THE SOURCE - Beaver Water District
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THE SOURCE
The Source is a quarterly publication of Beaver Water District Feb. 2021
Take Our Virtual Drinking
Water Plant Tour
By Amy Wilson interactive educational collaboration
Director of Public Affairs
with our partners at the Cave Springs
In looking back on the disruption of Illinois River Watershed Sanctuary and
lives resulting from a pandemic here in Springdale Wastewater Treatment
Northwest Arkansas and around the Facility. Although COVID concerns led
world this past year, hindsight brought to postponement of partner site tour
an unexpected opportunity to light. video production, Beaver Water
Pilot tests of a Beaver Water District District’s Virtual Drinking Water Plant
(BWD) Youth Drinking Water Plant Tour Tour video recording wrapped and entered
in January 2020 had been successful. the editing process by late Summer
Additionally, plans for a Water Resources, 2020. With edits completed, BWD is
Careers, and Treatment STEAM instruc- now proud to present the final product.
tional series with complementary vid- “At a time like this, when our plant
eos were in progress to provide an site is closed to all visitors, the Virtual
online version of the ever-popular Drinking Water Plant Tour fills gaps,”
Urban Water Cycle Tour, a “3-site” said Lane Crider, CEO Continued on page 2
Page 2
Virtual tour continued from page 1
of Beaver Water District. “This video plements for a virtual learning experi-
creates a way for us to continue to con- ence, on how BWD takes water from
nect with Chamber leadership groups, Beaver Lake and cleans it to make it
our schoolchildren and the public. Just safe for drinking, at bwdh2o.org.
go to our website and click play on the Speaker and education staff-driven
video to take the tour. It’s that easy.” presentations, via virtual meeting appli-
Beaver Water District’s educators cations, are also available by request.
and other staff stand at the ready to To learn more, visit the website or send
answer any questions. Access online an email to awilson@bwdh2o.org or
instructional materials and visual sup- education@bwdh2o.org.
Page 3
MESSAGE
FROM THE CEO M. Lane Crider P.E., LEED AP
Preparing for Spring
In preparation of my CEO’s message, I to catch our breath and prepare.
was reviewing the topics and articles being Here at Beaver Water District, we are
presented in this edition of The Source. It preparing for spring in many ways. First
occurred to me that much of what we have and foremost, we are implementing the
included can be thought of as the District’s roadmap of our updated Strategic Plan…
“preparation for spring.” Author Gary Zukav we are preparing for our future. We are
was attributed with the following quote: positioning our staff with new opportuni-
ties and responsibilities, and we are sup-
The winter solstice has always been
special to me as a barren darkness that gives porting the future of our industry by
birth to a verdant future beyond imagination, engaging and supporting students who
a time of pain and withdrawal that produces
something joyfully inconceivable, like a monarch
wish to develop careers in engineering,
butterfly masterfully extracting itself from the environmental, and agricultural sciences.
confines of its cocoon, bursting forth into We are also developing new educational
unexpected glory.
curriculums and platforms to engage our
The recent winter solstice (the short- schoolchildren and the general public
est and darkest day of the year) and the about Beaver Water District and the
current time of year leaves many of us importance of our mission to provide
wishing for the quick arrival of spring. clean, safe drinking water and to protect
More poignantly, we are in the midst of our water source, Beaver Lake. And we
the dark winter solstice of this ongoing are planting…in preparation of Spring.
pandemic, along with the bitter social A watershed moment is a turning
and political divisions within our country. point; the exact moment that changes
It is unlikely, in my opinion, that any pre- the direction of an activity or situation. A
vious “change of season” has ever been watershed moment is a dividing point
more anticipated in this generation. from which things will never be the same.
However, we shouldn’t be too quick to It is considered momentous, though a
wish away our winter and what is the watershed moment is often recognized
powerful significance that this time of in hindsight. 2020 was a watershed year
year brings…an opportunity for reflec- in our history in almost all aspects of our
tion, planning, and preparation, and in lives; economically, scientifically, socially,
some ways, simply surviving in the and politically. As we enter 2021 in these
harshest of the seasons. The winter winter months, it is my sincere hope that
months for many water providers, includ- you will take the opportunity to reflect on
ing Beaver Water District, bring lower what has been and what is to come, and
production rates because of reduced to prepare. I believe that Beaver Water
demands. But these months also provide District is going to emerge from our win-
critical opportunities to perform mainte- ter into a spring full of growth, prosperity,
nance, inspections, upgrades, and and new beginnings, and I hope and pray
improvements. Winter is an opportunity the same for all of you.
Page 4
Nicole “Nikki” Holloway
Promoted to Laboratory Supervisor
2013. Later, BWD promoted her to
Laboratory Analyst. Holloway is cur-
rently working on her thesis "Use and
Feasibility of Polyaluminum Chloride
Coagulants" to meet requirements for
a distance learning M.S. degree in
Environmental Science from the
University of Idaho. Holloway is an
active member of the American Water
Works Association (AWWA), serving as
a past chair for the Southwest Section
Young Professionals Committee. She
serves on the AWWA’s Water Quality
Laboratory Committee and Young
Professionals Committee.
Beaver Water District (BWD) pro- Holloway spent four years as a val-
moted Nicole “Nikki” Holloway of ued member of the BWD Top Ops Team
Springdale to Laboratory Supervisor (water treatment quiz bowl). During that
on Oct. 1. Holloway oversees the labo- time, BWD placed first every year at the
ratory staff and works with other Southwest Section AWWA competition.
departments at BWD to analyze both She now coaches the BWD Team. In
watershed and treated water quality. 2014, the Northwest District of the
Holloway began her career in the Arkansas Water Works and Water
drinking water industry as a college Environment Association (AWW&WEA)
intern for three years in the Water named Holloway the Water Laboratory
Quality Laboratory at City Utilities of Professional of the year. Holloway holds
Springfield, Mo. After she graduated a Class IV Water Treatment Operator
from Missouri State University with a license and Class IV Water Distribution
B.S. in Chemistry, she joined the team Operator license, both through the
at BWD as a Laboratory Technician in Arkansas Department of Health.
The District’s Public Affairs and Education Team has been hard at work to
enable our Water Education Center KIOSK GAMES to be played virtually and
used in education settings digitally. Please visit the website and play our Land-
Use-Land-Change Games here: https://www.bwdh2o.org/game/.
(Not optimized for mobile devices.)
Page 5
UA Students Awarded
Steele-Croxton Memorial Scholarships
The following University of or Crop, Soil, and Environmental
Arkansas (UA) students have received Sciences who have demonstrated
Joe M. Steele & Hardy W. Croxton interest in drinking water treatment,
Memorial Scholarships for 2020-2021. wastewater treatment, environmental
Jacob Taylor (from left) of Rogers is or life sciences. The fund is managed
pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering. by the University of Arkansas.
Machaela Morrison of West Fork is Donations may be made payable to
focused on a degree in Environmental, the Joe M. Steele & Hardy W. Croxton
Soil and Water Science. Jake Krier of Memorial Scholarship Endowment
Fayetteville, a previous winner, is Account and mailed to Gift Services,
majoring in Biological Engineering. 300 University House, University of
Beaver Water District Board Members Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701. For
donate board meeting attendance fees more information about making a
to the scholarship fund. These scholar- tax-deductible donation, contact
ships provide financial assistance to Kristin Ford, Associate Director of
upperclassman or graduate students Development for the UA College of
in the Departments of Civil Engineering, Engineering, at kristinf@uark.edu or
Biological and Agricultural Engineering call (479) 575- 6764.
Mission
To sustainably provide our
customers with safe, economical drinking water.
Page 6
Woody Bassett and David Short
Re-elected
On Nov. 3, voters re-elected the Bassett of Fayetteville (Washington
following Beaver Water District Board County) and David Short of Bentonville
members to six-year terms: Woody (Benton County).
Woody Bassett, a lifelong resident of
Fayetteville, has practiced law for 43 years and is
a partner in the Bassett Law Firm LLP in
Fayetteville. He attended the University of
Arkansas and graduated from the Arkansas Law
School in 1977. He served as a Special Associate
Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court on a case
in 1996, and he received the outstanding lawyer
award from the Arkansas Bar Association in 2003.
Mr. Bassett is active in Washington County and in
Fayetteville on community projects and in chari-
table fundraising efforts. He is a member of
Central United Methodist Church.
David Short is retired president and CEO of
Arvest Bank, Benton County, and he previously
served as president of the Beaver Water District
Board of Directors. During his time with Arvest, he
received from the Chamber of Commerce both
the Sam Walton Award (for his contributions to
the community) and the Ed Buck Award (for
excellence in business leadership). Additionally,
he served on the Arkansas State Bank Board
from 2003 to 2008. He was the founding presi-
dent and chairman of the board of Main Street
Bentonville, which became Downtown Bentonville,
Inc. as well as founding president of Bentonville
Schools Foundation. His career at Arvest took
him to Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and to
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, before returning to
Bentonville. He currently serves on the Tree &
Landscape Committee for the city of Bentonville
and the Parks Conservancy Board. He and his
wife Deb are members of Fellowship Bible Church.
Page 7
Native Plant Enhancement Project
Underway at Beaver Water District
A Native Plant Enhancement Ozarks Highlands Ecoregion — are
Project broke ground at Beaver Water established in this area, as well as a 1.5
District (BWD) on Nov. 12. BWD staff acre site at the Administration Center/
led by Dr. James McCarty, Manager of Water Education Center, they will be
Environmental Quality, and Sandi enjoyed by employees and be an edu-
Formica, of the Watershed Conservation cational tool for BWD staff, visitors, and
Resource Center, spent the day con- the local community. The native vege-
verting a drainage area at the main gate tation will reduce the amount of time
to native plant species, emphasizing spent by the district on lawncare in
wildflowers and wetland plants. The some of our more difficult areas,
plan for this area also includes vegetat- improve filtration of stormwater runoff,
ing the upper slopes with pollinator and support pollinators, such as but-
habitat to reduce the lawn area. Once terflies and bees needed for healthy
native plants – associated with the ecosystems. Continued on page 2
Page 8
Native Plant Project continued from page 1
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