Ouachita National Forest Mine Permit Denied

In January of 2023 the Pulaski Chapter of the Ozark Society was made aware of a proposed 32-acre Crystal Quartz mine being planned in the Ouachita National Forest within the Lake Winona watershed.  Lake Winona is one of the 2 main drinking water sources for Central Arkansas Water (CAW) in the greater Little Rock area and serves about 100,000 of their 500,000 customers. Pulaski Chapter received a draft of the US Forest Service’s Environmental Assessment (EA) on January 22, 2023 that tentatively approved the project pending a 30-day Public Comment period.  We, like Central Arkansas Water, strongly opposed the project and felt that several issues in the proposal presented a significant risk to water quality and the habitat of the area and we chose to comment on our concerns.

Following that comment period the US Forest Service attempted to modify the proposal so that the risks were mitigated and in July of 2023 resubmitted a revised EA for only CAW and the Ozark Society to comment on since we were the original objectors.  Again, both organizations found significant risks remaining in the proposal and resubmitted comments stating our issues.  CAW staff even sent their concerns to its governing Board and got a resolution from their Commissioners opposing the mine.  Many of the concerns included:

• The permit proposed was in perpetuity but it was not clear how this would be monitored and the site restored if it became an “Orphan” mine after 10-20+ years.
• There were inadequate streamside protections for the stream on the 32 acres that feeds Lake Winona and potential for a great deal of additional sedimentation to be created from the site into that stream and cause turbidity in the lake.
• Mining was to occur in winter which is the worst time for soil disturbance and increased turbidity in the lake.
• As a commercial operation, this could allow the mining company to use heavy machinery and further disturb land habitat as well as add to the sedimentation issues.
• There were very inadequate plans for mitigation and restoration and the Forest Service was not staffed enough to monitor that even those provisions of the permit were being upheld.

After meetings with the Forest Service in October and further study by their staff, we just got the word that the Project has been cancelled as of February 2024.  We won!!!!

Here are the comments from Raven Lawson, the Director of Watershed Management at CAW:

“We at Central Arkansas Water are thankful to the Ozark Society in keeping a keen eye on issues that matter to our native and scenic ecosystems and to the people of Arkansas. I believe your support and opposition to this mine operation was pivotal to the decision made by the U.S. Forest Service.

“The proximity of the proposed mine site to Lake Winona caused us at Central Arkansas Water a lot of concern.

“The acknowledgement by the U.S. Forest Service of the importance of proper management of the surrounding landscape of Lake Winona to maintaining some of the highest quality drinking water in the country is paramount and a win for the citizens of Central Arkansas who rely on this reservoir to supply their water daily. I truly believe this specific decision has the ability to have ripple effect on how the U.S. Forest Service manages and permits activities near the many drinking water supplies held within federal properties across the county, and I’m glad that Arkansans are setting the example and am grateful that we are part of that larger story.”