Ozarka® Natural Spring Water Pledges $50,000 to Support Wetlands Restoration

HAWKINS, Texas – April 17, 2024 - In partnership with the Texas Water Action Collaborative and Ducks Unlimited, BlueTriton Brands through its Ozarka® Natural Spring Water brand has pledged $50,000 to support the Beaver Slough Wetland Restoration Project in East Texas.

Located near the Ozarka brand Wood County bottling facility and spring site, this restoration project enhances 160 acres of wetland habitat, generating 26M gallons of volumetric water benefit per year.

“Ozarka has been a long-time supporter of Ducks Unlimited, and they have been sustainably managing their east Texas property for years to provide significant benefit for wildlife species and their natural springs,” said DU Director of Development Bob Locke. “This most recent contribution from Ozarka gets us closer to our goal of restoring this important wetland, and we are pleased to be a part of this project in collaboration with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Water Action Collaborative.”

Once fully funded and implemented, the Beaver Slough Wetland project will enhance management infrastructure and bottomland hardwood wetland habitat on approximately 160 acres. Beaver Slough is located in the Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area which is owned and managed by Texas Parks & Wildlife and is located in Smith County, Texas. This specific area is filled by overbank flood events of the Sabine River. Bottomland forests reduce the risk and severity of downstream flooding by providing areas to store floodwater. Management infrastructure is crucial to properly manage these delicate ecosystems to ensure the health of the forest.

“Protecting natural springs and water sources is at the core of our business and it is critical to our sustainability efforts,” said Trey Mixon, Senior Natural Resource Manager for Ozarka and BlueTriton Brands. “This restoration project with Ducks Unlimited, whose conservation efforts are unparalleled across the nation, is right in line with our values as a company.” 

This project will impact thousands of Texans as it will expand wetlands that contribute to water quality and quantity enhancement in the Sabine River watershed, including in Toledo Bend Reservoir. Wetland expansion and enhancement will increase outdoor recreation opportunities like waterfowl hunting and bird watching. Additionally, all 230,000 residents of Smith County can reasonably be expected to benefit from the increased ecological services and enhanced outdoor recreation opportunities on Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area and the affiliated local economy boost.

“Texan by Nature is proud to act as a trusted broker through our facilitation of the Texas Water Action Collaborative (TxWAC).  TxWAC supports corporations, like BlueTriton Brands, in finding goal-aligned, local conservation projects to invest in from our Conservation Partners, like Ducks Unlimited”, said Taylor Keys, Director of Programs at Texan by Nature, “As Texas’ population continues to grow, partnerships like this are critical to activate tangible benefits for water, biodiversity, and people.”

TxWAC builds collaborative relationships and matches projects to funders. Matches are made by aligning goals, metrics, and project/funding timelines between conservation organizations, corporate entities, and communities – all working together to accelerate investments that benefit water.

Ducks Unlimited is still seeking an additional ~$1.045 million in funding for the Beaver Slough Wetland Restoration Project. More than 50 eligible projects are currently looking for their perfect funder match through TxWAC. Learn more and get involved at texanbynature.org/projects/texas-water-action-collaborative/.