News Archive

July 12, 2007

Over a thousand people responded today to voice their opinion. The newspaper ad was a great success. You should be proud of yourselves.

I am sorry to report that all of the CAW commissioners apparently had their minds made up before they entered the room today. All of the Commissioners except one voted for the Ferguson Compromise. The Watershed Management Plan has now become the baseline for discussion with future developers with proposals.

To develop the Watershed Management Plan, CAW pulled together 22 people who were representatives of all the various competing interests in Lake Maumelle. They met for 13 months to learn and listen to one another to develop a compromise. In the end they agreed on a final Watershed Management Plan. Today CAW compromised that WMP. They compromised the compromise in order to satisfy one group of profiteers.

We are very disappointed and very surprised.

Please stay tuned to this web site for updates on the next action to be taken. There are hundreds of people who are gathering their resources.

Please e-mail us if you have any questions.

July 11, 2007

There is a little lake located west of the city of Little Rock that provides drinking water to 398,000 people. It so happens that the water is some of the cleanest in the southeastern United States. The city of Little Rock has grown so much in recent years that now there is a desire to develop around the lake. The problem is that the lake is so shallow that it cannot tolerate much disturbance. But the profiteers want to come in and develop houses by their rules, sell the houses, make a great profit, and leave. They want to do this so much that they are throwing their very notable influence around. Now the only thing to bring their influence into balance is you. It is up to you to match and surpass their influence with your voices. If you are a ratepayer to Central Arkansas Water (CAW), take a few minutes and call 377-1255 and request that the CAW Commissioners vote against the Ferguson Compromise.

We want you to know there is a way for there to be development, respect of personal property rights and quality clean water. That way is outlined in the Lake Maumelle Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan (WMP). CAW used 1.2 million dollars from their ratepayers to develop a plan that was based on science and stakeholder negotiations.

The profiteers (see list below) do not want to follow the guidelines of the WMP. The profiteers want to be exempt from the WMP. If enough people do not call CAW today that may very well happen. Then the profiteers will build on the lake the way they want. They will make a great deal of money, leave and the CAW ratepayers will have to deal with the degraded water quality due to the cumulative impact of several compromises to the WMP.

Profiteers:

1. Waterview Estates, LLC, Hal Joseph Kemp, Organizer Rick Ferguson
2. Big Bald Eagle Land Baron Company, LLC, Thomas Osment, Jr., Organizer, Timothy Leanard, Thomas Jones & Joseph Blankenship, Managers
3. James & Melanie Matthews, developed McCain Mall
4. Scotland Farms, LLC, Walter Ebel III, Organizer, Ron Strother, Manager
5. Westwood Development Company, LLC, no record in the Ark. Secretary of State’s corporate database
6. Back Investments, LLC, Timothy Grooms, Organizer, Joe White, Managing Member, the engineer for the controversial Deltic Timber, engineer for Waterview Estates.
7. RKT,LLC, four other entities listed in Ark. Secretary of State’s records are listed as “REVOKED”, RKT,LLC, Craig Westbrook, Organizer, is in “GOOD STANDING”
8. Stephen Eugene Cauley

July 10, 2007

We need your support to continue fighting for ratepayers on this important issue.

July 6, 2007

Central Arkansas Water (CAW) is a public utility providing drinking water to 388,000 people in central Arkansas. Lake Maumelle is one of two sources for that drinking water. Large developers want to build homes on the lake. Lake Maumelle is a very clean source of water. According to the USGS data, it is one of the cleanest in the southeastern United States.

CAW is currently considering entering into an agreement to allow a residential development on Lake Maumelle.

The agreement is a clear threat to the future of the water quality of Lake Maumelle.

You action is needed in order to stop CAW from signing this agreement on Thursday July 12, 2007.

Monday July 9th, there will be a public hearing by Central Arkansas Water, CAW, on a agreement to allow a developer, Ferguson, to build on the lake. Citizens Protecting Maumelle Watershed has studied the agreement. We have spoken at length with representatives of CAW.

Reasons to oppose the agreement between CAW and developer Ferguson:

1. The development will be in one of the more sensitive areas of the lake which is named Critical Area A. It is the location of the intake pump that takes the water to the treatment plant.

2. It allows the developer to clear cut the timber growing near the lake. This timber stand is one of the reasons the water is so clean.

3. This is not at all in accordance with the “WMP”. CAW truly did a wonderful thing. They hired a consultant and brought together members of the community along with experts in the field and together they hammered out a plan. The purpose of the plan is to allow development near the lake and yet protect the water quality. After 13 months of hard work and 1.2 million dollars a good plan was completed—the Lake Maumelle Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. This Ferguson agreement does not follow the WMP.

4. If CAW signs this agreement they will set a precedent that will allow other developers to expect exemptions from the WMP. The bigger the developer the better the deal.

5. We are so close to protecting this wonderful resource for decades to come. Let us say once and for all,

FOLLOW THE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN!

Actions you can take:

Call Central Arkansas Water at 377-1255 and state that you would like for them to vote against the agreement with Ferguson.

OR

e-mail Central Arkansas Water at Marie.Crawford@CArkW.com and state
“I request that CAW vote against the proposed agreement with Ferguson.”

OR

Attend the public hearing on:
July 9, 2007 at 6pm
Pulaski County Regional Center
501 West Markham, LR

To read the agreement or gather additional information the issue go to:

http://www.carkw.com/public_forum.asp

November 29, 2005

Download PDF of Meeting Information

September 8, 2005

Below are the words of Glen Hooks to his Sierra Club folks:

"The Central Arkansas Community has reason to celebrate. Congratulations.     

Just got back from the Central Arkansas Water Commission meeting—the Commission is moving ahead with plans to condemn the Deltic property in Zone 1 of the Lake Maumelle watershed!  Jim Harvey (CEO of CAW) says the papers should be drawn up very soon.

Folks, this is a great victory for those who care about clean water in the Natural State.  I can’t thank each of you enough for the work you’ve done—from the work during the legislative session on SB 230, the countless calls, emails, letters, visits, rallies, the contacts with the water commissioners…it’s just been a great example of what can happen when a community cares and gets active.  As Kate Althoff said at today’s meeting, diamonds come from lots of pressure.  You’ve helped preserve a real jewel in saving Lake Maumelle from pollution

Take a moment to congratulate yourself, and let’s keep working toward keeping Arkansas in great shape.

Thanks again--"
Glen Hooks, Associate Regional Representative
Sierra Club
1308 West 2nd Street
Little Rock, AR  72201
(501) 301-8280
glen.hooks@sierraclub.org

Hello all:
After today’s big victory, it is very important for us to properly thank the members of the Central Arkansas Water Commission.  The Commission’s action will go a long way toward protecting our drinking water source.  Let’s make sure they hear from us.

Here is the contact information for the CAW commissioners:
Tom Rimmer (Chair):  RimmerThomasW@uams.edu
Tony Kendall (Vice Chair):  AWKendal@baptist-health.org
Eddie Powell:  EPowell01@comcast.net
Roby Robertson:  RDRobertson@ualr.edu
Jay Hartman:  JHartma@entergy.com
Francille Turbyfill:  FTurby@cei.net
Jane Dickey (recused on this matter, but also good to contact): JDickey@roselawfirm.com

It sure is a lot more fun to thank people for a good vote than to spank them for a bad one. Please take a moment if you can.

Thanks again for your good work!

September 6, 2005

Citizens Protecting Maumelle Watershed hold a press conference on the steps of the administration building of Central Arkansas Water located at 221 East Capitol.
 
 
 
Mr. Barry Haas (at podium above) challenged Deltic Timber to be act like a good Corporate Citizen by selling the land they own on Lake Maumelle to Central Arkansas Water. Deltic Timber has refused to sell the timber land and forced Central Arkansas Water to proceed with condemnation of the land. 

David Johnson, Arkansas House of Representatives, District 38 encourages the Board of Commissioners of Central Arkansas Water to proceed with Condemnation of the land known as Ridges at Nowlin Creek in order to protect the quality of the drinking water.

On July 14, 2005, the Board of Commissioners of Central Arkansas Water instructed the staff of Central Arkansas Water to spend the next 60 days to negotiate with Deltic Timber Company on the matter of selling the land known as the Ridges at Nowlin Creek to Central Arkansas Water. This was an unprecedented extension to a land owner by Central Arkansas Water. In addition, the Commissioners authorized staff to go above the appraised value of the land if needed in order to get Deltic Timber to sell the land to Central Arkansas Water. This too was an unprecedented move by the Commissioners of Central Arkansas Water. To this date no agreement has been reached. 
 
The 60 day period is coming to an end on September 8, 2005. 

Who do you want to be responsible for your drinking water? Deltic Timber Company who will build houses on the lake? Or Central Arkansas Water who will keep the land as timber land?

Central Arkansas Water has the authority to force Deltic Timber to sell the land to Central Arkansas Water.  The process is called Condemnation.  Now is the time for the Board of Commissioners to use this authority.

______________

We are so proud to announce that Citizens Protecting Maumelle Watershed has received The Harold Alexander Award - Conservationist of the Year presented by the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Download a PDF of the pages from the awards banquet.

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