The Arkansas Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), has completed Phase I of updating the Arkansas Water Plan (AWP) pursuant to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Executive Order 23-27. The completion of Phase I represents a major milestone in the preparation and development of a comprehensive program for the orderly development and management of the state’s water and related land resources that will benefit all Arkansans.

“Every Arkansas resident has the right to access safe, reliable drinking water. My administration’s ongoing review and updating of our Arkansas Water Plan is key to achieving that goal,” said Governor Sanders. “Completing Phase I of our plan review is an important milestone, and I look forward to quickly moving on to Phase II as we continue to make needed investments statewide.”

“Governor Sanders has been the most proactive governor in the country when it comes to solving water problems,” said Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward. “From signing Executive Order 23-27, which initiated an update to the Arkansas Water Plan, to initiating a statewide inventory and analysis of levees to prepare for and mitigate future flooding, to solving critical groundwater issues for our state’s agriculture and managing over $2.5 billion in water development projects in all 75 counties across the state, no governor has put more time and effort into solving water problems and setting Arkansas up for success for many years to come.”

Phase I required a comprehensive review of the existing Arkansas Water Plan to identify areas of significant change that need to be reassessed or updated. Phase I concluded with a total of seven stakeholder meetings held across the state from March to May 2024. Additionally, citizens were invited to provide feedback through a stakeholder survey. The department used this data to better understand the state’s current water needs and develop goals for updating the Arkansas Water Plan.

With the completion of Phase I, the following six goals were identified for updating the Arkansas Water Plan:

• Provide drinking water that promotes public health and well-being.
• Provide water that provides environmental and economic benefits to the state and supports intergovernmental 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, wastewater, stormwater and flood protection infrastructure and plan for future infrastructure needs.
• Maintain, protect and improve water quality to support intended uses of water bodies.
• Reduce the impacts of future floods on people, property, infrastructure, industry, agriculture and the environment.

The Arkansas Water Plan update will occur in two phases, with Phase II scheduled to begin before the end of calendar year 2024.