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For Immediate Release
More Info: Susan Bolyard, 479-442-4888, sbolyard@usgs.gov
USGS and the City of Eureka Springs collaborate to seek funding to study and
develop plan to protect the springs in Eureka Springs
By Becky Gillette, Contributing Writer
The springs that gave Eureka Springs its name and helped the town grow into a
bustling health spa resort in the late 1800s are now the subject of a proposed
study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Arkansas Water Science Center to
better understand and protect the springs that Native Americans and early
settlers believed had healing powers.
“The springs and the groundwater system of Eureka Springs are clearly one of
Arkansas’ important natural gifts,” said USGS Senior Hydrologist Phil Hays,
Ph.D. “While many of the springs are now contaminated, and some folks feel that
cleaning up the system might be difficult, the USGS has been a partner helping
with the science of monitoring and protecting other, similar systems in the U.S.
and has seen that community-based protection of vulnerable spring systems can be
very successful even under very challenging circumstance.”
Hays and USGS Hydrologist Susan E. Bolyard have been meeting with the Eureka
Springs Parks and Recreation Commission Committee, and recently provided the
committee with a ten-page proposal for a study to better understand the flow
system responsible for the springs, how humans have affected the springs, and
how to provide other information that can be used by the city of Eureka Springs
to effectively manage and protect the springs.
“As in much of the Ozarks, the type of terrain around Eureka Springs, known as
karst, makes the springs susceptible to contamination,” Hays said. “With removal
or management of sources of contamination, the quality of the springs could
improve substantially.”
Hays said the springs of Eureka Springs have the ability to show improved water
quality relatively quickly—often at time scales of weeks to months—due to the
rapid transit times that predominate in such aquifers, the same conditions that
contribute to vulnerability. With removal of sources of contamination, these
springs could rebound to more pristine water quality and again be a natural
resource warranting the founding and naming of a city.
In Northwest Arkansas, where the geology consists of karst features, the
boundary between groundwater and surface water can be difficult to determine.
“An excellent example in Eureka Springs is Lake Leatherwood,” Bolyard said.
“Although this lake is known to be a spring fed lake, the influence and
contribution of surface water and human influenced runoff has yet to be
determined. Determining groundwater and surface water interactions for Lake
Leatherwood will further educate us as to the water quality and viability of yet
another one of Eureka Springs natural resources.”
The Springs Committee has been working with the City of Eureka Springs, the
University of Arkansas, and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality,
USGS and local concerned citizens to find funding and initiate a comprehensive
study to address improvement of the springs.
“We are very happy that so many people are interested in bringing the springs
forward,” said Barbara Harmony, who is coordinator of the Springs Committee.
“Many people have already donated a considerable amount of time towards coming
up with a plan to study and protect the springs. We know that a vital component
of protecting water quality anywhere is educating local residents, so I’m
pleased that this proposal includes plans to educate and inspire people to
protect the springs.”
Potential components of the desired study include a characterization of the
geology and hydrology of the springs, determination of the water quality of the
major springs, identification of potential and existing sources of
contamination, and installation of a monitoring network for which the spring
water data will be presented in a real time at a local visitor-accessible kiosk
in Eureka Springs, as well as on the Internet.
Harmony said these components would provide information necessary for
development of a corrective action and long-term management plan. Information
could also be used to develop educational, interpretive displays about the
springs and geology of Eureka Springs.
The USGS report would describe the following:
1. General hydrogeology, flowpaths, and recharge areas for springs.
2. Baseline water quality for the local, shallow ground-water system, including
individual springs.
3. Short-term temporal variability associated with storm events and any changes
in local contaminant sources.
Plans call for the report to be distributed to all interested entities and to be
available to the public in general. Results will be presented at relevant forums
and a least one national scientific meeting to make the resource management and
scientific communities aware of results and methodologies developed.
“Developing a comprehensive understanding of the springs flow system, defining
critical spring recharge areas, characterizing water quality, and identifying
contaminant sources will enable development of a management scheme capable of
cleaning up the springs, reestablishing water of excellent quality, and
maintaining the health of the springs for the future,” Hays said. “This
ultimately must include involvement of the public. History has shown repeatedly
that increasing public awareness and engaging active public involvement is a
critical element of successful management and protection of vulnerable water
resources.”
Eureka Springs Mayor Dani Joy said the proposed USGS study is a win-win
situation for city residents, visitors and the environment.
“We greatly appreciate the hard work that went into this proposal to do a study
to better understand and protect the springs of Eureka,” Joy said. “The springs
are what made Eureka famous, and they continue to be one of our greatest assets.
There are solutions to improving the water quality of the springs, and the city
looks forward to being a major part of that effort.”
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