WATER-LEVEL TRENDS, CRITICAL AREAS, AND SUSTAINABLE YIELD IN ARKANSAS

The Arkansas Ground Water Protection and Management Report is produced annually by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) pursuant to the Arkansas Ground Water Protection and Management Act of 1991, Arkansas Code Annotated 15-22-906. This report provides a summary of ground-water protection and conservation programs administered by the ANRC during the year 2007; including water-level monitoring, the development of water-quality standards, studies of water use trends, and administration of the Arkansas Water Well Construction Commission program. This report covers the time period from the Spring of 2006 to the Spring of 2007. The general trend in Arkansas' long-term water-level change is that the ground-water levels are declining in response to continued withdrawals at a rate which is not sustainable. Based on 2005 water use data, approximately 44 percent of the current alluvial aquifer pumpage, and 52 percent of the Sparta/Memphis aquifer pumpage is sustainable. At these pumping rates, water-level declines and the adverse impacts on the state's ground water system will continue to be observed. As the competition for ground water becomes more intense, the challenge before Arkansas water resources users, scientists, and conservationists is to continue to work toward conservation, education, and the conjunctive use of ground water and excess surface water in a manner that brings about the wise and sustainable use of our valuable water resources.