Natural Resources
Efficiently and responsibly managing and protecting our water and land resources for the sustainability, health, safety, and economic benefit of the State of Arkansas
Groundwater Protection and Management Program
Mission Statement
To manage and protect the groundwater resources in Arkansas for human, environmental and economic benefit.
Program Summary
The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission is the State's water resources planning and management agency. The Commission is responsible for state-level planning, management, and protection of our groundwater resources. This is accomplished through monitoring aquifer water levels and water quality, implementing best management practices (BMPs), conservation, enforcing the proper construction of water wells, and education. The Commission works closely with other state and federal agencies to monitor a dynamic water well network of approximately 1000 sites for water level and water-quality information. The NRD's Groundwater Management and Protection Programs are summarized below.
- Pursuant to the Arkansas Groundwater Protection and Management Act of 1991, the NRD produces an annual groundwater report on the condition of the State's groundwater resources. This report summarizes the monitoring well network data and provides a yearly update on the tax credit and water use registration programs. The data collected for this report is used to influence policy and program recommendations, such as Critical Groundwater Area designation.
- Water Well Construction licensing, permitting, and enforcement
- Water Well Construction Report Database
- Groundwater Conservation Tax Credit Program
- Water Use Registration Program
- Provide technical assistance on water well construction report database inquiries, water well policy questions, and general geology, hydrogeology, and water supply availability questions
Groundwater Summit 2024
Click here to view the 2024 Groundwater Summit Agenda.
Click here to view the Efforts to Understand Groundwater Availability in Arkansas: Insight Into the Mississippi Alluvial Plain Region and Critical Groundwater Areas Presentation. Dr. Laura Ruhl-Whittle and J.P. Traylor
Click here to view Groundwater Sustainability: Delta Water Management Research Unit Update, Dr. Michele L. Reba
Click here to view the Groundwater Conservation Programs: Well Timers and Supply Chain Incentive Programs to Promote Sustainability Water Use, Dr. Jeff Fore
Click here to view the Arkansas Irrigation Yield Contest, Dr. Quiqoing Huang
Click here to view the Pipe Planner Acreage and Savings Report-2024, Chris Declerk
Click here to view the Interactive Producer Programs to Advance Learning and Action
on Advanced Conservation-Oriented Management Presentation, Amy Kremen
Click here to view the WATER: A Winthrop Rockefeller Institute Program, Kimberly Bolin
Click here to view the Arkansas Water Use Data Presentation: How Much Water is Being Used And
How Do the Data Inform Models?, Melissa Harris
Click here to view the Sparta Aquifer Recovery Presentation - We're Not California, But We Coulda' Been!, Robert Reynold
Click here to view the 40 Years of Insights from Incentives Presentation, Christy Steward
Click here to view A Farmer’s Perspective on Irrigation Water Management, Clay Smith, Jake Rieves, Katie Womack, Adam Eades, Lance Blythe, Mike Hamilton, and Rodney Wright
Groundwater Summit 2022
Click here to view the 2022 Arkansas Groundwater Summit Proceedings.
Groundwater Story Map
A companion piece to the Groundwater Report was introduced this year, the Groundwater Story Map. The Story map is a digital presentation of the Arkansas Natural Resources Division’s Groundwater Protection and Management Report for 2023. The report’s findings are exhibited through interactive maps with layers of site-specific groundwater levels. Users can click on points throughout the story map to gain further information about the current state of groundwater in Arkansas.
Click here to view the Groundwater Story Map
Groundwater Reports
- 2023 Groundwater Report
- 2022 Groundwater Report
- 2021 Groundwater Report
- 2020 Groundwater Report
- 2019 Groundwater Report
- 2018 Groundwater Report
Click here to view more Groundwater Annual Reports
For more information contact:
Corbin G. Cannon II, P.G.
Geology Supervisor
Arkansas Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Division
Groundwater Section
1 Natural Resources Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205
(O): (501) 682-3904 | (C): (501) 850-5549
[email protected]
