The “Arkansas CommuniTree” program is a pilot program to provide high quality potted trees and technical assistance to riparian landowners wishing to restore floodplains. Target areas are watersheds that provide drinking water for Arkansans and initial partners include three of Arkansas’s largest water utilities, Beaver Water District, Conway Corporation, and Central Arkansas Water. These initial “host sites” for trees to be grown will help launch the program. Community groups can take part by volunteering to help with potting, irrigation, distribution, and planting of the trees.
The Arkansas Forests and Drinking Water Collaborative and the Beaver Watershed Alliance have agreed to lead the planning, organization, coordination of volunteers, and landowner assistance piece during the project. The goal of this program is to build a “Riparian Tree Bank”, where high quality, locally grown, potted trees are provided for tree planting projects statewide. These projects will be specifically targeted along the rivers and lakes that feed public drinking water systems across the state. Riparian planting helps landowners protect their properties from erosion and loss of land while protecting drinking sources from excess sediment.
Funding for this project is being provided by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture – Forestry Division and Arkansas Forests and Drinking Water Collaborative (AFDWC) through the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). BWD is happy to be a partner in this 3-year program.