Buffalo River Watershed Alliance

Why Do We Need to Save the Buffalo River, Again?

When the Buffalo National River was established in 1972 after a 10-year campaign to “Save The Buffalo”, most assumed the river was permanently protected. In 2013 the “Save the Buffalo – Again” campaign became necessary when an industrial scale hog facility was built on the banks of Big Creek, just 5 miles upstream from the Buffalo National River. Government oversight of this large CAFO was deeply flawed and threatened to destroy the fragile ecosystem of our nation’s first National River. The Buffalo River Watershed Alliance (BRWA) was created in early 2013 with two goals: 1) closure of the C&H swine CAFO, and 2) establishing a permanent moratorium to to prevent any future CAFO permits in the watershed.

MISSION ACOMPLISHED!

In June 2019, after six years of strong public opposition ,Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced a $6.2 million buyout and CLOSURE of the facility and requested a permanent ban on any future swine permits in the watershed. The state legislature initially opposed the moratorium but on June 20, 2025, 12 years after BRWA began its mission, the legislature finally did approve the moratorium and now the Buffalo River is PERMANENTLY PROTECTED against future swine CAFOs in the watershed.

Explore our web pages to see how this second battle for the Buffalo unfolded.

After over six years of efforts by BRWA and others, we are excited to share that on June 13, 2019 Governor Asa Hutchinson Announced Closure of C&H and support for a Permanent Moratorium! Read the news here. Read the Settlement Agreement here.

On January 6, 2020 the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism announced that C&H had completed their closure requirements and operations had officially ended

OTHER THREATS

With the hog CAFO finally closed and a permanent moratorium in place, BRWA is focusing its attention on other threats to the Buffalo. One of the most concerning is a wide ranging plan by the US Forest Service for a 40,000 acre tract in the headwaters. Read about the Robert’s Gap Project.

Monitoring the Buffalo River Watershed:

A Multi-Modal Map

Research shows that too much of a thing can be harmful, so BRWA has begun an interactive baseline map of concerns for our beloved Buffalo river. As more people visit and build their dreams here, BRWA is watching to make sure we can see what needs protecting, the clear streams that feed the river, the trees that shield its shores, the summer swimming holes our children delight in, the viewshed of the hills we call our home. How we treat the land surrounding the water makes a difference. There is a balance, a golden mean or “nothing in excess” as the ancient philosophers put it, that we can achieve when we take the time to consider the river and this land we love.

This map is a work-in-progress and currently shows poultry operations (79 structures within the watershed) and the closed C&H hog CAFO. Plans are to add other concerns such as wastewater treatment plants, unpaved roads, etc.

Original artwork for sale!

Artist Rachel Henriques has generously donated several works of original art inspired by the BNR watershed. Proceeds will help support BRWA activities. Go here for more information.

How important is the Buffalo River to the regional economy?

In 2022, 1.3 million park visitors spent an estimated $65.0 million in local gateway regions while visiting Buffalo National River. These expenditures supported a total of 864 jobs, $24.4 million in labor income, $41.6 million in value added, and $78.5 million in economic output in local gateway economies surrounding Buffalo National River. Read the 2022 Buffalo National River Visitor Spending Impact Report here.

Also, read this research report on the value of ecosystem services attributed to the Buffalo River.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter.

And receive BRWA’s alerts and calls to action.

FOR THE BUFFALO

For the peace of a quiet float or hike,

For the joy of discovering its waterfalls and wildflowers,

For the love for the beauty of its rare wild nature,

will you pause and reflect, pay it forward,

and donate to protect and preserve this ribbon of blue

to ensure it threads its way into the future, alive and well?

Make your gift to the River,

The Buffalo River Watershed Alliance thanks you for supporting our National River

Your gift makes a difference.

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events at this time.

“For the Buffalo”

Listen to “For the Buffalo”, written and recorded by Tim Crouch and Charley Sandage on behalf of BRWA and the Buffalo River