participants through a series of interactive discussions during the forum. Comments or strategies identified during the forum could help communities begin to address local water quality issues.

The Bayou Bartholomew Watershed contains a variety of landscapes, ranging from rolling forested hills to relatively flat farmland. Past water quality monitoring and testing have shown issues with sediment and nutrients in local waterways.

The forum is open to the public. People interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP by e-mail to publicpolicycenter@uada.edu or by calling 501-671-2228.

Higgins can be reached at khiggins@uada.edu or 501-671-2160 to answer questions specific to the Bayou Bartholomew Watershed forum.

The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.

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By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2120
rmcgeeney@uada.edu

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