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, 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.