LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have completed the first phase of the Arkansas Water Plan (AWP).

The update is part of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Executive Order 23-27, which aims to restore Arkansas’ waterways and infrastructure.

Completion of Phase One represents an important milestone in the preparation and development of a program for the orderly development and conservation of the state’s water and related land resources that benefits all Arkansas residents.

“Every Arkansas resident has the right to access safe, reliable drinking water,” Sanders said. “My administration’s ongoing review and update of our Arkansas Water Plan is key to achieving that goal. 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.”

Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward said Sanders’ track record of being proactive on Arkansas’ water infrastructure is among the best in the country.

“Governor Sanders has been the most proactive governor in the country when it comes to solving water problems,” Ward said. “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 set Arkansas up for success for many years to come.

The first phase required a comprehensive review of the existing AWP to identify areas of significant change that need to be reassessed or updated. To conclude the first phase, a total of seven stakeholder meetings were held across the state from March to May 2024. Citizens were also invited to provide feedback through a stakeholder survey. The department used the data to understand the state’s current water levels and develop goals for updating the Arkansas Water Plan.

In the first phase, six main objectives were defined for the new AWP.

• 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 be completed in two phases, with Phase II scheduled to begin before the end of the year.