3 minute read
Critical Eastern Arkansas Groundwater Security Projects Underway
from America's Engineers: The People, Programs, and Projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers '24-'25
BY KEN WILLIAMS
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DIVISION Memphis District
When you think about our nation’s freshwater resources, lakes, streams, and rivers like the Mighty Mississippi are naturally front of mind. You may not immediately think about our largest source of freshwater under the Earth: groundwater.
According to the National Groundwater Association, U.S. groundwater is 20 to 30 times greater than the amount in all the lakes, streams, and rivers in the United States. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates we use 82.3 billion gallons of fresh groundwater daily for public and private supply, irrigation, livestock,
Groundwater is a renewable source that’s tapped through wells placed in water-bearing soil and rock beneath the Earth’s surface. However, in some locations, such as the eastern Arkansas region, the rate of groundwater use far exceeds the replenishment rate, which creates a serious problem.
Groundwater from the Alluvial and Sparta aquifers is the eastern Arkansas region’s lifeblood, providing high-quality drinking water and essentially all the water used for agricultural irrigation and fish farming. The aquifers’ loss would devastate the region’s economic conditions, national rice production, and regional drinking water supply, and have far-reaching impacts on food security.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has two large-scale groundwater security projects under construction designed to address this serious problem. The Grand Prairie Region Project, led by USACE Memphis District Project Manager Billy Grantham, P.E., and Bayou Meto Basin Project, led by USACE Memphis District Project Manager Jill Kelley, P.E., will both deliver river water to farmers for irrigation and reduce their use of groundwater from the Alluvial and Sparta aquifers.
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The Grand Prairie Region Project is in the eastern Arkansas Grand Prairie region. It is a comprehensive water management plan designed to deliver surface water to farmers to reduce their use of groundwater from the Alluvial and Sparta aquifers. The project utilizes excess surface water and water from the White River to supplement a network of on-farm tailwater recovery systems. This supplemental system is designed to fill on-farm reservoirs that store the water to supply a portion of each farmers’ irrigation needs. Project features include a major pumping station, conveyance channels, and conservation measures for the Grand Prairie area. The project is estimated to deliver water by 2026. Our non-federal project partners are the state of Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division and the White River Irrigation District. AE
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