Watershed Protection Meeting Aug. 10, 2023

Third Public Meeting for Illinois River Watershed Management Plan Set for August 10

LITTLE ROCK, AR—The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division (NRD), in
partnership with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC), has scheduled the third in a series of public meetings to update the watershed-based management plan for the Illinois River Watershed. The meeting will be held August 10, 2023, in West Siloam Springs, Oklahoma.
The Illinois River and its tributaries have a variety of uses set forth by the Arkansas Pollution Control and
Ecology Commission (APCEC), including fisheries, recreation, drinking water supply, and agricultural and industrial water supply. The goal of this watershed-based plan is to protect and improve water quality in streams and other waterbodies by addressing non-regulatory issues through voluntary activities or practices.

“We greatly appreciate the overwhelming turnout of nearly 100 stakeholders for the second meeting in
May,” said Tate Wentz, NRD Water Quality Section Manager. “The third meeting will focus on watershed
modeling and anticipated outcomes of conservation practice implementation. We will continue to
accept input from stakeholders about those practices, so it is critical for anyone interested to attend as it will help guide resource allocations to improve water quality into the future.”
The meeting is open to the public and will provide an overview of the watershed management planning
process. Stakeholders will discuss water quality issues, conservation practices, the current state of the watershed, and the next steps in the development of the management plan.
The meeting is set for August 10 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will be held at the Cherokee Casino
and Hotel located at 2416 US-412, West Siloam Springs, Oklahoma, 74338.
For more information about the meeting, contact Tate Wentz at tate.wentz@agriculture.arkansas.gov.