Minutes of January 14, 2009, meeting of the environmental working group of the Green Infrastructure Project of FNHA

Environmental Working Group (EWG) - Minutes

Meeting: 7PM January 14, 2009; Bell Engineering Center, Room 2267

Attendees: Delia Haak as Chairman, Bob Morgan, Doug James, Elizabeth Adam, Aubrey Shepherd, Bruce Shackleford, Judy Woltjen as Scribe.

The Chairman asked for sub-committee reports.

Wetlands/Prairies:
Bruce said that this group established 3 primary goals, criteria for evaluating sites, and identified 11 potential sites as wetlands/prairies. So far they have field checked 8 of the 11 sites and listed them in categories of importance. Written report to be submitted.

Watersheds/Water Quality:
Bob Morgan will submit a written report. The working map has been marked with stream corridors and their flood plains throughout the study area. Report included below.

Upland Forests:
Doug James completed the corridors of forested areas on the working map. His report explains these features and includes an addendum of an arrow to Webber Mountain in Springdale because of its outstanding natural features and potential as protected green space.

Delia requested that Bruce meet with Barbara Boland to identify the 11 sites on the working map using their name on a reference section.

Delia asked Judy to meet with Barbara Boland to have the spring sites numbered and a list made with the locations of the springs so they can be located by anyone interested in finding them. List below.

Delia asked all committee members to turn in any list of names for contacting in Johnson, Farmington, and Greenland about the Green Infrastructure Plan.

Committee members were reminded to turn in work sheets with their volunteer hours.


Meeting ended at 8:30 PM.

Green Infrastructure Project
Environmental Working Group
Water/Streams Sub-committee
Submitted by Robert Morgan and Matt VanEps

Streams are an obvious but critical component of the green infrastructure of a community. A healthy stream system includes not only channels but also the adjacent streamside or riparian zone, floodplain and transition zone. The stream and surrounding riparian zones provide:

• Transport of water, energy and sediment,
• pollutant cycling and removal,
• aquatic and terrestrial habitat and refugia,
• corridors for movement,
• amelioration of water temperature,
• air pollution abatement,
• flood water storage,
• recreational and aesthetic values.

Fayetteville and the surrounding communities have a well developed dendritic stream system with no spot in town being more than a few hundred yards from a stream or ditch. Much of this system is still intact, or only moderately degraded. Other portions of the system have been substantially altered and degraded.

Stream ordination is a simple system of classifying streams by size. Streams are first ordered from their headwaters until they unite with another stream. When two first order streams unite, they become a second order stream. The junction of two second order streams forms a third order stream and so forth. The stream protection plan has identified second order and higher streams as identified on USGS 7½ minute quadrangle maps as priority areas for protection. This system of streams provides connective links between larger green nodes such as parks and wetlands within our community. Since second order streams are relatively large, smaller parcels of property have boundary lines that tend to run along these streams rather than being divided by them. Therefore this stream ordination system (off stream corridor prioritization) recognizes the reality of preserving private property rights.

For maximum protection of ecological function, the full width of the floodplain should be protected. Protection of lesser widths offers protection of less function. The Natural Resources Conservation Service recommends a minimum buffer of 66 feet for water-quality protection.

Ways to preserve stream corridors include acquisition as part of the cities park program, inclusion of corridors as part of required greenspace in commercial developments, low-impact development practices and possibly other innovative approaches. The City of Fayetteville recognized the utility of connectivity along streams in the development of its trail system.




FNHA 2008-9 GIPP STUDY----SPRINGS
January 22, 2009
Submitted by Judy and Duane Woltjen

Data from USGS 7 ½ min Topographic Maps
NAD 83 UTM/UPS Coordinates Zone 15S

Recap: 44 Springs on USGS topos and in the study area. One spring outside area is listed, and one spring not on maps is listed.

Name Easting Northing Area Center Ref.

Hewitt Spring (Not in area) 0402396 4003583 0401500 4002000 *
039611 4001080 1
0394381 4000293 039500 4002000 2
0394095 4000866 3
0389804 40015005 0391500 4002000 4
0390038 4001995 5
0388445 4001310 0387681 4003000 6
0385167 4001380 7
0384105 4001909 8
038154 4003386 0381500 4002000 9
0383078 4002601 10
0381814 4001831 11
0383601 4001536 12
0382934 4000743 13
0382387 4000067 14
0378604 45003980 0376575 4002000 15
Springs 0377920 4000068 16
0375529 3996501 0376500 3998000 17
Fish hatchery 0378412 3996456 18
(Savoy area) 0380175 3997071 0381539 3998001 19
0382456 3997083 20
0382597 3996729 21
0387985 3998057 0386500 3998000 22
Springs 0389714 3998675 0391500 3998000 23
0389314 3998626 23A
Greathouse Spring 0391785 3999772 24
Springs 0392032 3998657 25 (Chris Hollow Rd.) 0393529 3998520 26
0397990 3996705 0396500 3998000 27
Springs 0397387 3999260 28
0401500 3998000
0401500 3994000
(Craft Park, not on map) 0397092 3993814 0396500 3994000 28A
0391000 3994000
0388874 3992819 0386500 0394000 29
Springs (Double Springs) 0385743 3993955 30
0384188 3995032 31
Elkhorn Springs 0382341 3992188 0381500 3994000 32
(On Viney Grove Rd.) 0378856 3994752 0376500 3994000 33
0376500 3990000
0381500 3990000
0384292 3990200 0386500 3999000 34
0384675 3989988 35
0386793 3991062 36
0391500 3990000
Tin Cup Spring (Not on map) 0396038 3991804 0396500 3990000 Note
0401500 3990000
0401500 3986000
0396500 3986000
0391500 3986000
0385906 3985987 0386500 3986000 37
0386226 3986341 38
0382129 3987772 0381480 3986000 39
Ruby Spring 0382717 3987395 40
037426 3986923 0376500 3786000 41
0376500 3982000
Living Water Spring 0380393 3983588 0381500 3982000 42
0386500 3982000
0391500 3982000
0396500 3982000

Note:Wilson Spring of Fayetteville is not shown. It is in the vicinity of I-540 and AR 112.

* This is an area of interest respective to Springdale, Webber Mountain, etc.

Area Map List
7 ½ minute Topographic Maps

Sonora
Springdale
Robinson
Gallatin
Rhea
Wheeler
Fayetteville
Elkins
Sulfur City
West Fork
Prairie Grove
Rudy NE