Razorback Greenway Bushwhack

(Cancelled) was Saturday, October 26th, 2019 from 9:00am to 12:00pm (CT)
This event has been cancelled.

About

Help make a difference in the Beaver Lake watershed by removing invasive bush honeysuckle along an urban stream for Fayetteville's Spout Springs Branch! 

The Beaver Watershed Alliance (BWA), in partnership with the City of Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas Volunteer Action Center will engage volunteers in efforts to remove invasive species along a stream at Walker Park in Fayetteville as part of the national Make a Difference Day campaign. The event will be held on Saturday, October 26 from 9 a.m to 11 a.m. and volunteers will meet at Walker Park's north parking lot, located at 753 S Block Ave. to receive supplies and hands on training. Meeting location will be at the north side of the park, near the new splash pad and skating park. 

Directions: From the U of A campus, head south Razorback Rd., turn east on MLK Blvd., travel approximately 1 mile east on MLK, turn south on S. Block St., just past 7th street look to your right for a driveway/parking lot. The Alliance will have a table setup to check in. 

Details: Volunteers will help remove honeysuckle using hand loppers and hand tools. This will be an outdoor activity, wear outdoor shoes (closed-toe) and comfortable clothing. Drinks and snacks will be provided to volunteers.

Spout Spring Branch, an urban waterway, stretches through the city property and has long been a favorite place for kids and families to enjoy, however, the banks are overgrown with honeysuckle, blocking users from accessing the waterway and enjoying the space in a safe way. Bush honeysuckle chokes out native plants and reduces biodiversity of streambanks, causing degradation in water quality. The invasive plants have shallow root systems, and do not help with rain runoff as well as native plants. This project aims to remove the targeted invasive species and allow for native plants to grow for pollinators, wildlife, and improves streambank and water quality.

BWA is working with the City of Fayetteville and community partners to conduct on the ground restoration activities that will improve the water quality of Beaver Lake, the region's drinking water supply. The project site lies within the Town Branch watershed, a sub-watershed of the West Fork-White River watershed. Spout Spring Branch flows through the city property, and joins Town Branch, which flows into the West Fork of the White River (WFWR) and eventually reaches Beaver Lake. The WFWR is an impaired river impacted by sediment and nutrients, and has lost one-third of aquatic species on record since 1894 (Brown et al., 2003). In October 2017, the Alliance was awarded a grant to conduct education and restoration in the Town Branch watershed as part of a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five-Star Urban Watershed grant program.

This project is also part of the national Make a Difference Day campaign, which aims to improve the lives of others through a united day of community service. Partners and sponsors for this event include the University of Arkansas Volunteer Action Center, City of Fayetteville and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The Beaver Watershed Alliance is a non-profit organization focused on maintaining high quality drinking water in Beaver Lake and improving water quality within the Beaver Lake Watershed by working with a diverse stakeholder group representing agricultural, recreation, conservation, water utility, business, and private landowner perspectives who all work together for the benefit of Beaver Lake and its watershed. To learn more about BWA, best management practices for water quality, or how you can become involved in voluntary watershed protection go to http://www.beaverwatershedalliance.org or contact BWA at 479-750-8007.

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3 Positions Filled | 4 Impacts | 12 Hours