The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division (NRD) has released the 2022 Arkansas Groundwater Protection and Management Report. This report provides a summary of the groundwater monitoring efforts, current water levels, NRD protection and conservation programs, and water use reporting during the 2022 calendar year.
This report focuses exclusively on the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial and Sparta aquifers. Based on estimated water use, pumping rates continue to exceed generalized sustainable yield estimates in both aquifers. As a result, water-level declines have been observed and are expected to continue in certain areas of the state. The state’s groundwater systems will continue to be observed by the Department and its partners. Find the full report at agriculture.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022-Groundwater-Report-Final.pdf.
“The Groundwater Protection and Management Report plays an essential role in monitoring one of Arkansas’s most important resources—groundwater,” said NRD Director Chris Colclasure. “In partnership with other government agencies, conservation districts, organizations, groups, and citizens, the NRD will continue to promote conservation and the conjunctive use of ground and surface water at rates that are sustainable for current and future generations of Arkansans.”
This year, the NRD developed an interactive story map version of the Groundwater Protection and Management Report that allows the user to look at the maps in greater detail. The map can be found at anrcdoc.aad.arkansas.gov/arcgisportal
/apps/storymaps/stories/9f0d095bce1f497a8ebcb7c70fb8f 142.
For more information on the Groundwater Protection and Management Program, visit agriculture.arkansas. gov/natural-resources/divisions/water-management/groundwater-protection-and-management-program/. For questions regarding the 2022 Arkansas Groundwater Protection and Management Report, contact Corbin Cannon at corbin.g.cannon@agriculture.arkansas.gov.
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the development and implementation of policies and programs for Arkansas agriculture, forestry, and natural resources to keep its farmers and ranchers competitive in national and international markets while conserving natural resources and ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of the state and nation. Visit agriculture.arkansas.gov/. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
