A piece of land just outside Thayer, Missouri, could become the site of a data center. The lot is a short five-minute drive from Mammoth Spring State Park, just across the Arkansas line. No developer has signed on yet, which means the Oregon County Commission still has time to act before any deal moves forward.

Residents in both Missouri and Arkansas are speaking out, and their biggest worry is water. Data centers often use large amounts of water to keep their equipment cool. The region is already facing a long drought that has lowered water tables. Protest organizer Jeremiah Read warned that drawing water from the area could threaten the state park, according to KAIT.

Romona Hampton, 72, owns a small farm a few minutes from the site. She told KAIT that the water and the noise worry her most. She said a facility could produce constant noise of up to 105 decibels, about as loud as a jet passing overhead, which could disturb her family and local wildlife. She also raised concerns that water taken from the spring, which normally stays around 50 degrees, could be heated 30 to 50 degrees higher.

Local business owner Magic Keller said the landowner has acknowledged the facility would bring fewer than 10 jobs. That is a small return for putting one of the most treasured natural places in the Ozarks at risk.

Residents are urging the Oregon County Commission to adopt strict limits on water use, noise, and pollution before any data center can be built near Mammoth Spring, and to give people on both sides of the state line a real voice in what happens next.

Mammoth Spring should still be clear and cold for the children and grandchildren who come after. Sign the petition to urge the Oregon County Commission to protect Mammoth Spring now, while there is still time to act.