Central Arkansas Water of Little Rock bought 240 undeveloped acres in the Reece Creek Watershed, north of Lake Maumelle in west Pulaski County, for $960,000.
The seller was USAble Life of Little Rock, led by CFO Mark Langston.
The buy was part of a master plan approved by CAW’s board in 2007, according to Doug Shackelford, director of public affairs and communications.
The utility’s plan is to acquire property as it becomes available, aiming to protect its water source, Lake Maumelle.
Shackelford said the utility “has a matrix in place that helps us judge land throughout the watershed as it relates to water quality and protection of the water source” and this acreage “listed highly on our matrix.” The reason it listed highly is that Reece Creek runs through the property and that creek is a main tributary of Lake Maumelle.
Over the last 10 years, CAW has purchased more than 2,800 acres to protect Lake Maumelle, Shackelford said. The utility has surpassed its original goal of acquiring at least 1,500 acres by 2017.
He also said, land “is not something that we actively go out and try to find it.”
Shackelford explained, “When it becomes available, we rate it up against our matrix and determine if it’s a piece of property that fits within the guidelines of the Watershed Management Plan and what we want to try to do to protect the lake, then make a determination of whether we should make an offer on it.”
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