Since 2018, Beaver Water District has been offering a formalized educational academy for adults known as the Citizens Water Academy (CWA). The goal of the academy is to educate Northwest Arkansas community leaders about the District, our treatment of water from Beaver Lake, and the importance of drinking water to our area and its economy. Upon completion of the academy, the participants will be prepared to serve as ambassadors for Beaver Water District.
The 2025 Citizens Water Academy curriculum included a mix of classroom sessions, a hands-on activity, and tour participation. Topics including the history of the District, the dam, and Beaver Lake; relationships with the Corps of Engineers and the customer cities of Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville; capital improvements programs (including long-range planning and construction); source water protection; and public outreach and education. The tours are always a highlight as participants get to see sections of the facility most tour participants do not get to see, such as our laboratory, the intake on Beaver Lake, and the pilot plant – a miniature version of the drinking water facility that allows for research and “what if” scenarios to be experimented with. The 2025 participants met for three hours each week for four weeks with the final day being extended to 5 hours which included a graduation luncheon.
This year’s amazing group of 13 participants included: Stephanie Bolin of Beaver Watershed Alliance, Mark Goodman of Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, Ayla Grace of H2Ozarks, Evan Johnson of Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, Stephanie Kline of Rockline Industries, Richard Murphree with the Arkansas Department of Health, Skye Rose of Tyson Foods, Inc., Tad Sours of Washington County Government, Danica Stout with the Scott Family Amazeum, Alana Strauss with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Isaac Tellez of First Tee – Northwest Arkansas, Ezequiel Tovar of Zweig Group, and Andrea VonBrinton with the City of Rogers. Graduates are asked to provide feedback on the academy. This quote was one of our favorites: “The Academy’s strongest points were the invaluable networking opportunities and the deep dive into the history of our water resource. Understanding its origins, significance, and the challenges it has faced over time provided a profound appreciation for its impact on our communities. Connecting with like-minded individuals and experts allowed for meaningful discussions on preserving and managing this essential resource for future generations.”
This brings the total number of people who have completed the Citizens Water Academy to 72 area leaders! (A reunion of all previous graduates is in the works–stay tuned!)
Each Fall participants are invited to apply for the academy. Many are invited based upon recommendations from past participants or BWD staff members. To be eligible to apply, participants must receive their water directly from one of BWD’s four customer cities — Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, or Bentonville. If you have an interest in the next Citizens Water Academy or other programs offered by the District, please email Trish at touei@bwdh2o.org for more information.