H2Ozarks invites community members to join conversation about Table Rock Lake Watershed

H2Ozarks invites community members to join the conversation about the Table Rock Lake Watershed Management Plan (WMP). This comprehensive plan, designed by H2Ozarks and the Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) at Missouri State University, aims to identify impairments in water quality and provide strategies for protection and improvement of the watershed. They welcome interested individuals to join their stakeholder advisory group online at https://www.h2ozarks.org/trlwmp.

One topic of conversation at stakeholder meetings is the omission of the northern part of the watershed, the James River arm. The James River is the largest tributary of the White River in Missouri and accounts for around 30% of all water flowing into Table Rock Lake. Despite this significance, the James River Arm is omitted from the Table Rock Lake WMP because of an existing Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan.

In the late 1990s, a series of large algae blooms occurred in the James River due to excess nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus. In 2001, the TMDL was established to reduce the amount of these nutrients from flowing into Table Rock and restore water quality for its designated uses, such as recreation and protection of aquatic life. Additionally, The James River watershed has its own WMP, which was accepted by EPA in 2021.

“The Table Rock Lake watershed is a large area that encompasses many smaller sub-watersheds,” explained Carin Love, CEO of H2Ozarks. “The James River TMDL achieves similar goals as a WMP, which enables us to prioritize regions of the watershed that have no management strategies in place. It’s like piecing together a puzzle. Each piece is different, but once they’re all connected, we have a whole picture that provides long-lasting water quality improvements.

H2Ozarks and OEWRI encourage community members, landowners and local organizations to get involved in the planning process. Those interested in learning more or becoming a stakeholder can visit https://www.h2ozarks.org/trlwmp to sign up, or can email contact@H2Ozarks.orgto learn more.

The Table Rock Lake WMP is supported by a $190,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) through the Federal Nonpoint Source Pollution Section 319 program.

About H2OzarksH2Ozarks is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and improving water quality throughout the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri. Since 2001, H2Ozarks has worked with communities, landowners and partners to promote sustainable practices and environmental stewardship through education, financial assistance and technical support.