National Water Center, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
         

National Water Center, Eureka Springs, AR

Updated: April 2014 Contact: Contact: NWC

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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 hydro geology, 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.”