The Fall and Rise of an Aquifer--The Fall and Rise of an Aquifer--Stakeholders Unite to Conserve and Stakeholders Unite to Conserve and Monitor the Sparta Aquifer in South Monitor the Sparta Aquifer in South

ArkansasArkansas

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Dave FreiwaldAssistant DirectorUSGS Arkansas Water Science Center

Union County Water Conservation Board

Arkansas Geological Commission

Cooperative Partners

Overview

Arkansas water-use; water-level declines

Sparta aquifer description; early ground-water model results

Public education; Union County Water Conservation Board; conservation/alternate supply

Sparta Aquifer Recovery Study monitoring networks

Updated model simulations; water-level changes

Water-Use Facts For Arkansas

Total water-use ~10.9 billion gallons of water per day (BGD)

Total Water Use, in MGD

0.7- 11- 1010 - 100100 - 1,0001,000 - 2,000

Arkansas County: 10% of total for irrigation

• Irrigation water-use was 7.9 BGD (72% of total)

equal to 9 inches of water over DC area daily

Withdrawals began in early 1900’s

Substantial declines in ground-water levels documented by USGS since late 1920’s

Arkansas ranked 4th in the Nation for ground-water use (CA,TX,NE)

Ground

Pope County Nuclear One: 9% of total

Withdrawals from the Sparta Aquifer in Arkansas and Louisiana, 1975-95

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

WIT

HD

RA

WA

L R

AT

ES,

IN

MIL

LIO

NS

OF

GA

LL

ON

S P

ER

DA

Y

LOUISIANAARKANSAS

StudyArea

Sparta AquiferRecovery Project-Union County, Arkansasand Adjacent Area

-220

-170

-120

-70

-20

30

80

130

180

01/01/20 01/01/30 01/02/40 01/02/50 01/03/60 01/03/70 01/04/80 01/04/90 01/05/00 01/05/10

Wat

er L

evel

, in

fee

t ab

ove

NG

VD

of

1929

Well 17S15W18DBB1Union County, Arkansas

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Wat

er L

evel

, in

feet

abo

ve N

GV

D o

f 192

9

In 2000, water levels in the Sparta aquifer reached the lowest recorded level of -220 feet below sea level

decline in water level of 360 feet since the 1920’sSparta aquifer

water-level surface-Union County, Arkansas

100-1000 ft

Sparta Aquifer

• Deep, confined system

• Municipal/industrial use• > 300 water-level

measurements/year

Arkansas

Louisiana

Mississippi

Sparta Extent

Sand, silt, clay

100 – 500 gallons/minute

100-1,000 ft

Fitzpatrick, D

.J., Kilpatric

k,

J.M., and McWreath, H

arry,

1990, Geohydrologic characteristics and

simulated response to pumping stresses in

the Sparta aquifer in east-central Arkansas:

U.S. Geological Survey Water-R

esources

Investigations Report 88- 4201, 50 p.

Hays, P.D., Lovelace, J.K., and Reed, T.B., 1998,

Simulated response to pumping stress in the Sparta aquifer of

southeastern Arkansas and north-central Louisiana, 1998-2027: U.S.

Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4121, 25

p.

Kilpatrick, J.M., 1992, Simulated response to future pumping in the

Sparta aquifer, Union County, Arkansas: U.S. Geological Survey Water-

Resources Investigations Report 91-4161, 25 p.

McWreath, H.C., III, Nelson, J.D., and Fitzpatrick, D.J., 1991, Simulated response to pumping stresses in the Sparta aquifer, northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Water Resources Technical Report No. 51, 51 p.

Hays, P.D., 2000, Sustainable-yield estimation for the Sparta aquifer in Union County, Arkansas, U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4274, 17p.

Early ModelStudies

Sparta Aquifer Sustained Yield Model ResultsSustainable yield for the Sparta aquifer in Union County—

achieving water levels above the top of the formation

reduce by 72%reduce by 72% of the current (1997) withdrawal rate

Future

Past

Sustainable-yieldSustainable-yield

Withdrawal Rate

72%reduction

Union County, Arkansas- Economic Future

Union County addresses problem: water education and gaining public support

The Union County Water Conservation Board (UCWCB) formed in 1999

UCWCB plans for conservation methods and an alternate water supply

Union County residents approve taxes to fund conservation and alternate water supply

UCWCB with Burns & McDonnell, Inc. develop a Water System Master Plan Press conference announcing

conservation plans by industry

Conservation and Alternate Water Supply

Recycled or reused industrial water of 2.3 million gallons per day and conservation methods decrease withdrawals

Ouachita River Alternative Water Supply Project provide 10 million gallons per day to large industrial users in El Dorado Water intake structure

on the Ouachita River

Union County Water Conservation Board

SPARTA AQUIFER RECOVERY STUDYA study to document the recovery of ground-water resources as a result of implementing conservation measures and importing surface water in Union County, Arkansas

USGS STUDY APPROACH• Eight wells in and around Union County form a ground-water level

monitoring network.• Water-quality samples collected from 12 wells and analyzed for

temperature, specific conductance, and chloride.

Water levels measured using a pressure transducer, digital data logger, and telephone modem. “Real-time” water-level data available via the Internet at:

http://ar.water.usgs.gov

2005

Union County Water Conservation Board

SPARTA AQUIFER RECOVERY STUDY

Union County Conservation District (UCCD)

•Automated data logger wells

•Daily water levels

•Web accessible: www.ucwcb.org

Daily water levels

Real-time water levels

Water quality

Public Awareness

“Real-time” welllocated at Arkansas WelcomeCenter

High visibility wells located at schools•Union Academy of Health and Wellness and the Charles L.Lovett Study Well

Alluvial and Sparta 1998/1997 Water-Level Surface

USGS Ground-Water Flow Models

Sparta Model

•McKee and others, 2003

•Sustained pumping at 1990-1997 rates

5- Year Simulated Water-Level Rise2003 to 2008

ArkansasLouisiana

El Dorado

Explanation

Water-level change (ft)2003-2008

-6 - 0

1 - 10

11 - 20

21 - 30

31 - 40

41 - 50

51 - 60

61 - 70

71 - 80

81 - 90

91 - 100

101 - 110

111 - 120

121 - 130

131 - 140

Sparta outcrop/subcrop

Sparta model outline

industrial wells

Water-level change2003-2008 (feet)

El Dorado Industry Converts to Surface Water

Dec 2004 (Lion Oil)Feb 2005 (El Dorado Chemical)Oct 2005 (Chemtura Chemical)

AlternateWaterSupplyStarts

+20 feet

AlternateWater SourceStarts

+15 feet

Water-Level Rises

Water-use andwater-level dataWater-level declines

Future

Past

Sustainable-yieldSustainable-yield72%

reduction

Sustainable yieldWater education- public support

Alternate water supplyModel simulationsWater-level recovery

Summarythe end