August 2012 – November 2018 Data Report Prepared by: Angela Danovi Beaver LakeSmart / StreamSmart Coordinator Ozarks Water Watch 1200 W. Walnut Street, Suite 3405 Rogers, AR 72756 Table of Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................iii Water Quality Parameter Descriptions ............................................................................................................................... iii Alkalinity ......................................................................................................................................................................... iii Conductivity.................................................................................................................................................................... iii pH ................................................................................................................................................................................... iv Total Dissolved Solids ...................................................................................................................................................... v Total Nitrogen ................................................................................................................................................................. v Total Phosphorus ............................................................................................................................................................. v Volunteer Impact on StreamSmart .................................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements................................................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1 - Beaver Lake Watershed ............................................................................................................................1 Chapter 2 - Beaver Reservoir Subwatershed ...............................................................................................................4 Brush Creek – Site 300 ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Prairie Creek – Site 306 ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 3 - Headwaters-White River-Lake Sequoyah Subwatershed .......................................................................... 11 Baldwin Creek near St. Paul – Site 103 ............................................................................................................................. 13 White River near St. Paul – Site 104 ................................................................................................................................. 15 Chapter 4 - Middle Fork of the White River Subwatershed ........................................................................................ 18 Middle Fork of the White River Near Harris Rd. – Site 201 .............................................................................................. 20 Chapter 5 - Richland Creek Subwatershed ................................................................................................................. 23 Site 205 – Hock Creek ....................................................................................................................................................... 25 Chapter 6- War Eagle Subwatershed ......................................................................................................................... 28 Tributaries to the War Eagle ............................................................................................................................................. 30 Ogden Creek – Site 108 .................................................................................................... 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Glade Creek – Site 302 .................................................................................................................................................. 30 Clear Creek – Site 303 ................................................................................................................................................... 32 Clifty Creek – Site 304 ................................................................................................................................................... 35 Holman Creek Upstream of Huntsville – Site 307 ......................................................................................................... 37 Holman Creek Downstream of Huntsville – Site 308 .................................................................................................... 39 War Eagle Creek Sites ....................................................................................................................................................... 43 War Eagle Creek – Site 107 .............................................................................................. 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War Eagle Creek at Withrow Springs - Site 301 ............................................................................................................ 43 War Eagle at the Mill – Site 305 .................................................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 7 - West Fork of the White River Subwatershed ........................................................................................... 49 Tributaries to the West Fork ............................................................................................................................................. 51 i | Page Ward Slough – Site 200 ................................................................................................................................................. 51 Town Branch near the White River Ball Fields – Site 210 ............................................................................................. 53 Spout Spring Branch – Site 206 ..................................................................................................................................... 56 Mullins Creek at the University of Arkansas – Site 202 ................................................................................................ 58 West Fork of the White River Sites ................................................................................................................................... 61 West Fork near Brentwood Park – Site 102 .................................................................................................................. 61 West Fork near Baptist Ford Bridge – Site 101 ............................................................................................................. 63 References ...............................................................................................................................................................67 Glossary of Terms ....................................................................................................................................................69 ii | Page Introduction Volunteers are monitoring water quality of local area waterways in Northwest Arkansas’ Beaver Lake Watershed through a project called StreamSmart. This project is part of Ozarks Water Watch’s Volunteer Monitoring Program, which promotes residents doing their part to keep our local waterways safe and clean for everyone to use and enjoy. Ozarks Water Watch’s goal for StreamSmart is to collect high quality, long-term base flow data by engaging local volunteers in monitoring. During monitoring, volunteers collect a water sample that is analyzed at Arkansas Water Resources Center at the University of Arkansas. Each water sample is analyzed for alkalinity, conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. In the field, volunteers take an air temperature reading, a water temperature, and complete the EPA Rapid Bioassessment (Habitat Assessment) each quarter. During May and August monitoring, volunteers will measure stream discharge and complete a benthic macroinvertebrate survey. Data collected during the monitoring periods from August 2012 – November 2016 are presented in tables for each site in this report. The report is laid out in chapters by subwatershed and sites are listed in the report from upstream to downstream within the subwatersheds. Water Quality Parameter Descriptions Alkalinity Alkalinity is the water's capacity to resist changes in pH that would make the water more acidic. Alkalinity refers to the capability of water to neutralize acid. The alkalinity of natural water is determined by the soil and bedrock through which it passes. The main sources for natural alkalinity are rocks which contain carbonate, bicarbonate, and hydroxide compounds. Limestone is rich in carbonates, so waters flowing through limestone regions or bedrock containing carbonates generally have high alkalinity - hence good buffering capacity. Conversely, areas rich in granites and some conglomerates and sandstones may have low alkalinity and, therefore, poor buffering capacity. Alkalinity