Hobbs State Park in northwest Arkansas receives a donation of 166 acres of land.

The land was purchased for $825,000 by the non-profit organization dedicated to improving the park Friends of Hobbs State Park. The group plans to officially transfer the land to the park at the end of February. One of the main reasons the group purchased and donated the land is to help safeguard Beaver Lake, which provides drinking water for the region in northwest Arkansas. It will also prevent potential development in the area.

Hobbs State Park is the largest state park in Arkansas and covers more than 12,000 acres in Benton, Carroll, and Madison Counties.