Why is there a need for the Foundation? Because the watershed is large-about 10,300 square miles located in parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. It's spread across many different governmental organizations and it crosses two separate U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regions. A large Environmental Protection Agency Super Fund site is located within the southern part of the watershed that is confronting environmental challenges caused by past mining for ores and minerals.

   Risks to water quality are present-some traceable to pressures caused by increasing population. So the Foundation is a forum for identifying problems; for helping with solutions; and for energizing watershed stakeholders and citizens to help improve water quality.

   The reality: No approved plan presently exists to improve water quality throughout the watershed-that's alarming. The Foundation is committed to the development and implementation of a Watershed Water Quality Assessment and Improvement Plan.

   It's recognized that watershed stakeholders must play an important role in the development and implementation of this watershed plan. Join us in improving your watershed.

MORE ABOUT THE GRAND LAKE O' THE CHEROKEES WATERSHED
LOCATION:
Parts of northwest Arkansas, eastern Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma form the drainage basin that is the Grand Lake watershed that covers about 10, 300 square miles.

THE RIVERS:
Three major tributary rivers drain into the watershed. The NEOSHO RIVER originates in eastern Kansas and flows into Oklahoma. The SPRING RIVER originates in southwest Missouri and flows into Kansas and Oklahoma. The ELK RIVER originates in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas and flows through Missouri and Oklahoma.

The NEOSHO RIVER headwaters begin in Morris County, Kansas, and then flow through Kansas into northeast Oklahoma. Kansas's cities and towns along the NEOSHO RIVER watershed include Burlington, Chetopa, Chanute, Council Grove, Emporia, Hartford, Humboldt, Iola, LeRoy, Neosho Falls, Neosho Rapids, Oswego, and Parkerville. The NEOSHO flows through the city of Miami, Oklahoma.

Lawrence County, Missouri serves as the location of the headwaters for the SPRING RIVER. This river then flows through southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, and northeast Oklahoma. Some towns within the SPRING RIVER watershed include Verona, Missouri; Webb City, and Joplin Missouri; Riverton, Kansas; and Baxter Springs, Kansas.

The NEOSHO RIVER and SPRING RIVER converge west of Wyandotte, Oklahoma to form the GRAND RIVER, which then flows, into Grand Lake.

BIG SUGAR CREEK near Seligman, Missouri, and LITTLE SUGAR CREEK near Bentonville, Arkansas form the headwaters of the ELK RIVER. The watershed drainage covers about 1,000 square miles flowing though northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri. The lower portion of the ELK RIVER watershed is known as the ELK RIVER arm of Grand Lake.

Communities within the ELK RIVER watershed include: Bentonville, Bella Vista, Gravette, Sulpher Springs and Pea Ridge Arkansas. Missouri cities and towns include Neosho, Anderson, Goodman, Lanagan, Tiff City, Noel, Pinesville, Jane, Powell, Long View, Rocky Comfort, Stella, Boulder City, Ridgely, Fairview, and Wheaton, Missouri.

THE DAMS:
All of the watershed drainage empties into GRAND LAKE O' THE CHEROKEES. Grand Lake is an impounded water lake created by the Pensacola Dam located near the towns of Disney and Langley Oklahoma.

The NEOSHO RIVER has two dams that are located in Kansas. The JOHN REDMOND dam is located near New Strawn. COUNCIL GROVE LAKE dam is located near Council Grove.