The 775-acre White River Headwaters Preserve Project protects the headwaters of the White River. As part of a forested karst network, the area provides habitat for a host of cave and spring dependent species, including three threatened and endangered species and one candidate mammal species. The White River flows 722 miles through 14 counties in Arkansas and feeds a six-lake levee system that attracts 15 million visitors annually and is worth more than $650 million to local economies. The first reservoir, Beaver Lake, is the drinking water source to the 14th fastest growing metro area in the U.S.