Beaver Watershed Alliance announces 2021 awards

Beaver Watershed Alliance recently announced its 2021 awards for a landowner, professional partner and volunteer who have gone above and beyond to work toward good water quality in the region.

Doug Myers received the Watershed Champion Award for landowners; the city of Rogers received the Watershed Guardian Award for professional partners; and Karen Takemoto received the Watershed Steward Award for volunteers, according to a news release.

People and organizations who receive these awards are active and committed to protecting water quality in the Beaver Lake watershed and do this through stewardship and outreach, education and sustainable management of natural resources, the release states.

Myers is an active landowner and farmer in the War Eagle watershed, who has made significant efforts toward improving land and water quality through his stewardship, the release states. He has been an active participant in alliance programs, he teaches about conservation techniques on his own property through the Grasslands Grazing Group, and is an overall leader for water conservation efforts for the Beaver Lake Watershed, the release states.

Rogers has exemplified watershed management through decades of work to improve city policies and frameworks; the inclusion of low-impact development in the city drainage criteria manual; implementation of best management practices such as pervious pavers, native plants, and other stormwater features; and has worked to educate the public on the benefits, the release states.

The city is also initiating a stormwater assessment update to map out stormwater issues and challenges to inform future plans.

Takemoto, an active volunteer in the watershed, has spent many hours working to improve land and water quality through the many ways she engages in stewardship, the release states. Through participation in alliance programs, she teaches others about conservation and volunteering.