The Arkansas Department of Agriculture (“ADA”) issued a July 14th news release noting that it held a virtual meeting on July 8th providing an update on the Arkansas Water Plan (“AWP”).
The meeting is stated to have been conducted in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
During the meeting facilitated sessions are stated to have shared information on:
- Water infrastructure
- Water quality
- Water demand and supply
- New draft Water Plan issues
- Recommendations
- Strategies
The AWP has been described as the State’s policy for long-term management of water. It was updated in 1990 and 2014.
The National Resources Division has described the purpose of the AWP as bringing:
… data, science, and public input together to define water demands, water supplies, and potential solutions to our future needs.
Governor Sanders previously issued an Executive Order (“EO”) requesting that the Arkansas Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Division undertake:
- A comprehensive analysis/report of the State’s water needs.
- Update the AWP.
See EO 23-27.
The EO recognizes the role of both the NRD and the AWP in the State of Arkansas’ water resources. It further noted that the AWP had not been updated for almost ten years and that there is:
… urgent need to update the plan in order to meet the changing needs of communities, large and small – across the state.
Recordings of the presentations have been posted on the ADA’s website.
The ADA requests that all stakeholder feedback or suggestions regarding the provisional information in the 2026 Arkansas Water Plan update be submitted by August 7, 2026, to Agri.WaterPlan@arkansas.gov.
A link to information about the AWP can be found here.
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