Guest Column: Economic development threatens Ozarks' waters

And despite recent flooding on our rivers, lakes and streams, the waters receded and are beckoning fishermen and women, boaters, canoe enthusiasts and visitors to the region.

The flow of history

Much of the area’s appeal comes from the water quality we enjoy in our rivers, lakes and streams. The first explorers of the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks noted the crystal clear water that bubbled up from springs and fed the streams.

The White River was one of the earliest highways into the Ozarks and tributaries such as the James, Kings and War Eagle rivers attracted some of the earliest settlers to the region. A review of Ozarks history supports the fact that the rivers and streams have been a common denominator in our culture and life for nearly two centuries.

During more recent years, since dams on the White River created Bull Shoals, Table Rock and Beaver Lakes, the region has grown significantly, with increasing population, new business and industry, more poultry and cattle and a burgeoning tourism industry putting communities such as Branson on the national map. The natural beauty of the Ozarks, an attractive lifestyle and particularly the water resources that define the region all have prompted substantial development and growth in the last several decades.

Consequences of growth

With this growth have come threats to the water we enjoy because people and economic development too often create a mess that can impinge on water quality.

A slowly failing wastewater treatment system – a treatment plant that returns too much phosphorus in effluent to a local stream – poultry litter from millions of chickens, trash and residue from a growing population, and sediment runoff from new subdivisions and condominium projects are examples of the byproducts of growth and development that impact water quality.

Recognition of these often subtle and incremental sources of water degradation has come with concerns about algae in the rivers and lakes, and waning water clarity.

There have, of course, been legal and regulatory responses to water quality threats. The Environmental Protection Agency and Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources have regulatory and enforcement authority to keep the water and air clean. While their work is important, it is not enough to get 100 percent of the job done.

Local solutions

Nongovernmental organizations, such as the James and Kings River Basin Partnerships, the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake Water Quality and the Upper White River Basin Foundation, provide leadership at the local level in education, research, citizen involvement, public policy advocacy and action projects directed toward sustaining the quality of Ozarks’ waters.

One of the greatest challenges in assuring the long term health of our rivers, lakes and streams is to create awareness and understanding among average citizens about threats to water quality. Even more important is motivating people to take positive steps in sustaining water quality. The watershed organizations mentioned above are working daily to raise awareness and to provide a local supplement to the enforcement role of the regulatory agencies.

It’s a good idea for businesses to look closely at their operating processes in terms of how they affect water quality. Answering these questions is a good way to get started. 

• What byproducts, effluent or runoff result from company operations? These are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Natural Resources. 

• How much runoff comes from the company’s impervious site surfaces? Are there new approaches to consider in terms of storm-water control on the property. 

• For new development, are there low-impact techniques that can be employed? There also might be site upgrades that existing businesses can put in place, too. 

Streams in this area, including Bull, Swan, Beaver, Flat and Crane, and the lakes such as Table Rock and Bull Shoals, have colored and shaped the character of Ozarks people and culture for a long time. They represent wonderful resources that have defined this region, contributed to its development and prosperity and continue to sustain us today. Our water resources in the Ozarks are a precious asset and worthy of everyone’s interest, support and protection.

John E. Moore Jr. is executive director of the Upper White River Basin Foundation. He may be reached at jmoore@whiteriverbasin.org. More information about Ozark waters can be found at uwrb.org.[[In-content Ad]]