Upper White River report is released
Ozarks Water Watch's latest Upper White River watershed report shows high water quality, particularly in the Northwest Arkansas corridor, the group's president and executive director David Casaletto said.
Ozarks Water Watch compiled samples from volunteers, government agencies and other businesses from 2016, assessed them and released the findings in late July as a part of its seventh annual installment of Status of the Watershed reports.
The report breaks down the results into three tiers, with most of the low-tier test results occurring in Missouri, near Springfield.
But even the low scores are good, Casaletto said. He said he would give the watershed's water quality a grade of "B-minus" -- meaning it's good to swim, fish and boat in, but it faces threats from fast-growing cities.
"We're above average," he said.
In Northwest Arkansas, Casaletto said, policies and practices of planting vegetation and establishing buffers near streams have led to higher water quality, and Springfield isn't far behind.
Ozarks Water Watch is a Missouri-based organization that seeks to improve water quality in the Upper White River watershed through research and action in Arkansas and Missouri.
Tires on property prompt LR to sue
The city of Little Rock has sued two people for keeping too many tires on a South Pine Street property.
In the past 14 months, Larry Charles Calmes has pleaded no contest three times to violations of city environmental code and was found guilty last month in Little Rock District Court of violating city environmental codes, according to the lawsuit filed Friday.
The city is asking Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza to find the property to be a nuisance, require the property to be "closed, boarded, secured, and razed, if necessary," to hold an emergency hearing and to close the property for a period of time.
The property in question is at 2301 S. Pine St. The lawsuit states that Calmes and Charles Calmes Jr. have "a legal or equitable interest in the property." The lawsuit also names "any other party with an interest in 2301 S. Pine St." as defendants.
Pulaski County property records show the land is owned by "Squall Charles" and is appraised at $32,950.
The Calmes have been accused of dumping tires on that and other properties in Pulaski County and are the subject of a lawsuit brought by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality over tires piled up on Pitts Road, the site of an hourslong tire fire nearly three years ago.
Metro on 08/21/2017