The odor that has permeated Fort Smith air will soon be gone, assuming the wind patterns cooperate.

Jason Golden of Denali Water Solutions told city Communications Manager Karen Santos the work to clean an organic material storage lagoon at the bottom of the Arkansas River in Crawford County should be complete next week.

“Mr. Golden informs us that work will not resume until Monday, Feb. 11 ‘at the earliest, depending on wind direction, of course,’” Santos wrote in an email Tuesday. “He says, ‘We have about 2-3 more days to go, then we are done.”

The letter says Denali’s purpose is to recycle organic materials and its clients are food processors “that produce nutrient-rich organic residuals that cannot enter the municipal wastewater system.”

According to the letter, these residuals are “excellent” natural fertilizers that are picked up by Denali and given to farmers. Due to times of inclement weather, however, the materials, which “can get odorous” must be stored until farmers are able to spread the fertilizer on their fields.

Denali purchased in October 2017 an organic material recycling company, which included a storage lagoon between Arkansas 59 and Hollis Lake filled with the organic residuals.

“We knew we were going to have to clean it out and close it permanently and specifically chose the month of January because we knew it would stink and there would be less people outside,” the letter states. “Further, the winds typically blow to the east at this time of year, away from Fort Smith.”

In a letter from Denali, based in Russellville, the company apologized “for the pungent odors that are being emitted.”

At the request of Mayor George McGill, Denali agreed last week to halt the cleanup until the wind direction changes. Denali started cleaning the lagoon on Jan. 9. When the work is finished, the lagoon will be “completely closed.”

“We have no intentions of ever using this lagoon again for storage and are terribly sorry for the inconvenience that it has caused,” the company states. “We just need these last few days so we can finish and be done with it.”

The city has been subject for many years to brief odors many thought were from fertilizer spreading, but most of it was coming from the pond when organic material was extracted. McGill said the city, hopefully, will not have to deal with the smell in the future.

Santos said the timing will allow for “ideal local conditions” as McGill gives his State of the City address Wednesday at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and this weekend’s marathon activities.