We are honored to share that our Executive Director, Wes Craiglow, has received a Golden Paddle Award in the construction category from the Illinois River Watershed Partnership on behalf of ULI NWA.

Every year, an outstanding organization or individual from seven different stakeholder categories is honored with the Golden Paddle Award for their work in and service to the watershed. The stakeholder categories are agriculture, business, conservation, construction, government, technical (research and education), and volunteer.

Winners are chosen based on the engagement, support, and stewardship they contribute towards IRWP’s mission over the calendar year. These Golden Paddle recipients help IRWP implement their mission by supporting water quality monitoring studies, like the Streambank Erosion Report that was recently released.

 “It is an honor to accept the IRWP Golden Paddle for Construction, and I do so on behalf of the entire ULI NWA professional network. Each [member] is dedicated to advancing those industry best practices and policies that shape our landscapes for the better. This award is a testament to the work they do and the enduring mission of the Urban Land Institute.” – Wes Craiglow

A little about IRWP & The Golden Paddle Awards

IRWP is a 15-year-old nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the integrity of the Illinois River Watershed, a region covering rapidly urbanizing Northwest Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, through public education, outreach, and the implementation of conservation and restoration practices throughout the watershed.

Cave Springs, home of the Illinois River Watershed Partnership’s Learning Center and Watershed Sanctuary, is named for a natural spring that flows from the cave year-round. Within that cave– and across the watershed and region– live hundreds of species that depend on clean water to survive. As Northwest Arkansas grows, that becomes more of a challenge that requires engaged stakeholder groups that help achieve IRWP’s mission.

Each of the award groups and the public at home is critical to IRWP’s work to preserve, protect, and restore natural areas that affect the water quality of the Illinois River. The growing population of the region will need smart growth and sustainably managed water resources to handle the changing precipitation patterns and land use changes across the watershed. Lawn fertilizer application, leaky vehicles, pet or agricultural waste, industrial and chemical waste, failing septic systems, and nutrients and sediment from streambank erosion are all currently affecting the Illinois River.

IRWP Executive Director, Leif Kindberg, says “The buy-in of our stakeholders to IRWP’s mission of preserving the river and growing sustainably is key to protecting the habitats, homes, and economic potential of the watershed. We want to honor the people and organizations that address these challenges and improve water quality in the Illinois River Watershed.”

To view more about IRWP and see the full list of the Golden Paddle winners, visit www.irwp.org/golden-paddle-awards.