U of A Oak Knoll

In 2025 the Watershed Conservation Resource Center (WCRC) partnered with Metroplan and the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) and the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas to receive funding for restoration of the University of Arkansas Oak Knoll through a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The University of Arkansas Oak Knoll project will take place on a 56-acre remnant ecosystem located along Cato Springs Branch in southwest Fayetteville. The land is owned by the University of Arkansas (U of A) and is already home to segments of the Razorback Regional Greenway paved trail and the Fayetteville Traverse 18-mi mountain bike trail. The project is entirely within a federally designated Low-Income and Disadvantaged Community (LIDAC) census tract. The estimated combined carbon reduction and sequestration from this project is 1,734 metric tons during 2025-2030.

This site has been used for U of A research and educational activities in recent years. This project is an exciting opportunity to enhance both the aesthetic and ecological characteristics of this unique site, which serves as key landmark to Fayetteville visitors approaching from the south.

The WCRC will administer and conduct land restoration, which consists of 6.5 acres of riparian, 4.1 acres of wetland, 9.9 acres of savanna, and 35 acres of prairie. In addition, the riparian and streambank zone along the Cato Springs Branch, which traverses through the site will be restored.

Several wetlands occur throughout the project area in both the wooded riparian area and the open grasslands and provide unique habitat for aquatic and land-dwelling animals. The wooded riparian area serves as a crucial buffer between the open grasslands and the stream corridor. Maintaining this healthy riparian area is important for reducing streambank erosion, improving water quality, and removing excess nutrients and soil from surface runoff.

One of the main tools to begin converting the non-native grasses to natives will be to utilize prescribed fire on the landscape. While prescribed fire cannot be used to completely eliminate the undesirable vegetation, it can be a used to create enough disturbance to give a competitive advantage to native vegetation during the following growing season.