BENTONVILLE — The Illinois River Watershed Partnership will develop a 31-acre watershed sanctuary at Lake Keith in Cave Springs, the group announced Thursday night.
The partnership and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission said in May they were pursuing the 6-acre lake and land surrounding it to construct educational and recreational facilities.
Delia Haak, executive director for the partnership, showed contributors at Thursday’s event several current and old photographs of the property. A rusty waterwheel that once pumped clear water from the spring up to the town’s water tower now sits unused among weeds near the lake. The wheel is just one of several historic structures the partnership hopes to “preserve and enhance,” Haak said.
At A Glance
Lake Keith
Lake Keith in Cave Springs was first known as Loch Lono after it was created from a dam to operate a gristmill. E.L. Keith purchased the property in 1947 and built a skating rink, a restaurant and a trout hatchery. The spring that feeds lake and its two caves produces 6 million gallons of water each day at constant temperature of 54 degrees.
Source: Encyclopedia of Arkansas
Lake Keith and its caves are home to the largest known population of rare Ozark cavefish, as well as a large colony of gray bats. The north cave has been closed to the public since the 1980s.
The partnership’s plans for the property include wildlife trails, educational kiosks, an outdoor classroom, a fishing pier and fisheries management. The partnership will bring in painter and a sculptor to integrate fountains, cave features and color schemes in a way that blends the area’s natural environment with the new development.
The group undertook a fundraising effort to buy the land. Contributors including the Walton Family Foundation were honored Thursday night.
“This is a group of people who really believed and worked really hard to make this happen,” Haak said.
The commission looked into buying the land several years ago but found the property too expensive, Mike Armstrong, deputy director of the commission, said in May. Since then, the property fell into foreclosure.
The commission has agreed to assist the partnership with planning and site development and will finance up to $880,000 of the cost, according to a news release. The commission will also have the option to construct a regional office on the property with a 99-year lease at $1 per year.
Cave Springs Mayor Larry Smith said he is thrilled with the development.
“Lake Keith is a benefit to the entire area,” he said. “This helps the Watershed Partnership. It helps the city of Cave Springs. It makes us a destination place.”