FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 6/18/2025
Contact: Ayden Massey, 501-813-6012
[email protected]
2024 Report Provides Update on Arkansas Groundwater Levels and Trends
LITTLE ROCK, AR — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture (Department) has released the 2024 Arkansas Groundwater Protection and Management Report pursuant to the Arkansas Groundwater Protection and Management Act of 1991, Arkansas Code Annotated § 15-22-906. This report summarizes groundwater monitoring, current water levels, conservation programs, and water use for 2024.
“Our staff and partners have worked tirelessly to collect and analyze critical data on the state’s groundwater resources,” said Chris Colclasure, Director of the Department’s Natural Resources Division. “Our findings offer a clear picture of conditions and trends, highlighting both challenges and signs of stabilization. Reliable science and ongoing monitoring are essential to protecting and managing these vital resources.”
The report highlights ongoing efforts to monitor Arkansas’s groundwater resources. In the Alluvial aquifer, average groundwater levels declined over the past year and five years but showed a slight rebound over ten years. The Sparta aquifer continues to recover in areas of historical decline, especially in Union and Jefferson counties. Despite some positive trends, groundwater withdrawal in eastern and southern Arkansas remains unsustainable. These findings underscore the need for continued monitoring and data collection, conservation, and water use planning.
In 2023, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders launched a comprehensive update to the Arkansas Water Plan through Executive Order 23-27. Phase I, completed in 2024, engaged stakeholders statewide and identified key goals, including strengthening water infrastructure, protecting water quality, and supporting water resource planning and management for current and future needs. With fluctuating aquifer levels, the update emphasizes long-term planning to balance water demand and conservation. Phase II of the update is scheduled to be completed in 2026.
“Approximately 71% of Arkansas’s water use is from groundwater and water demand for crop irrigation is approximately 80% of the total statewide water demand. Adequate and sustainable groundwater is critical not only to our agriculture industry but also to other industries and our ability to provide safe and reliable drinking water to all Arkansans,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “This is one reason why Governor Sanders has made water a top priority issue and we’re thankful for her leadership to identify problems, find solutions, and quickly implement changes that will set our state up for success now and for many years to come.”
Find the full report on the Department’s website here. An online story map version of the report, allowing users to explore the maps in greater detail, can be found here.
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About the Arkansas Department of Agriculture
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the development and implementation of policies and programs for Arkansas agriculture, forestry, and natural resources conservation to keep its farmers and ranchers competitive in national and international markets while sustaining natural resources and ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of the state and nation. 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. For more information, visit agriculture.arkansas.gov/.
