White River Designated as "National Blueway"
By: Amanda Ashley
Updated: January 9, 2013
On Wednesday in Little Rock, officials from state and federal agencies, local communities and businesses, and non-profit organizations announced the designation of the White River and its entire watershed, as a "National Blueway," only the second river basin to receive this honor.
the National Blueways System was established in 2012 by the Department of Interior and "places national emphasis on the value of an approach to river conservation that considers all the activities and uses within the watershed and the effectiveness of local partner collaboration for project planning and delivery," according to the Nature Conservancy.
National Blueways are chosen based on their recreational, economic, cultural and ecological assets and significance.
The White River is also one of five commercially navigable rivers in Arkansas. Flowing 722-miles from its headwaters in Arkansas's Boston Mountains, the White River runs north into Missouri before coursing south through the Delta and into the Mississippi River in southeast Arkansas. Its watershed encompasses17.8 million acres, and the water in the White and its tributaries and reservoirs serve as a source of drinking water for many of the 1.2 million people living here.
the National Blueways System was established in 2012 by the Department of Interior and "places national emphasis on the value of an approach to river conservation that considers all the activities and uses within the watershed and the effectiveness of local partner collaboration for project planning and delivery," according to the Nature Conservancy.
National Blueways are chosen based on their recreational, economic, cultural and ecological assets and significance.
The White River is also one of five commercially navigable rivers in Arkansas. Flowing 722-miles from its headwaters in Arkansas's Boston Mountains, the White River runs north into Missouri before coursing south through the Delta and into the Mississippi River in southeast Arkansas. Its watershed encompasses17.8 million acres, and the water in the White and its tributaries and reservoirs serve as a source of drinking water for many of the 1.2 million people living here.
