Property Management

The Beaver LakeSmart education program was started in 2009 through collaboration between several organizations interested in helping lakeside landowners learn practical tips and practices that they can do voluntarily to protect their water quality in Beaver Lake and its watershed. This program offers workshops, informational handouts and recorded educational videos tackling subjects ranging from managing residential property to minimize erosion to offering tips about managing your home septic system. Workshops and talks are offered through Beaver LakeSmart to homeowners, business owners, school classrooms, civic groups and others who are interested in learning more about Beaver Lake Watershed and how to manage their property and activities to protect their health and water quality. This education program is presented in partnership with  Beaver Water District,  H ₂Ozarks, the  University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, the  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the  Association for Beaver Lake Environment.

LakeSmart includes a confidential, self-assessment guide that can help you evaluate your home and property for potential pollution risks. In every home – large or small, new or old, city or country – there are potential pollution sources that can affect the health of your family, community or the environment.

In Northwest Arkansas, Beaver Lake can be affected by many potential contaminant sources including fer­tilizers, pesticides and hazardous household products. The LakeSmart assessment guide is designed to help lakeside residents identify management techniques which reduce or prevent pollution and help reduce consumption of water, energy and other resources.

This easy-to-use assessment program can serve as a valuable reference for residents surrounding Beaver Lake. It is for those who care about natural resources and the environment and who are willing to take steps – no matter how small – to improve how they manage their homes and properties. Whether you rent a room or own a house, this tool can guide you in how to reduce your impact on natural systems and cut back on your use of the earth’s resources. LakeSmart can also help you protect your investment by identifying pollution risks on your property before expensive problems occur.

The main idea is to take the time to identify pollution threats to your local environment; then, where feasible, to take voluntary actions to reduce those risks and prevent problems.

This checklist is a quick way to scan for potential problem areas in and around your home and property. It will help you identify possible risks and introduces you to many of the topics discussed in this book.The chapters cover many other assessment questions about situations and practices not included in the checklist. If you identify potential concerns using this checklist or think there may be risks or areas needing improvement, please turn to the chapter on the appro­priate topic.

LakeSmart is a confidential, self-assessment guide that can help you evaluate your home and property for potential pollution risks. In every home – large or small, new or old, city or country – there are potential pollution sources that can affect the health of your family, community or the environment.

Understanding the resource values Beaver Lake provides, it is essential to understand how lakeshore land-use practices can affect water quality. Because educated lakeshore landowners can make wise behavioral choices that protect the water quality of the lake, Beaver Water District, in collabora­tion with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service and the Association for Beaver Lake Environment (ABLE), initi­ated the development of this LakeSmart guide.

Many products we use for housework or home improvements contain hazardous materials that can be harmful to the user or to children in the house and may pollute the environment if not handled properly. It is important to make sure chemicals, cleaners, and other products are used safely, stored properly, and disposed of correctly. This section will guide you in assessing activities that involve the use of hazardous products. You will be guided in safely disposing, recycling, or reusing products when possible and you will learn a few simple management principles to keep you, your family, your home, and the environment safe.

If you go boating or have a dock on the lake, you can be a key player in keeping good water quality in Beaver Lake. By understanding potential impacts of boating practices you can ensure that the waters we all depend on will not be damaged. This chapter of Beaver LakeSmart examines boating-related activities and what you can do to minimize possible harm to the environment and the lake. In the chapter you will learn about boat cleaning and maintenance; spill prevention and waste disposal; and dock construction and maintenance. By completing this chapter you will learn to identify, evaluate, and reduce the pollution risks through environmentally responsible boating practices.