Riparian Tree Project Key To Future Water Quality

Friday, February 28, 2014

A March 8 project will provide shaded walks as volunteers join the Illinois River Watershed Partnership's riparian project at seven locations in Northwest Arkansas.

National Arbor Day may be the last Friday in April, but now is the time for planting trees in Northwest Arkansas, said Lauren Ray, education outreach coordinator for the partnership.

At A Glance

Where Are The Sites?

Volunteers will plant thousands of trees at seven project sites around Northwest Arkansas on March 8. This year’s locations are:

• Bentonville Community Center, Southwest I Street, south of Arkansas 12

• Gentry Park, trees planted for Flint Creek Power Plant Tree Farm

• Rogers Regional Sports Park, 2150 N. Dixieland Road

• U.S. 62 Trail, Prairie Grove, west of Walmart

• Spring Creek, Grove Street Park, Springdale

• Sager Creek, Bob Henry Park, Siloam Springs

• Townbranch, Tahlequah, Okla.

Source: Staff REport

Web Watch

Volunteer

To volunteer at the March 8 Riparian Project for Arbor Day visit www.irwp.org/volunt….

"A lot of these seedlings are still dormant in early March," Ray said.

Volunteers are key in planting the 4,000 trees prepared by the partnership's staff of four, she said.

Rogers will celebrate March 8 as Arbor Day, said Andrea Brinton, assistant park director.

States can set their own Arbor Day based on the best time for planting trees, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

Rogers volunteers will plant water oaks in the flood plain next to the Regional Sports Park.

"When you get 50 people planting, it goes really quick," Brinton said.

Someday the trees will offer shade and beauty to the Regional Sports Park Trail, and they will help filter the water that flows into a stream, Brinton said.

The 400 seedlings planted in Springdale will be in areas the city doesn't mow, said Rick McWhorter, parks and recreation director. Getting the trees established takes time. Some of the trees planted in years past died because of drought, he said.

Planting trees now could pay off in controlling erosion 30, 40 or 50 years from now, McWhorter said.

The annual cleanup sweep that goes with the planting gets bottles, cans and plastic bags out of the stream bed, he said.

The day can be an introduction between volunteers and their neighborhood parks, McWhorter said.

"Once they're in a park like that, they kinda take ownership," he said.

This is the seventh year for the Illinois River Watershed Partnership's project.

The project is a success because it gets people talking about the river and what they can do besides plant trees, said Tim Snell, associate state director for the Nature Conservancy.

There are other ways to improve water quality, Snell said. Shorter showers use less water, and a soil test to determine what fertilizers will best help the lawn instead of a blanket application can lessen chemical runoff.

The Illinois River starts in Northwest Arkansas and flows into Oklahoma. Sometimes Oklahomans volunteer with the project because they live downstream, Snell said.

People enjoy volunteering in their communities, Ray said.

The seedlings those volunteers will plant are small. "Picture a 2-foot twig," Ray said, but planting trees can make a difference.

The seven planting sites are along streams that are part of the Illinois River Watershed. All native species are used in the plantings because they are more likely to thrive.

The trees planted will be part of a riparian zone. A riparian buffer is a line of trees around water such as a stream, pond or wetland area, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The trees decrease erosion, provide cover for wildlife and shade the water, lowering the temperature. A strong riparian zone can help stormwater soak into the ground instead of causing flooding and keep rainwater from washing pollutants downstream, Ray said.

The faster water moves, the more likely it is to damage a stream bed, Snell said. Fast-moving water picks up soil, gravel and other sediment and churns it into the stream. Once it flows downstream, dirty water can shorten the lifespan of a lake and is harder to clean for drinking water, he said.

Roads, roofs, parking lots and driveways let the water run without stopping, he said. Trees can help counter that runoff.

"Trees in the yards are important, too," Snell said. "It's not just by the river."

NW News on 02/28/2014