BENTON COUNTY (KFSM) -- When it comes to vehicle and foot traffic, Prairie Creek Marina is one of the most heavily traveled spots on Beaver Lake. With so many park visitors going to Beaver Lake during the summer months, the county installed a new system which will help keep harmful pollutants out of the county’s source of drinking water.
Joanna Mentzer said it was important to make a change in the land surrounding the Prairie Creek parking lot, to stop fluids from entering the lake. The Benton County Solid Waste District built a vegetative bio-swale, which catches runoff chemicals from the parking lot.
“There are layers of sand beneath the soil, which allows water to move through the soil, instead of over the surface of it," Mentzer said.
Mentzer said the new natural system should keep the lake more clean.
"It gives that storm water runoff the opportunity to be cleaned before it renters our water way," Mentzer said.
The project was paid for in part by a Walmart grant.