LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The first phase of Governor Sanders' Arkansas Water Plan update has been completed by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“Every Arkansan deserves access to safe, reliable drinking water. My administration’s ongoing review and update of our Arkansas Water Plan is key to that goal,” said Governor Sanders. “Completion of Phase I of our plan review is an important milestone and I look forward to moving on quickly to Phase II while we continue making needed investments statewide.”
The plan's first phase included a full review of the existing Arkansas Water Plan to pinpoint areas in need of changes or updates.
To help better understand the state's current water needs, seven stakeholder meetings were held across the state from March to May 2024. Additionally, citizens were asked to give feedback through a stakeholder survey.
The completion of Phase I helped identify six goals for the Arkansas Water Plan update:
- Provide drinking water that supports public health and well-being.
- Provide water that supports environmental and economic benefits to the state & supports interstate agreements.
- Use the best available science, data, tools, practices, and technologies to support water resource planning and management for current and future needs.
- Maintain and improve water supply, wastewater, stormwater, and flood control infrastructure and plan for future infrastructure needs.
- Maintain, protect, and improve water quality to support designated uses of waterbodies.
- Reduce the impacts of future flooding events on people, property, infrastructure, industry, agriculture, and the environment.
“Governor Sanders has been the most proactive Governor in the country in addressing water issues,” said Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “From signing Executive Order 23-27 that initiated an update to the Arkansas Water Plan to initiating a statewide levee inventory and analysis to prepare for and mitigate future flooding events, to addressing critical groundwater issues for our state’s agriculture industry and administering over $2.5 billion in water development projects in all 75 counties across the state. There is no Governor that has devoted more time and effort to address water issues and ensure that Arkansas is set up for success for many years to come.”
The next phase of the Arkansas Water Plan is scheduled to begin before the end of the 2024 calendar year.