Watershed Partnership Lands Poultry Support

The Illinois River Watershed Partnership received a shot in the arm in the form of funding during a sponsorship social at James at the Mill on Sept. 12.

About 50 representatives from various companies and organizations piled into the restaurant’s private reservation room for the social that was highlighted by the announcement that the IRWP will be the beneficiary of a $300,000 matching grant funded by The Walton Family Foundation over a three-year period.

It’s the largest source of funding the IRWP has received since its inception. It allows the partnership to launch a Web site and hire Nick Brown as executive director.

Objectives are simple: Improve and restore water quality in the Illinois River Watershed by increasing public awareness.

The non-profit organization was formed in December 2005 as part of a joint effort by poultry companies, construction companies, drinking water providers, farmers, cities and counties to protect the watershed.

The poultry industry appears to be taking a lead in sponsoring the partnership, which is helping mend fences between the “Natural State” and its neighbor to the west, Oklahoma.

In recent years, the industry has been the focus of several lawsuits including one filed by the state of Oklahoma against Arkansas companies alleging that poultry waste had been polluting Oklahoma lakes and rivers.

Beginning 15 miles southwest of Fayetteville in Hogeye, water travels through the 119-mile Illinois River corridor into Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma, which spills into the Arkansas River and then re-enters Arkansas at Fort Smith.

Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale was among three “Watershed-level” sponsors that cut $10,000 checks for the social to aid in the partnership, which raised a total of $34,465. Any company or agency can sign up for the sponsorships, which range from $500 to $10,000.

“It’s great to see an entire regional and community effort that recognizes the importance of having a continued high quality of water,” said Greg Lee, chief administrative officer of Tyson Foods. “We have always been very environmentally aware and respectful and are glad to be able to support this partnership.

Simmons Foods chairman Mark Simmons was among the “Watershed” sponsors along with the City of Fayetteville. The Poultry Federation, which serves Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, contributed $1,000.

Simmons is on the IWRP’s Board of Directors and attended the partnership’s first public meeting more than a year ago.

“I’ve been impressed by the positive attitude of this group, because they are dedicated to finding a scientific solution” Simmons said. “They are not looking for blame or finger pointing … They are looking for solutions.”

Washington County Judge Jerry Hunton piloted one of the IRWP’s first major contributions when he helped encourage the county’s Quorum Court to appropriate $5,000 in funds.

The Illinois River skirts Hunton’s hometown of Prairie Grove. Without the Washington County Quorum Court’s initial help, Mardis said, the partnership may have never gotten off the ground.

“It was when they first started organizing and we saw an opportunity to help,” Hunton said. “We heard about what everybody was doing and the Quorum Court members were highly supportive and showed that by contributing.”