ROLAND, Ark. — Central Arkansas Water (CAW) is taking another step to keep one of the state's largest reservoirs for drinking water clean.
Last week, CAW's board unanimously approved the purchase of thousands of acres of land on Lake Maumelle's western edge.
"Wonderful condition, pristine water coming from it, and we rely on it heavily," CAW spokesperson Doug Shackelford said. "I think it's safe to say that there's an expectation among everyone that when you turn on the tap, the water is there, and it's clean and safe."
In purchasing that land, Shackelford said they're stopping development that could be harmful to the land surrounding Lake Maumelle.
"Land management is about creating this first filter," Shackelford said. "Everybody talks about going to the water treatment plant, treating the water, and filtering the water there. Mother Nature is our first filter."
Currently, it's unclear what they'll do with the land. However, Shackelford said it could be several things or nothing at all, but they'll adjust the land as needed to keep what flows into the lake clean.
"By creating a strong forest and allowing it to do the natural work that it does, we're just getting better water coming into this lake," Shackelford said. "The trees that were just really struggling to grow are now really growing strong because of the work done by our staff and others to ensure its health."
Some potential options are prescribed burns and selective cropping of certain trees. It may not seem like a big deal, but Shackelford alluded to the cleanest drinking water possible.
"The idea of let's get in front of this, let's stay ahead of it," Shackelford said. "If we see an issue with the lake, let's deal with it now and not let it get out of hand. Again, it's just to provide great drinking water, which is what we do."