Biologists to Discuss Cave Springs Cave
by November 22, 2004 12:00 am 91 views
The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and the state’s Karst Resources Support Team will hold an informational meeting on Dec. 8 to address the Cave Springs Cave recharge zone.
The cave is home to the threatened Ozark cavefish and the endangered gray bat.
The purpose of the meeting is to develop a preliminary draft for conservation in the zone. The Wildlife Service said it’s important to the cavefish, gray bat and other species to alleviate impacts on the recharge zone that will protect the water quality in the cave.
In 2001, a study determined that rain and runoff from 16 square miles surrounding the cave end up there.
Haynes Limited of Rogers purchased Lake Keith for $1.5 million at the end of 2003. It adjoins the cave, and the Haynes family owns the land where the mouth is located, though the Arkansas Heritage Commission owns the cave proper.
The Hayneses and David Kampwerth, Karst biologist with the USFWS, were discussing possibilities for conservation this summer.
In a newsletter highlighting issues about the cave, Kampwerth writes that proposed bypasses around Springdale and to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport don’t necessarily represent a threat. However, the commercial and residential development following the roads will probably have a direct effect on the cave’s species.
Two meetings will be held in the Memphis room of the Jones Center for Families in Springdale. The first begins at 2 p.m. and the second at 5 p.m. Call Kampwerth at (501) 513-4477 for more information.