U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Prepared in cooperation with the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 2010

Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5062
Cover, Irrigation well in northeastern Arkansas (U.S. Geological Survey photograph by Terrance W.

Holland, 2009).
Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 2010

By Aaron L. Pugh and Terrance W. Holland

Prepared in cooperation with the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission

Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5062

U.S. Department of the Interior

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

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015

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resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS.

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Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the 

U.S. Government.

Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials 

as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.

Suggested citation:

Pugh, A.L., and Holland, T.W., 2015, Estimated water use in Arkansas, 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2015–5062, 33 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155062.

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)
iii

Contents

Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ......................................................................................................................................2

Data-Collection Methods .............................................................................................................................2

Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source ..........................................................6

Public Supply ........................................................................................................................................6

Domestic (Self-Supplied) ....................................................................................................................6

Commercial (Self-Supplied) .............................................................................................................13

Industrial (Self-Supplied) ..................................................................................................................13

Mining ..................................................................................................................................................13

Livestock ..............................................................................................................................................13

Aquaculture ........................................................................................................................................13

Irrigation ..............................................................................................................................................20

Duck (Hunting) Clubs .........................................................................................................................20

Thermoelectric Power Generation .................................................................................................24

Changes in Water Use for Selected Categories, 1965–2010 ................................................................24

Sources of Groundwater Withdrawals ...................................................................................................27

Summary .......................................................................................................................................................30

Selected References ..................................................................................................................................30

Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................32

Figures

1. Maps showing well locations within major hydrogeologic units and 

physiographic boundaries in Arkansas ...................................................................................3

2. Map showing major surface-water sources ..........................................................................4

3. Map showing counties where selected water-use data are reported at 

Conservation District offices .....................................................................................................5

4. Maps showing total water, groundwater, and surface-water use by county for 

Arkansas, 2010 .............................................................................................................................8

5. Graph showing total water, groundwater, and surface-water use in Arkansas 

by category, 2010 .........................................................................................................................9

6. Graph showing total water, groundwater, and surface-water use in Arkansas, 

1965–2010 ....................................................................................................................................27

7. Graph showing total water and irrigation water use for groundwater and 

surface water in Arkansas, 1965–2010 ...................................................................................27

8. Graph showing groundwater and surface-water use and population served for 

public-supply systems in Arkansas, 1965–2010 ....................................................................27
iv

Tables

1. Groundwater, surface-water, and total water withdrawals by county for 

Arkansas, 2010 .............................................................................................................................7

2. Public supply and per capita water use in Arkansas, 2010 ................................................10

3. Domestic (self-supplied) water use in Arkansas, 2010 .......................................................12

4. Commercial (self-supplied) water use in Arkansas, 2010 ...................................................14

5. Industrial (self-supplied) water use in Arkansas, 2010 .......................................................15

6. Mining water use in Arkansas, 2010 .......................................................................................16

7. Livestock water requirements .................................................................................................17

8. Livestock water use in Arkansas, 2010 ..................................................................................18

9. Aquaculture water use in Arkansas, 2010 .............................................................................19

10. Water use by crop for Arkansas, 2010 ...................................................................................20

11. Irrigation water use in Arkansas, 2010 ...................................................................................21

12. Duck (hunting) clubs water use in Arkansas, 2010 ..............................................................23

13. Thermoelectric power water use in Arkansas, 2010 ...........................................................25

14. Changes in water use for selected categories in Arkansas, 1965–2010 ..........................26

15. Groundwater use by major aquifer in Arkansas, 2010 .........................................................28
v

Conversion Factors

Inch/Pound to SI

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

acre 4,047 square meter (m2

)

acre 0.4047 hectare (ha)

acre 0.4047 square hectometer (hm2

) 

acre 0.004047 square kilometer (km2

)

square foot (ft2

) 0.09290 square meter (m2)

square mile (mi2

) 259.0 hectare (ha)

square mile (mi2

) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Volume

gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L) 

gallon (gal) 0.003785 cubic meter (m3

) 

gallon (gal) 3.785 cubic decimeter (dm3

) 

million gallons (Mgal) 3,785 cubic meter (m3

)

cubic foot (ft3

) 0.02832 cubic meter (m3) 

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3

)

acre-foot (acre-ft) 0.001233 cubic hectometer (hm3

) 

Flow rate

cubic foot per second (ft3

/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

gallon per day (gal/d) 0.003785 cubic meter per day (m3

/d)

million gallons per day (Mgal/d 0.04381 cubic meter per second (m3

/s)

Datum

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the North American Vertical Datum of 

1988 (NAVD 88).

Supplemental Information

Volume in acre-foot (acre-ft) may be converted to gallons (gal) as follows:

gal = acre-ft x 325,851.429

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 2010

By Aaron L. Pugh and Terrance W. Holland

the increasing dominance of groundwater withdrawals for 

irrigation on Arkansas’ total water use. Total irrigation water 

use in Arkansas between 1965 and 2010 has increased about 

652 percent. Withdrawals for thermoelectric power water use 

in Arkansas have continuously accounted for about half of 

the State’s total surface-water use for the period 1965–2010. 

Thermoelectric power water use in Arkansas between 1965 

and 2010 increased 264 percent. The percent of Arkansas’ 

population served by public water suppliers has continued to 

increase while the percentage of the State’s total water use 

withdrawn by public water suppliers has remained relatively 

constant. Public-supply water use in Arkansas between 

1965 and 2010 increased about 238 percent. Regardless of 

continuing increases in population, since about 2000, total 

public-supply water use in Arkansas has plateaued at about 

425 Mgal/d.

Groundwater withdrawals comprised about 69 percent 

of the total amount of water used in Arkansas in 2010. Four 

aquifers in Arkansas account for more than 99 percent of the 

total groundwater withdrawals. The aquifers in deposits of 

Quaternary age supplied about 97 percent of all groundwater 

withdrawals. The Sparta-Memphis aquifer supplied about 

2.5 percent of all groundwater withdrawals, the Wilcox aquifer 

supplied about 0.5 percent of all groundwater withdrawals, 

and the Paleozoic aquifer supplied about 0.3 percent of all 

groundwater withdrawals. 

Introduction

Water is one of Arkansas’ most valuable natural 

resources. Much of the State’s agriculture and industry is 

dependent upon having an adequate supply of quality water. 

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) 

conducts an annual inventory of reported groundwater and 

surface-water withdrawals in Arkansas in cooperation with 

the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Data collected during 

this inventory are shared by State and Federal agencies to 

document the State’s total water use and to facilitate planning 

the most effective use of Arkansas’ water resources for the 

economic, social, and environmental well-being for the people 

of Arkansas and the Nation.

Abstract

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) 

conducts an annual inventory of reported groundwater and 

surface-water withdrawals in Arkansas in cooperation with 

the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This report describes 

withdrawals from groundwater and surface-water resources 

in Arkansas for 2010. The report compiles withdrawals 

by county for 10 categories of water use—public supply, 

domestic (self-supplied), commercial (self-supplied), 

industrial (self-supplied), mining, livestock, aquaculture, 

irrigation, duck (hunting) clubs, and thermoelectric power 

generation. Water-use trends in Arkansas from 1965 to 2010 

and sources of groundwater withdrawals also are described.

During 2010, total withdrawals from groundwater and 

surface-water sources in Arkansas were 11,300 million gallons 

per day (Mgal/d). Of the total withdrawn, about 69 percent 

(7,790 Mgal/d) was from groundwater. Public-supply 

systems served about 94 percent of Arkansas’ population. 

Public-supply total withdrawals were 429 Mgal/d, with about 

69 percent from surface-water sources. The statewide average 

of per capita residential use from public-supply systems 

was about 155 gallons per day (gal/d). The domestic (selfsupplied) water use was 12.8 Mgal/d. Total commercial (selfsupplied) water use was 11.7 Mgal/d. Total industrial (selfsupplied) water use was 276 Mgal/d. Total mining water use 

was 44.3 Mgal/d. Total livestock water use was 39.0 Mgal/d. 

Total aquaculture water use was 268 Mgal/d. Irrigation water 

use totaled 8,720 Mgal/d. Total duck (hunting) club water use 

was 216 Mgal/d. Total thermoelectric power water use was 

1,540 Mgal/d.

The three water-use categories with the largest 

withdrawals and their effects on total water use were 

examined. Total water use in Arkansas has increased about 

428 percent between 1965 and 2010. Total groundwater 

use increased about 533 percent and total surface-water use 

increased about 289 percent. Since about 2000, total water use 

in Arkansas has plateaued, peaking in 2005. The plateauing 

of total water use is the result of decreasing surface-water 

use in the irrigation, thermoelectric power, and public-supply 

categories offsetting the continuing increases in groundwater 

use in the irrigation category. An examination of total water 

use and irrigation water-use changes over time demonstrates 
2

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

An inventory of water use in the United States has 

been conducted every 5 years since 1950 by the USGS 

(MacKichan, 1951, 1957; MacKichan and Kammerer, 1961; 

Murray, 1968; Murray and Reeves, 1972, 1977; Solley and 

others, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998; Hutson and others, 2004; 

Kenny and others, 2009). In 1978, the National Water-Use 

Information Program was initiated by the USGS to establish 

a nationwide water-use database. In 1985, the ANRC and 

the USGS began a water-use program that provides for the 

collection, storage, and dissemination of accurate wateruse information for Arkansas within a consistent national 

framework. The 2010 water-use data for Arkansas have been 

aggregated with data for the rest of the United States that is 

included in a report on water use for the Nation (Maupin and 

others, 2014).

Groundwater and surface-water sources are abundant in 

many areas of Arkansas. Major groundwater sources (fig. 1) 

are located in deposits of Quaternary age, the Cockfield 

Formation, the Sparta and Memphis Sands, the Cane River 

Formation, the undifferentiated Wilcox Group, the Clayton 

Formation, the Nacatoch Sand, the Tokio Formation, the 

Trinity Group, and the undifferentiated rocks of Paleozoic age. 

Hereafter, these groundwater sources will be referred to as 

the alluvial, Cockfield, Sparta-Memphis, Cane River, Wilcox, 

Clayton, Nacatoch, Tokio, Trinity, and Paleozoic aquifers. 

Major surface-water sources include the Arkansas, White, 

Saline, and Ouachita Rivers and Beaver, Bull Shoals, Greers 

Ferry, Maumelle, and Winona Lakes (fig. 2).

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this report is to describe withdrawals 

from groundwater and surface-water resources in Arkansas 

for 2010. The report compiles withdrawals by county (fig. 3) 

for 10 categories of water use—public supply, domestic 

(self-supplied), commercial (self-supplied), industrial (selfsupplied), mining, livestock, aquaculture, irrigation, duck 

(hunting) clubs, and thermoelectric power generation. Wateruse trends in Arkansas from 1965 to 2010 and sources of 

groundwater withdrawals also are described. 

Data-Collection Methods

Site-specific water-use data for several categories are 

collected and compiled annually by the ANRC in cooperation 

with the USGS. Water users that withdraw 1 acre-foot 

(acre-ft) or more of surface water per year or wells with the 

capability of pumping 50,000 gallons per day (gal/d) or more 

of groundwater report their withdrawals annually. Data for 

the irrigation, livestock, aquaculture, and duck (hunting) club 

categories are reported through the Conservation District 

offices in selected counties (fig. 3). Water-use data for each of 

the other categories are reported to the ANRC. Site-specific 

water-use data for irrigation, livestock, and duck (hunting) 

clubs, public supply, commercial (self-supplied), industrial 

(self-supplied), mining, and power generation are stored in 

the Arkansas Water-Use Data Base (WUDBS) maintained by 

the USGS. Information about amounts of water withdrawn, 

sources of water, how the water was used, and how much 

water was returned is available to water-resources managers 

and policy makers through the WUDBS by contacting ANRC 

or USGS.

Because of incomplete reporting, it is necessary in 

some cases to supplement these data with data from other 

sources. These sources include public agencies, industries, 

public utilities, other organizations, and individuals. Principal 

contributors include the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment 

Station, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, 

Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Department of 

Parks and Tourism, Arkansas Electric Cooperative, Arkansas 

Geological Survey, Arkansas Industrial Development 

Commission, Entergy Arkansas, Arkansas State Highway 

and Transportation Department, University of Arkansas 

Cooperative Extension Service, National Agricultural 

Statistics Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 

Southwest Power Administration, U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service. 

Some estimates are made by the USGS based on 

population (U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census 

Bureau, 2010) and average consumptive-use rates for 

water-use categories for which data are not available or 

are incomplete. After sufficient data are collected from all 

available sources, these data are aggregated by county for each 

water-use category and by aquifer for each county.
Data-Collection Methods

Figure 1. Well locations within major hydrogeologic units and physiographic boundaries in Arkansas.

Physiographic boundaries

Deposits of Quaternary age Cockfield Formation Sparta-Memphis Sands

Cane River Formation Wilcox Group, undifferentiated Clayton Formation

Nacatoch Sand Tokio Formation Trinity Group 

Rock of Paleozoic age, 

undifferentiated

Springfield-Salem Plateau

Boston Mountains

Arkansas Valley

Ouachita Mountains

West Gulf Coastal Plain

Mississippi Alluvial Plain

COASTAL PLAINCOASTAL PLAIN

INTERIOR HIGHLANDSINTERIOR HIGHLANDS

Quaternary

Tertiary

Cretaceous

Paleozoic

EXPLANATION

Well locations completed in stratigraphic unit age:

Physiographic division and section boundaries 

from Fenneman and Johnson (1946)

Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey

1:100,000-scale digital data

Physiographic sections

Physiographic division 

boundary

Physiographic section 

boundary

150100500 200 KILOMETERS

150100500 200 MILES

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90° 36°

35°

34°
4

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

Figure 2. Major surface-water sources.

Lake

Chicot

Mississippi River

River

White

River

White

River

Arkansas

River

Arkansas

River

Saline

River

Ouachita

Lake

Erling

White Oak

Lake

Millwood

Lake

Lake

Greeson

De Gray

Lake

Lake

Lake Catherine

Hamilton

Lake

Ouachita

Lake

Conway

Lake

Maumelle

Lake

Winona

Nimrod Lake

Blue Mountain

Lake

Lake

Dardanelle

Greers Ferry

Lake

Norfork

Lake

Bull

Shoals

Lake

Beaver

Lake

Black

River

Red

River

0 20 40 MILES

0 20 40 KILOMETERS

Base from the U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:000,000

Universal Transverse Mercator projection Zone 15

94° 92° 91° 93°

90°

36°

35°

34°
Data-Collection Methods

Figure 3. Counties where selected water-use data are reported at Conservation District offices.

EXPLANATION

Counties with water-use data

reported at Conservation

District offices

YELL

UNION

WHITE

LEE

POLK

POPE

DREW

SCOTT

PIKE

CLARK

CLAY

DESHA

ASHLEY

BENTON

LOGAN

SALINE

IZARD

LONOKE

NEWTON

PULASKI

ARKANSAS

CHICOT

GRANT

STONE

MADISON

CROSS

SHARP

MILLER

PRAIRIE

DALLAS

PERRY

BOONE

PHILLIPS

SEARCY

SEVIER

MARION

FULTON

MISSISSIPPI

POINSETT

JEFFERSON

NEVADA

GARLAND

BAXTER

COLUMBIA

OUACHITA

WASHINGTON

JOHNSON

MONROE

GREENE

BRADLEY

JACKSON

CARROLL

HOWARD

CONWAY

LINCOLN

CALHOUN

VAN BUREN

FAULKNER

FRANKLIN

HEMPSTEAD

CRAIGHEAD

RANDOLPH

MONTGOMERY

ST FRANCIS

CLEBURNE

LAWRENCE

CRAWFORD

WOODRUFF

HOT SPRING

CRITTENDEN

CLEVELAND

INDEPENDENCE

LAFAYETTE

SEBASTIAN

LITTLE RIVER

0 20 40 MILES

0 20 40 KILOMETERS

Base from the U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:000,000

Universal Transverse Mercator projection Zone 15

94° 92° 91° 93°

90°

36°

35°

34°
6

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

Estimated Water Use by Category and 

Withdrawals by Source

During 2010, total withdrawals from groundwater 

and surface-water sources in Arkansas were 11,300 million 

gallons per day (Mgal/d) (table 1). Of the total withdrawn, 

about 69 percent (7,790 Mgal/d) was from groundwater, and 

the remaining 31 percent (3,540 Mgal/d) was from surface 

water. The largest total withdrawals generally occurred in 

eastern Arkansas and in counties along major rivers (figs. 1, 

2, and 4). The five counties with the largest total water 

use are Pope (987.15 Mgal/d), Arkansas (939.73 Mgal/d), 

Poinsett (937.26 Mgal/d), Cross (561.71 Mgal/d), and 

Lonoke (489.49 Mgal/d) (table 1). The largest groundwater 

withdrawals were in eastern Arkansas (fig. 4). The five 

counties with the largest groundwater withdrawals were 

Poinsett (845.82 Mgal/d), Arkansas (540.08 Mgal/d), 

Cross (523.74 Mgal/d), Jackson (419.50 Mgal/d), and 

Clay (399.81 Mgal/d) (table 1). The largest surface-water 

withdrawals were from the Arkansas and White Rivers and 

Beaver Lake (fig. 2). The five counties with the largest surfacewater withdrawals were Pope (985.45 Mgal/day), Arkansas 

(399.65 Mgal/day), Benton (396.78 Mgal/day), Hot Spring 

(124.57 Mgal/d), and Lonoke (123.70 Mgal/d) (table 1).

The distribution of total water, groundwater, and surfacewater uses by category illustrates the dominance of the 

irrigation water-use category in Arkansas (fig. 5). Irrigation was 

the dominant category of groundwater use in Arkansas, almost 

41 times greater than the second largest user of groundwater, 

aquaculture. Thermoelectric power generation, followed 

closely by irrigation, was the dominant category of surfacewater use in Arkansas.

Public Supply

Public supply refers to water withdrawn by public and 

private water suppliers and delivered to multiple users for 

domestic, commercial, industrial, and thermoelectric power 

generation uses. Public supply includes public and private 

systems that furnish water to at least 25 people or have a 

minimum of 15 service connections.

 Data on public-supply withdrawals are obtained from 

ANRC water-use registration reports. The ANRC requires 

all public and private suppliers in Arkansas to submit annual 

and monthly withdrawals and deliveries. Site-specific data for 

about 800 public water suppliers are stored in the WUDBS 

maintained by USGS. Data reporting deficiencies are 

supplemented with information from monthly operation reports 

submitted to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). 

Population served, source of water, facilities sold to, and 

amounts purchased from other public suppliers are available on 

the ADH Web site (Arkansas Department of Health, 2011).

Public-supply systems served about 2.77 million of the 

2.96 million Arkansans or about 95 percent of Arkansas’ 

population in 2010. Public-supply total withdrawals in 2010 for 

Arkansas were 429 Mgal/d (fig. 5, table 2); about 69 percent 

was from surface-water sources. Public-supply withdrawals 

accounted for 3.8 percent of the total withdrawals of water in 

the State for all purposes. Groundwater withdrawals for public 

supply were 134 Mgal/d or about 1.7 percent of the State’s 

total groundwater withdrawals for 2010. Public-supply surfacewater withdrawals were about 295 Mgal/d or about 8.3 percent 

of the State’s total surface-water withdrawals. 

Benton County had the largest total withdrawals for 

public supply in 2010 at 66.01 Mgal/d, serving 221,339 users. 

Most of Benton County’s withdrawals for public supply were 

from surface water (Beaver Lake), 61.39 Mgal/d, also making 

Benton County the largest withdrawer of surface water for 

public supply. Pulaski County had the second largest surfacewater withdrawals for public supply (Lakes Maumelle and 

Winona) in 2010 at 46.75 Mgal/d, serving 376,699 users. 

Craighead County had the largest groundwater withdrawals 

for public supply in 2010 at 15.27 Mgal/d, serving 91,509 

users. Jefferson County had the second largest groundwater 

withdrawals for public supply in 2010 at 13.14 Mgal/d, serving 

77,060 users.

Per capita residential water use for public-supply systems 

was calculated by dividing the amount of water withdrawn per 

day by the population served, providing per capita water use 

in gallons per day (gal/d). The 2010 statewide average of per 

capita residential use from public-supply systems was about 

155 gal/d. Conway County had the highest per capita use at 

680 gal/d.

Domestic (Self-Supplied)

Domestic water use includes water for household 

purposes, such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing 

clothes and dishes, flushing toilets, and watering lawns and 

gardens. Most water used for domestic purposes in Arkansas 

is provided by public supply. However, about 144,000 people 

in Arkansas (or about 5 percent of the State’s population) 

(U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 2010, 

Census 2010 summary files [SF1]) supply their own water 

from individual wells; these users are considered self-supplied. 

All domestic (self-supplied) withdrawals were assumed to be 

obtained from groundwater sources. 

The domestic (self-supplied) water use in Arkansas for 

2010 was 12.8 Mgal/d (table 3). Domestic (self-supplied) 

withdrawals account for about 0.1 percent of the total 

withdrawals of water or about 0.2 percent of total groundwater 

withdrawals in the State for all purposes. Miller County 

had the largest withdrawals for domestic (self-supplied) 

with 0.75 Mgal/d. Baxter and Pope Counties had the second 

largest withdrawals for domestic (self-supplied) with each 

withdrawing about 0.73 Mgal/d. The statewide average for per 

capita domestic (self-supplied) water use was about 89 gal/d. 

Newton and St Francis Counties had the highest per capita use 

of domestic (self-supplied) water use at 98 gal/d.
Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d) 

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d) 

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d) 

Arkansas 540.08 399.65 939.73 

Ashley 139.18 65.97 205.15 

Baxter 1.37 3.47 4.84 

Benton 5.69 396.78 402.47 

Boone 1.80 1.00 2.80 

Bradley 1.98 0.09 2.07 

Calhoun 0.63 0.02 0.65 

Carroll 1.77 8.94 10.71 

Chicot 203.61 69.44 273.05 

Clark 0.61 11.01 11.62 

Clay 399.81 7.69 407.50 

Cleburne 0.37 25.58 25.95 

Cleveland 1.16 0.27 1.43 

Columbia 9.47 1.78 11.25 

Conway 1.66 27.50 29.16 

Craighead 372.58 50.15 422.73 

Crawford 0.87 33.86 34.73 

Crittenden 218.21 1.53 219.74 

Cross 523.74 37.97 561.71 

Dallas 0.78 0.02 0.80 

Desha 371.21 112.78 483.99 

Drew 33.44 3.81 37.25 

Faulkner 4.53 4.25 8.78 

Franklin 0.48 10.66 11.14 

Fulton 1.89 82.53 84.42 

Garland 0.05 17.53 17.58 

Grant 5.12 0.20 5.32 

Greene 356.37 10.61 366.98 

Hempstead 3.41 1.25 4.66 

Hot Spring 0.44 124.57 125.01 

Howard 0.54 3.89 4.43 

Independence 58.67 98.03 156.70 

Izard 1.30 3.34 4.64 

Jackson 419.50 22.48 441.98 

Jefferson 279.54 71.09 350.63 

Johnson 0.35 5.22 5.57 

Lafayette 24.04 1.08 25.12 

Lawrence 179.91 18.63 198.54 

Table 1. Groundwater, surface-water, and total water withdrawals by county for Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d) 

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d) 

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d) 

Lee 300.75 6.25 307.00 

Lincoln 197.41 26.78 224.19 

Little River 4.02 101.16 105.18 

Logan 0.71 3.47 4.18 

Lonoke 365.79 123.70 489.49 

Madison 0.93 0.84 1.77 

Marion 0.84 1.19 2.03 

Miller 6.85 8.67 15.52 

Mississippi 373.53 7.65 381.18 

Monroe 277.81 19.70 297.51 

Montgomery 0.20 0.80 1.00 

Nevada 0.43 0.92 1.35 

Newton 1.15 0.21 1.36 

Ouachita 1.24 42.20 43.44 

Perry 0.49 1.53 2.02 

Phillips 264.81 1.85 266.66 

Pike 0.65 1.19 1.84 

Poinsett 845.82 91.44 937.26 

Polk 1.15 2.80 3.95 

Pope 1.70 985.45 987.15 

Prairie 237.96 96.21 334.17 

Pulaski 14.98 67.13 82.11 

Randolph 111.43 44.75 156.18 

St Francis 343.04 20.02 363.06 

Saline 4.55 27.33 31.88 

Scott 0.60 1.31 1.91 

Searcy 1.54 0.27 1.81 

Sebastian 0.24 3.50 3.74 

Sevier 0.95 3.63 4.58 

Sharp 1.39 2.11 3.50 

Stone 0.67 2.12 2.79 

Union 7.64 12.78 20.42 

Van Buren 0.25 4.10 4.35 

Washington 1.09 1.98 3.07 

White 32.56 55.47 88.03 

Woodruff 215.36 30.96 246.32 

Yell 0.45 3.68 4.13 

Totals: 7,790 3,540 11,300 
8

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

Figure 4. Total water, groundwater, and surface-water use by county for Arkansas, 2010.

Total water use

Groundwater use Surface-water use

YELL

LEE

UNION

WHITE

POLK

POPE

DREW

PIKE

SCOTT

CLARK

CLAY

ASHLEY

DESHA

BENTON

LOGAN

SALINE

IZARD

PULASKI LONOKE

ARKANSAS

NEWTON

GRANT

CHICOT

MADISON

STONE

MILLER

SHARP

CROSS

DALLAS

PRAIRIE

BOONE

PHILLIPS

PERRY

SEARCY

MARION

FULTON

SEVIER

MISSISSIPPI

JEFFERSON

NEVADA

POINSETT

GARLAND

COLUMBIA

BAXTER

OUACHITA

BRADLEY

WASHINGTON

JOHNSON

MONROE

GREENE

JACKSON

CARROLL

HOWARD

LINCOLN

CALHOUN

CONWAY

FAULKNER

VAN BUREN FRANKLIN

CRAIGHEAD

HEMPSTEAD

RANDOLPH

CLEBURNE

MONTGOMERY

ST FRANCIS

LAWRENCE

CRAWFORD

WOODRUFF

CLEVELAND

HOT SPRING

LAFAYETTE

INDEPENDENCE

LITTLE RIVER

SEBASTIAN CRITTENDEN

YELL

LEE

UNION

WHITE

POLK

POPE

DREW

PIKE

SCOTT

CLARK

CLAY

ASHLEY

DESHA

BENTON

LOGAN

SALINE

IZARD

PULASKI LONOKE

ARKANSAS

NEWTON

GRANT

CHICOT

MADISON

STONE

MILLER

SHARP

CROSS

DALLAS

PRAIRIE

BOONE

PHILLIPS

PERRY

SEARCY

MARION

FULTON

SEVIER

MISSISSIPPI

JEFFERSON

NEVADA

POINSETT

GARLAND

COLUMBIA

BAXTER

OUACHITA

BRADLEY

WASHINGTON

JOHNSON

MONROE

GREENE

JACKSON

CARROLL

HOWARD

LINCOLN

CALHOUN

CONWAY

FAULKNER

VAN BUREN FRANKLIN

CRAIGHEAD

HEMPSTEAD

RANDOLPH

CLEBURNE

MONTGOMERY

ST FRANCIS

LAWRENCE

CRAWFORD

WOODRUFF

CLEVELAND

HOT SPRING

LAFAYETTE

INDEPENDENCE

LITTLE RIVER

SEBASTIAN CRITTENDEN

YELL

LEE

UNION

WHITE

POLK

POPE

DREW

PIKE

SCOTT

CLARK

CLAY

ASHLEY

DESHA

BENTON

LOGAN

SALINE

IZARD

PULASKI LONOKE

ARKANSAS

NEWTON

GRANT

CHICOT

MADISON

STONE

MILLER

SHARP

CROSS

DALLAS

PRAIRIE

BOONE

PHILLIPS

PERRY

SEARCY

MARION

FULTON

SEVIER

MISSISSIPPI

JEFFERSON

NEVADA

POINSETT

GARLAND

COLUMBIA

BAXTER

OUACHITA

BRADLEY

WASHINGTON

JOHNSON

MONROE

GREENE

JACKSON

CARROLL

HOWARD

LINCOLN

CALHOUN

CONWAY

FAULKNER

VAN BUREN FRANKLIN

CRAIGHEAD

HEMPSTEAD

RANDOLPH

CLEBURNE

MONTGOMERY

ST FRANCIS

LAWRENCE

CRAWFORD

WOODRUFF

CLEVELAND

HOT SPRING

LAFAYETTE

INDEPENDENCE

LITTLE RIVER

SEBASTIAN CRITTENDEN

7550250 100 KILOMETERS

7550250 100 MILES

Base from the U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:000,000

Universal Transverse Mercator projection Zone 15

Base from the U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:000,000

Universal Transverse Mercator projection Zone 15

Base from the U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:000,000

Universal Transverse Mercator projection Zone 15

94° 93° 92° 91°

90°

36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90°

36°

35°

34°

94° 93° 92° 91°

90°

36°

35°

34°

0 to 1

Greater than 1 to 10

Greater than 10 to 100

Greater than 100 to 500

Greater than 500

Water use, in million gallons per day

EXPLANATION
Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source

Figure 5. Total water, groundwater, and surface-water use in Arkansas by category, 2010.

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

Water use, in million gallons per day

Total water use

Groundwater use

Surface-water use

EXPLANATION

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Water use, in million gallons per day

Irrigation Thermoelectric Public supply Aquaculture Duck hunting

clubs

Industrial Livestock Mining Domestic Commercial

Public

supply

Aquaculture Duck

hunting

clubs

Industrial Livestock Mining Domestic Commercial

Water-use category
10

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

Table 2. Public supply and per capita water use in Arkansas, 2010.—Continued 

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; gal/d, gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

County

Population 

served 

(thousands)

Water withdrawals 

(Mgal/d) Per capita 

water use 

Groundwater Surface water Total water (gal/d)

Arkansas 19.019 4.83 0 4.83 254

Ashley 21.853 1.75 0 1.75 80

Baxter 33.316 0.50 3.27 3.77 113

Benton 221.339 4.62 61.39 66.01 298

Boone 32.344 0.90 0.26 1.16 36

Bradley 10.544 1.32 0 1.32 125

Calhoun 4.837 0.56 0 0.56 116

Carroll 24.082 0.80 7.78 8.58 356

Chicot 9.761 1.81 0 1.81 185

Clark 19.396 0.06 2.08 2.14 110

Clay 16.083 1.68 0 1.68 104

Cleburne 25.970 0 9.28 9.28 357

Cleveland 8.689 1.00 0 1.00 115

Columbia 23.727 1.34 1.54 2.88 121

Conway 19.245 0 13.09 13.09 680

Craighead 91.509 15.27 0 15.27 167

Crawford 61.948 0 32.47 32.47 524

Crittenden 49.066 6.69 0 6.69 136

Cross 17.870 2.63 0 2.63 147

Dallas 8.116 0.76 0 0.76 94

Desha 13.008 1.07 0 1.07 82

Drew 17.261 3.14 0 3.14 182

Faulkner 108.698 2.74 3.20 5.94 55

Franklin 18.120 0 3.03 3.03 167

Fulton 12.245 1.55 0 1.55 127

Garland 96.024 0 15.72 15.72 164

Grant 16.690 1.47 0 1.47 88

Greene 38.471 4.36 0 4.36 113

Hempstead 17.156 2.37 0.44 2.81 164

Hot Spring 29.527 0.03 5.12 5.15 174

Howard 13.789 0 2.50 2.50 181

Independence 32.826 0.69 4.95 5.64 172

Izard 11.894 0.93 0 0.93 78

Jackson 16.013 1.59 0 1.59 99

Jefferson 77.060 13.14 0 13.14 171

Johnson 24.825 0 4.80 4.80 193

Lafayette 5.843 0.93 0 0.93 159

Lawrence 17.415 1.15 0 1.15 66

Lee 10.424 1.73 0 1.73 166

Table 2. Public supply and per capita water use in Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; gal/d, gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source

Table 2. Public supply and per capita water use in Arkansas, 2010.—Continued 

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; gal/d, gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

County

Population 

served 

(thousands)

Water withdrawals 

(Mgal/d) Per capita 

water use 

Groundwater Surface water Total water (gal/d)

Lincoln 14.134 1.48 0 1.48 105

Little River 13.171 0.56 2.73 3.29 250

Logan 22.353 0 2.79 2.79 125

Lonoke 68.356 7.27 0 7.27 106

Madison 11.331 0 0 0 0

Marion 9.182 0 0.93 0.93 101

Miller 35.018 0.10 0 0.10 3

Mississippi 45.198 7.19 0 7.19 159

Monroe 7.630 1.33 0 1.33 174

Montgomery 9.008 0 0.57 0.57 63

Nevada 6.908 0.09 0.69 0.78 113

Newton 7.821 0.97 0 0.97 124

Ouachita 26.120 1.16 2.59 3.75 144

Perry 6.431 0.01 0.91 0.92 143

Phillips 21.757 3.17 0 3.17 146

Pike 8.423 0.05 0.69 0.74 88

Poinsett 22.755 2.86 0 2.86 126

Polk 13.198 0 1.67 1.67 127

Pope 53.580 0 11.17 11.17 208

Prairie 7.113 0.77 0 0.77 108

Pulaski 376.699 3.72 46.75 50.47 134

Randolph 13.010 0.11 1.03 1.14 88

St Francis 27.952 4.99 0 4.99 179

Saline 107.118 4.50 26.9 31.40 293

Scott 7.144 0 0.81 0.81 113

Searcy 7.718 1.31 0 1.31 170

Sebastian 125.744 0 2.96 2.96 24

Sevier 13.758 0.29 3.07 3.36 244

Sharp 13.239 0.78 1.73 2.51 190

Stone 11.717 0.28 1.73 2.01 172

Union 36.733 5.34 0 5.34 145

Van Buren 16.029 0 2.01 2.01 125

Washington 203.065 0 0.20 0.20 1

White 77.076 0.04 9.09 9.13 118

Woodruff 7.260 1.88 0 1.88 259

Yell 21.732 0 3.07 3.07 141

Totals: 2,770 134 295 429 --

Statewide average per capita residential water use from public-supply systems: 155
12

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

County

Self-supplied 

population 

(thousands)

Domestic 

use 

(Mgal/d)

Per capita 

use 

(Mgal/d)

Arkansas 0 0 0

Ashley 0 0 0

Baxter 8.20 0.73 89

Benton 0 0 0

Boone 4.56 0.41 90

Bradley 0.96 0.09 93

Calhoun 0.53 0.05 94

Carroll 3.36 0.30 89

Chicot 2.04 0.18 88

Clark 3.60 0.32 89

Clay 0 0 0

Cleburne 0 0 0

Cleveland 0 0 0

Columbia 0.83 0.07 85

Conway 2.03 0.18 89

Craighead 4.93 0.44 89

Crawford 0 0 0

Crittenden 1.84 0.16 87

Cross 0 0 0

Dallas 0 0 0

Desha 0 0 0

Drew 1.25 0.11 88

Faulkner 4.54 0.40 88

Franklin 0 0 0

Fulton 0 0 0

Garland 0 0 0

Grant 1.16 0.10 86

Greene 3.62 0.32 88

Hempstead 5.45 0.49 90

Hot Spring 3.40 0.30 88

Howard 0 0 0

Independence 3.82 0.34 89

Izard 1.80 0.16 89

Jackson 1.98 0.18 91

Jefferson 0.38 0.03 80

Johnson 0.72 0.06 84

Lafayette 1.80 0.16 89

Lawrence 0 0 0

Lee 0 0 0

County

Self-supplied 

population 

(thousands)

Domestic 

use 

(Mgal/d)

Per capita 

use 

(Mgal/d)

Lincoln 0 0 0

Little River 0 0 0

Logan 0 0 0

Lonoke 0 0 0

Madison 4.39 0.39 89

Marion 7.47 0.67 90

Miller 8.44 0.75 89

Mississippi 1.28 0.11 86

Monroe 0.52 0.05 96

Montgomery 0.48 0.04 84

Nevada 2.09 0.19 91

Newton 0.51 0.05 98

Ouachita 0 0 0

Perry 4.01 0.36 90

Phillips 0 0 0

Pike 2.87 0.26 91

Poinsett 1.83 0.16 88

Polk 7.46 0.66 88

Pope 8.17 0.73 89

Prairie 1.60 0.14 87

Pulaski 6.05 0.54 89

Randolph 4.96 0.44 89

St Francis 0.31 0.03 98

Saline 0 0 0

Scott 4.09 0.36 88

Searcy 0.48 0.04 84

Sebastian 0 0 0

Sevier 3.30 0.29 88

Sharp 4.03 0.36 89

Stone 0.68 0.06 89

Union 4.91 0.43 88

Van Buren 1.27 0.11 87

Washington 0 0 0

White 0 0 0

Woodruff 0 0 0

Yell 0.45 0.04 88

Totals: 144 12.8 --

Statewide average per capita domestic 

(self-supplied) water use:

89

Table 3. Domestic (self-supplied) water use in Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source

Commercial (Self-Supplied)

Commercial (self-supplied) water use includes water 

for motels, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, schools, and 

civilian and military institutions. Estimates of water supplied 

by public-supply facilities to commercial users were obtained 

from data reported to the ANRC by public-supply facilities. 

Total commercial (self-supplied) water use in Arkansas 

for 2010 was 11.7 Mgal/d, with about 8 percent (0.95 Mgal/d) 

from groundwater sources and about 92 percent (10.8 Mgal/d) 

from surface-water sources (table 4). The largest commercial 

(self-supplied) use of water occurred in Hempstead County 

at 4.82 Mgal/d of which 100 percent was from a surfacewater source. The largest commercial (self-supplied) use 

of groundwater (alluvial aquifer) was in Poinsett County at 

0.48 Mgal/d.

Industrial (Self-Supplied)

Industrial (self-supplied) water use includes water for 

such purposes as fabrication, processing, washing, and cooling 

in facilities that manufacture products. Estimates of water 

supplied by public-supply systems to industrial users were 

obtained from data reported to the ANRC by the public-supply 

facilities. 

Total industrial (self-supplied) water use in Arkansas for 

2010 was 276 Mgal/d, with about 22 percent (61.2 Mgal/d) 

from groundwater and about 78 percent (214 Mgal/d) from 

surface-water sources (table 5). The largest total use of 

industrial (self-supplied) water occurred in Little River County 

at 91.73 Mgal/d. The largest industrial (self-supplied) use 

of surface water occurred in Little River County at 91.73 

Mgal/d, and the largest industrial (self-supplied) use of 

groundwater (Sparta aquifer) occurred in Jefferson County at 

35.35 Mgal/d).

Mining

Mining water use includes, in part, water used for coal, 

sand, and gravel washing operations, and saline withdrawals 

from oil and natural gas production wells. Total mining water 

use in Arkansas for 2010 was 44.3 Mgal/d, with less than 1 

percent (0.18 Mgal/d) from groundwater and over 99 percent 

(44.1 Mgal/d) from surface-water sources (table 6). The largest 

use of mining water (natural gas production wells) occurred 

in White County at 19.79 Mgal/d of which 100 percent was 

from surface-water sources. Cleburne County was the second 

largest user of mining water (natural gas production wells) at 

15.94 Mgal/d, also 100 percent from surface-water sources. 

The largest mining use of groundwater (shale pits and stone 

quarries) occurred in Polk County at 0.07 Mgal/d.

Livestock

Livestock water use includes water used for stock 

watering, feed lots, dairy farming, and other farm needs. Water 

users that report their usage of water for livestock represent a 

small portion of the livestock water users in the State. Many 

livestock water users fall below the ANRC threshold for 

reporting groundwater or surface water. Consequently, the 

majority of the water volumes reported for livestock water 

use was estimated based on county livestock populations 

and the appropriate water requirement for each type of 

livestock. County livestock populations for Arkansas were 

obtained from published data from the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service Web site 

(for the year 2010). Water requirements are listed in table 7 

(Holland, 1987). Livestock populations were multiplied by the 

appropriate water requirements to obtain livestock water-use 

estimates.

Total livestock water use in Arkansas for 2010 was 

39.0 Mgal/d, with about 40 percent (15.6 Mgal/d) from 

groundwater and about 60 percent (23.4 Mgal/d) from surfacewater sources (table 8). Consumptive use for livestock is 

considered to be 100 percent of withdrawals. The largest water 

use for livestock was in Washington County at 2.72 Mgal/d. 

Washington County was the largest user of groundwater for 

livestock at 1.09 Mgal/d and also the largest surface-water 

user for livestock at 1.63 Mgal/d. Benton County was the 

second largest user of water for livestock at 2.58 Mgal/d total 

water, 0.99 Mgal/d from groundwater, and 1.59 Mgal/d from 

surface-water sources.

Aquaculture

Aquaculture water use includes water used for farming 

of organisms that live in water, such as fish, shellfish, and 

algae. Total aquaculture water use in Arkansas for 2010 was 

268 Mgal/d, of which about 68 percent (181 Mgal/d) was 

from groundwater and about 32 percent (86.5 Mgal/d) was 

from surface-water sources (table 9). The largest total use 

of aquaculture water was in Fulton County at 82.04 Mgal/d, 

with all from surface-water sources. The largest aquaculture 

use of groundwater was in Chicot County at 46.78 Mgal/d. 

Other counties with notable aquaculture water use (greater 

than 25 Mgal/d) were Lonoke (42.05 Mgal/d) and Prairie 

(29.18 Mgal/d). Reported water use for aquaculture does not 

include usage by government fish hatcheries.
14

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Arkansas 0 1.25 1.25

Ashley 0 0 0

Baxter 0 0 0

Benton 0 0.06 0.06

Boone 0 0 0

Bradley 0 0 0

Calhoun 0 0 0

Carroll 0.05 0 0.05

Chicot 0 0 0

Clark 0 0 0

Clay 0 0.73 0.73

Cleburne 0 0.12 0.12

Cleveland 0 0 0

Columbia 0 0 0

Conway 0 0 0

Craighead 0.06 0 0.06

Crawford 0 0 0

Crittenden 0 0 0

Cross 0 0 0

Dallas 0 0 0

Desha 0 0 0

Drew 0 0 0

Faulkner 0 0 0

Franklin 0 0 0

Fulton 0 0 0

Garland 0 0.01 0.01

Grant 0 0 0

Greene 0.09 1.34 1.43

Hempstead 0 4.82 4.82

Hot Spring 0.03 0 0.03

Howard 0 0 0

Independence 0 0 0

Izard 0 0 0

Jackson 0 0 0

Jefferson 0 0.83 0.83

Johnson 0 0 0

Lafayette 0 0 0

Lawrence 0 0.12 0.12

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Lee 0 0 0

Lincoln 0 0 0

Little River 0.08 0 0.08

Logan 0 0 0

Lonoke 0 0 0

Madison 0 0 0

Marion 0 0 0

Miller 0.01 0.80 0.81

Mississippi 0 0.41 0.41

Monroe 0 0 0

Montgomery 0.06 0 0.06

Nevada 0 0 0

Newton 0 0 0

Ouachita 0 0 0

Perry 0 0 0

Phillips 0.02 0 0.02

Pike 0 0 0

Poinsett 0.48 0 0.48

Polk 0.01 0 0.01

Pope 0.02 0.06 0.08

Prairie 0 0 0

Pulaski 0.03 0 0.03

Randolph 0 0 0

Saline 0 0 0

Scott 0 0 0

Searcy 0 0 0

Sebastian 0 0 0

Sevier 0 0 0

Sharp 0 0 0

St. Francis 0 0 0

Stone 0.01 0 0.01

Union 0 0.13 0.13

Van Buren 0 0 0

Washington 0 0.08 0.08

White 0 0 0

Woodruff 0 0 0

Yell 0 0 0

Totals: 0.95 10.8 11.7

Table 4. Commercial (self-supplied) water use in Arkansas, 2010. 

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Arkansas 0 0 0

Ashley 8.40 52.45 60.85

Baxter 0 0 0

Benton 0.06 0 0.06

Boone 0 0 0

Bradley 0.52 0 0.52

Calhoun 0.01 0 0.01

Carroll 0 0 0

Chicot 0 0 0

Clark 0.14 0 0.14

Clay 0 0 0

Cleburne 0 0 0

Cleveland 0 0 0

Columbia 7.94 0.07 8.01

Conway 0 7.03 7.03

Craighead 0 0 0

Crawford 0 0 0

Crittenden 0.24 0 0.24

Cross 0.41 0 0.41

Dallas 0 0 0

Desha 3.24 12.92 16.16

Drew 0 0 0

Faulkner 0 0 0

Franklin 0 0 0

Fulton 0 0 0

Garland 0 1.74 1.74

Grant 0.26 0.01 0.27

Greene 0.11 0 0.11

Hempstead 0 0 0

Hot Spring 0 0.04 0.04

Howard 0 0.59 0.59

Independence 0 39.25 39.25

Izard 0 0 0

Jackson 0.18 0 0.18

Jefferson 35.35 0 35.35

Johnson 0 0 0

Lafayette 0.01 0 0.01

Lawrence 0 0 0

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Lee 0 0 0

Lincoln 0 0 0

Little River 0 91.73 91.73

Logan 0 0 0

Lonoke 0.74 0 0.74

Madison 0 0 0

Marion 0 0 0

Miller 0.14 0 0.14

Mississippi 1.67 0.23 1.90

Monroe 0 0 0

Montgomery 0 0 0

Nevada 0 0 0

Newton 0 0 0

Ouachita 0 0 0

Perry 0 0 0

Phillips 0 0 0

Pike 0 0 0

Poinsett 0 0 0

Polk 0 0 0

Pope 0 0 0

Prairie 0 0 0

Pulaski 0 0.02 0.02

Randolph 0 0 0

St Francis 0 0.31 0.31

Saline 0 0 0

Scott 0 0 0

Searcy 0 0 0

Sebastian 0 0 0

Sevier 0 0 0

Sharp 0 0 0

Stone 0 0 0

Union 1.75 7.90 9.65

Van Buren 0 0 0

Washington 0 0 0

White 0 0.06 0.06

Woodruff 0 0.05 0.05

Yell 0 0 0

Totals: 61.2 214 276

Table 5. Industrial (self-supplied) water use in Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
16

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Arkansas 0 0 0

Ashley 0 0 0

Baxter 0 0 0

Benton 0.02 0 0.02

Boone 0 0 0

Bradley 0 0 0

Calhoun 0 0 0

Carroll 0 0 0

Chicot 0 0 0

Clark 0 0 0

Clay 0 0 0

Cleburne 0 15.94 15.94

Cleveland 0 0 0

Columbia 0 0 0

Conway 0 1.82 1.82

Craighead 0.02 0 0.02

Crawford 0 0.45 0.45

Crittenden 0 0 0

Cross 0 0 0

Dallas 0 0 0

Desha 0 0 0

Drew 0 0 0

Faulkner 0 0.20 0.20

Franklin 0 0 0

Fulton 0 0 0

Garland 0 0 0

Grant 0 0 0

Greene 0.02 0 0.02

Hempstead 0 0 0

Hot Spring 0 0.76 0.76

Howard 0 0 0

Independence 0 0.05 0.05

Izard 0 3.02 3.02

Jackson 0 0 0

Jefferson 0.01 0 0.01

Johnson 0 0 0

Lafayette 0 0 0

Lawrence 0 0.08 0.08

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Lee 0 0 0

Lincoln 0 0 0

Little River 0 0 0

Logan 0 0 0

Lonoke 0 0.02 0.02

Madison 0 0 0

Marion 0 0 0

Miller 0 0 0

Mississippi 0 0 0

Monroe 0 0 0

Montgomery 0 0 0

Nevada 0 0 0

Newton 0 0 0

Ouachita 0 0 0

Perry 0 0 0

Phillips 0 0 0

Pike 0 0 0

Poinsett 0.04 0 0.04

Polk 0.07 0.07 0.14

Pope 0 0.03 0.03

Prairie 0 0 0

Pulaski 0 0 0

Randolph 0 0 0

St Francis 0 0 0

Saline 0 0 0

Scott 0 0 0

Searcy 0 0 0

Sebastian 0 0 0

Sevier 0 0 0

Sharp 0 0 0

Stone 0 0 0

Union 0 0 0

Van Buren 0 1.88 1.88

Washington 0 0 0

White 0 19.79 19.79

Woodruff 0 0 0

Yell 0 0 0

Totals: 0.18 44.1 44.3

Table 6. Mining water use in Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source

Table 7. Livestock water requirements.

[gal/d; gallons per day]

Livestock Water required per animal

(gal/d)

Dairy cattle 30

Other cattle 15

Hogs 2

Poultry

Broilers 0.04

Hens 0.06

Turkeys 0.08
18

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Arkansas 0.01 0.02 0.03

Ashley 0.03 0.04 0.07

Baxter 0.14 0.20 0.34

Benton 0.99 1.59 2.58

Boone 0.49 0.74 1.23

Bradley 0.05 0.09 0.14

Calhoun 0.01 0.02 0.03

Carroll 0.67 1.00 1.67

Chicot 0.02 0.03 0.05

Clark 0.09 0.14 0.23

Clay 0.05 0.08 0.13

Cleburne 0.24 0.36 0.60

Cleveland 0.16 0.27 0.43

Columbia 0.12 0.17 0.29

Conway 0.46 0.69 1.15

Craighead 0.08 0.11 0.19

Crawford 0.21 0.31 0.52

Crittenden 0 0.01 0.01

Cross 0.01 0.02 0.03

Dallas 0.02 0.02 0.04

Desha 0.01 0.02 0.03

Drew 0.07 0.10 0.17

Faulkner 0.24 0.37 0.61

Franklin 0.37 0.56 0.93

Fulton 0.34 0.49 0.83

Garland 0.05 0.07 0.12

Grant 0.13 0.19 0.32

Greene 0.05 0.07 0.12

Hempstead 0.55 0.81 1.36

Hot Spring 0.11 0.17 0.28

Howard 0.54 0.80 1.34

Independence 0.43 0.64 1.07

Izard 0.21 0.32 0.53

Jackson 0.05 0.11 0.16

Jefferson 0.05 0.06 0.11

Johnson 0.29 0.42 0.71

Lafayette 0.22 0.32 0.54

Lawrence 0.14 0.20 0.34

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Lee 0.01 0.01 0.02

Lincoln 0.18 0.29 0.47

Little River 0.24 0.37 0.61

Logan 0.46 0.67 1.13

Lonoke 0.14 0.21 0.35

Madison 0.54 0.82 1.36

Marion 0.17 0.26 0.43

Miller 0.18 0.26 0.44

Mississippi 0 0.03 0.03

Monroe 0.01 0.01 0.02

Montgomery 0.16 0.23 0.39

Nevada 0.15 0.23 0.38

Newton 0.13 0.21 0.34

Ouachita 0.08 0.11 0.19

Perry 0.12 0.18 0.30

Phillips 0.03 0.03 0.06

Pike 0.34 0.50 0.84

Poinsett 0.01 0.02 0.03

Polk 0.42 0.61 1.03

Pope 0.39 0.59 0.98

Prairie 0.03 0.05 0.08

Pulaski 0.06 0.10 0.16

Randolph 0.22 0.34 0.56

St Francis 0.02 0.02 0.04

Saline 0.05 0.08 0.13

Scott 0.24 0.36 0.60

Searcy 0.19 0.27 0.46

Sebastian 0.24 0.35 0.59

Sevier 0.37 0.55 0.92

Sharp 0.25 0.38 0.63

Stone 0.26 0.39 0.65

Union 0.12 0.18 0.30

Van Buren 0.14 0.21 0.35

Washington 1.09 1.63 2.72

White 0.40 0.60 1.00

Woodruff 0.01 0.01 0.02

Yell 0.41 0.61 1.02

Totals: 15.6 23.4 39.0

Table 8. Livestock water use in Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Arkansas 0.64 0 0.64

Ashley 8.82 0 8.82

Baxter 0 0 0

Benton 0 0 0

Boone 0 0 0

Bradley 0 0 0

Calhoun 0 0 0

Carroll 0 0 0

Chicot 46.78 0.48 47.26

Clark 0 0 0

Clay 0.92 0 0.92

Cleburne 0 0 0

Cleveland 0 0 0

Columbia 0 0 0

Conway 0 0 0

Craighead 0.23 0 0.23

Crawford 0 0 0

Crittenden 0.82 0 0.82

Cross 0.02 0.01 0.03

Dallas 0 0 0

Desha 10.68 2.61 13.29

Drew 0.29 0 0.29

Faulkner 0 0 0

Franklin 0 0 0

Fulton 0 82.04 82.04

Garland 0 0 0

Grant 0 0 0

Greene 12.42 0 12.42

Hempstead 0 0 0

Hot Spring 0 0 0

Howard 0 0 0

Independence 0 0 0

Izard 0 0 0

Jackson 2.20 0 2.20

Jefferson 0.25 0 0.25

Johnson 0 0 0

Lafayette 3.28 0 3.28

Lawrence 0 0 0

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Lee 3.86 0 3.86

Lincoln 1.07 0 1.07

Little River 0 0 0

Logan 0 0 0

Lonoke 41.44 0.61 42.05

Madison 0 0.02 0.02

Marion 0 0 0

Miller 0 0 0

Mississippi 0.84 0 0.84

Monroe 13.80 0 13.80

Montgomery 0 0 0

Nevada 0 0 0

Newton 0 0 0

Ouachita 0 0 0

Perry 0 0 0

Phillips 0.05 0 0.05

Pike 0 0 0

Poinsett 2.78 0 2.78

Polk 0 0 0

Pope 0 0 0

Prairie 29.12 0.06 29.18

Pulaski 0.05 0 0.05

Randolph 0 0 0

St Francis 0.57 0.03 0.60

Saline 0 0 0

Scott 0 0 0

Searcy 0 0 0

Sebastian 0 0 0

Sevier 0 0 0

Sharp 0 0 0

Stone 0 0 0

Union 0 0 0

Van Buren 0 0 0

Washington 0 0 0

White 0.21 0.60 0.81

Woodruff 0 0 0

Yell 0 0 0

Totals: 181 86.5 268

Table 9. Aquaculture water use in Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding; reported water-use for aquaculture does not include usage by 

grovrnment fish hatcheries]
20

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

Irrigation

Irrigation water use includes water applied on lands to 

assist in the growing of crops and pastures or to maintain 

vegetative growth on recreational lands, such as parks and golf 

courses. The major crops irrigated in Arkansas (in descending 

order of reported water applied) were rice, soybeans, cotton, 

corn, and milo (table 10). During 2010, over 4.67 million acres 

of irrigated land were reported to ANRC. About 2.10 million 

acres, or 45 percent, of the reported total irrigated land was 

in soybeans, and about 1.70 million acres, or 36 percent, 

of the reported total irrigated land was in rice. Rice and 

soybeans had the largest amounts of reported water applied at 

1,630,898 Mgal and 1,107,623 Mgal, respectively. Rice and 

corn had the largest application rates of water applied per acre 

at 0.9605 Mgal (2.95 acre-ft) and 0.5384 Mgal (1.65 acre-ft), 

respectively.

In 2010, surface irrigation (flood or furrow irrigation) 

greatly exceeded all other types of irrigation in Arkansas. 

Irrigation groundwater use accounted for about 95 percent 

of all groundwater withdrawn in Arkansas (tables 1 and 

11). Irrigation water use totaled 8,720 Mgal/d, with about 

85 percent (7,380 Mgal/d) from groundwater and about 

15 percent (1,340 Mgal/d) from surface-water sources 

(table 11). The largest user of water for irrigation was 

Arkansas County using 934.23 Mgal/d, with about 57 percent 

(534.60 Mgal/d) from groundwater and about 43 percent 

(399.63 Mgal/d) from surface-water sources. Other 

counties with notable total irrigation water use (greater than 

400 Mgal/d) were Poinsett, Cross, Desha, Lonoke, Jackson, 

Craighead, and Clay (in order of decreasing use).

Duck (Hunting) Clubs

Duck (hunting) clubs are associations of huntsmen who 

hunt for sport (Webster, 2015). Groundwater and surface 

water are applied to open fields or large bayous or ponds to 

attract migratory waterfowl for the purpose of hunting. Total 

water use for duck (hunting) clubs in Arkansas for 2010 

was 216 Mgal/d, with about 37 percent (80.4 Mgal/d) from 

groundwater and about 63 percent (136 Mgal/d) from surfacewater sources (table 12). The largest use of water for duck 

(hunting) clubs was in Arkansas County at 82.24 Mgal/d, 

of which 28 percent (22.84 Mgal/d) was from groundwater 

sources and 72 percent (59.40 Mgal/d) was from surface-water 

sources. Other counties with notable duck hunting water use 

(greater than 10 Mgal/d) were Miller, Monroe, Prairie, and 

Jefferson (in order of decreasing use).

Table 10. Water use by crop for Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal, million gallons; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

Crop Reported 

acres planted

Reported water applied Water applied per acre

Acre-feet Mgal Feet Mgal

Wheat 10,511 2,299 749 0.22 0.0713

Rice 1,697,928 5,005,035 1,630,898 2.95 0.9605

Sorghum 7,437 11,876 3,870 1.60 0.5203

Corn for grain 283,997 469,263 152,910 1.65 0.5384

Soybeans 2,095,780 3,399,166 1,107,623 1.62 0.5285

Milo 12,540 15,149 4,936 1.21 0.3936

Oats 868 58 19 0.07 0.0216

Cash grains - not classified 365 563 183 1.54 0.5022

Cotton 510,254 779,174 253,895 1.53 0.4976

Tobacco 53 80 26 1.50 0.4888

Pastures and lawns 1,348 1,503 490 1.12 0.3634

Hay - all feed grass 8,371 11,503 3,748 1.37 0.4478

Vegetables and melons 7,875 8,955 2,918 1.14 0.3706

Barries 137 168 55 1.22 0.3984

Grapes 110 28 9 0.25 0.0829

Peanuts 1,020 1,546 504 1.52 0.4939

Fruit & nut trees 674 730 238 1.08 0.3530

Crop maintenance 33,657 58,138 18,944 1.73 0.5629

Totals: 4,672,925 9,765,234 3,182,015 -- --

Average water applied per acre: 2.09 0.6809
Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source

Table 11. Irrigation water use in Arkansas, 2010.—Continued

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; surface irrigation, flood or furrow irrigation; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

County

Water withdrawals 

(Mgal/d)

Irrigated land 

(thousand acres)

GroundwaterSurface 

water

Total 

water

Sprinkler 

irrigation

MicroirrigationSurface 

irrigation Total

Arkansas 534.60 399.63 934.23 0.14 0 420.68 420.82

Ashley 120.18 13.48 133.66 0.42 0 97.83 98.25

Baxter 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Benton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Boone 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Bradley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Calhoun 0 0 0 0 0 0.06 0.06

Carroll 0 0.16 0.16 0.09 0 0 0.09

Chicot 154.82 68.93 223.75 24.40 0 139.45 163.85

Clark 0 8.79 8.79 0 0 3.40 3.40

Clay 397.16 7.61 404.77 4.56 0 168.57 173.13

Cleburne 0.13 0 0.13 0 0 0.05 0.05

Cleveland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Columbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Conway 1.02 4.87 5.89 1.62 0 3.93 5.55

Craighead 356.54 50.04 406.58 3.41 0 258.11 261.52

Crawford 0.66 0.63 1.29 0.64 0 1.55 2.19

Crittenden 210.30 1.52 211.82 66.22 0 88.66 154.88

Cross 520.67 37.94 558.61 18.24 0 233.72 251.96

Dallas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Desha 356.21 97.23 453.44 4.32 0 213.60 217.92

Drew 29.83 3.71 33.54 27.94 0 15.50 43.44

Faulkner 1.15 0.48 1.63 0.28 0 0.67 0.95

Franklin 0.06 0 0.06 0 0 0.20 0.20

Fulton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Garland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Grant 3.16 0 3.16 0 0 1.13 1.13

Greene 339.09 10.54 349.63 4.97 0 145.87 150.84

Hempstead 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Hot Spring 0 7.98 7.98 0 0 2.92 2.92

Howard 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Independence 56.01 24.34 80.35 6.58 0 26.51 33.09

Izard 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Jackson 415.30 22.37 437.67 20.50 0 194.45 214.95

Jefferson 229.59 51.81 281.40 7.18 0 180.78 187.96

Johnson 0 0 0 0 0 0.81 0.81

Lafayette 19.09 0.76 19.85 2.97 0 11.64 14.61

Lawrence 178.62 18.35 196.97 0.21 0 108.97 109.18

Table 11. Irrigation water use in Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; surface irrigation, flood or furrow irrigation; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
22

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

Table 11. Irrigation water use in Arkansas, 2010.—Continued

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; surface irrigation, flood or furrow irrigation; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

County

Water withdrawals 

(Mgal/d)

Irrigated land 

(thousand acres)

GroundwaterSurface 

water

Total 

water

Sprinkler 

irrigation

MicroirrigationSurface 

irrigation Total

Lee 295.15 6.24 301.39 26.70 0 142.05 168.75

Lincoln 194.68 26.49 221.17 0 0 112.83 112.83

Little River 2.87 6.33 9.20 0 0 6.60 6.60

Logan 0.25 0.01 0.26 0.04 0 0.39 0.43

Lonoke 316.20 122.86 439.06 1.53 0 220.17 221.70

Madison 0 0 0 0 0 0.22 0.22

Marion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Miller 5.68 8.41 14.09 1.81 0 6.76 8.57

Mississippi 363.12 2.69 365.81 126.67 0 154.65 281.32

Monroe 262.62 19.69 282.31 0.86 0 167.58 168.44

Montgomery 0 0 0 0.01 0 0 0.01

Nevada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Newton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Ouachita 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Perry 0 0.44 0.44 0.04 0 0.15 0.19

Phillips 261.22 1.82 263.04 76.18 0 118.58 194.76

Pike 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Poinsett 839.97 91.42 931.39 23.62 0 307.13 330.75

Polk 0 0.45 0.45 0.17 0 0.19 0.36

Pope 0.58 0.73 1.31 0 0 1.16 1.16

Prairie 207.90 96.10 304.00 0.82 0 190.98 191.80

Pulaski 10.42 20.18 30.60 1.73 0 22.16 23.89

Randolph 110.66 43.38 154.04 2.05 0 63.85 65.90

St Francis 337.43 19.66 357.09 37.67 0 146.07 183.74

Saline 0 0.35 0.35 0.24 0 0 0.24

Scott 0 0.14 0.14 0 0 0.16 0.16

Searcy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Sebastian 0 0.19 0.19 0.12 0 0 0.12

Sevier 0 0.01 0.01 0 0 0.01 0.01

Sharp 0 0 0 0.04 0 0 0.04

Stone 0.07 0 0.07 0 0 0.06 0.06

Union 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Van Buren 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Washington 0 0.15 0.15 0.12 0 0 0.12

White 31.91 25.33 57.24 0.99 0 29.18 30.17

Woodruff 213.41 17.16 230.57 22.37 0 143.63 166.00

Yell 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals: 7,380 1,340 8,720 518 0 4,150 4,670 
Estimated Water Use by Category and Withdrawals by Source

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Arkansas 22.84 59.40 82.24

Ashley 0 0 0

Baxter 0 0 0

Benton 0 0 0

Boone 0 0 0

Bradley 0 0 0

Calhoun 0 0 0

Carroll 0 0 0

Chicot 0 0 0

Clark 0 0.46 0.46

Clay 0 0 0

Cleburne 0 0 0

Cleveland 0 0 0

Columbia 0 0 0

Conway 0 0 0

Craighead 0 0 0

Crawford 0 0 0

Crittenden 0.84 0 0.84

Cross 0.21 0.15 0.36

Dallas 0 0 0

Desha 1.68 5.57 7.25

Drew 0.40 0 0.40

Faulkner 0 0 0

Franklin 0 0 0

Fulton 0 0 0

Garland 0 0 0

Grant 0 0 0

Greene 0 0 0

Hempstead 0 0 0

Hot Spring 0 1.16 1.16

Howard 0 0 0

Independence 0 0.56 0.56

Izard 0 0 0

Jackson 3.79 5.81 9.60

Jefferson 4.55 6.23 10.78

Johnson 0 0 0

Lafayette 2.83 0.65 3.48

Lawrence 0 0 0

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Lee 7.90 0.94 8.84

Lincoln 0 0 0.02

Little River 0.02 0.94 0.94

Logan 0 0 0

Lonoke 2.68 2.85 5.53

Madison 0 0 0

Marion 0 0 0

Miller 2.40 28.57 30.97

Mississippi 0 0 0

Monroe 18.90 8.44 27.35

Montgomery 0 0 0

Nevada 0 0 0

Newton 0 0 0

Ouachita 0 0 0

Perry 0 0 0

Phillips 0.02 0 0.02

Pike 0 0 0

Poinsett 2.86 4.02 6.88

Polk 0 0 0

Pope 0 0 0

Prairie 2.35 8.51 10.85

Pulaski 0.43 0.21 0.64

Randolph 0.26 0 0.26

Saline 0 0 0

Scott 0 0 0

Searcy 0 0 0

Sebastian 0 0 0

Sevier 0 0 0

Sharp 0 0 0

St Francis 4.99 0.58 5.57

Stone 0 0 0

Union 0 0 0

Van Buren 0 0 0

Washington 0 0 0

White 0 0.32 0.32

Woodruff 0.48 0.30 0.78

Yell 0 0 0

Total: 80.4 136 216

Table 12. Duck (hunting) clubs water use in Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
24

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

Thermoelectric Power Generation

Thermoelectric power generation includes power 

generated using fossil fuels, geothermal, or nuclear energy 

sources. Thermoelectric power water use includes water 

used in the process of power generation, including boilers 

(steam), cooling systems, and plant domestic uses. Cooling 

systems were separated as wet cooling towers or surface-water 

cooling systems that generally divert water for “once through” 

cooling and then return the water to a stream or lake. Total 

thermoelectric power water use in Arkansas for 2010 was about 

1,540 Mgal/d, with less than 1 percent (4.26 Mgal/d) from 

groundwater sources and over 99 percent (about 1,540 Mgal/d) 

from surface water (table 13). Water used for thermoelectric 

power generation was about 14 percent of the total water 

used in Arkansas during 2010 and about 44 percent of the 

total surface water used. About 63 percent (972.93 Mgal/d) 

of the water used in this category was for cooling at a nuclear 

power plant in Pope County. Other counties with notable 

thermoelectric power generation water use (greater than 10 

Mgal/d) were Benton, Hot Spring, Ouachita, Independence, 

Jefferson, and Woodruff (in order of decreasing use). Together, 

along with Pope County, these seven counties accounted for 

about 99 percent of all water use in this category.

Changes in Water Use for Selected 

Categories, 1965–2010

The three water-use categories with the largest 

withdrawals and their effects on total water use were examined. 

The irrigation water-use category accounted for 54 percent 

of the State’s total water use in 1965 and 77 percent in 2010 

(table 14). The thermoelectric power water-use category 

accounted for 20 percent of the State’s total water use in 1965 

and 14 percent in 2010. The public supply water-use category 

accounted for 5.9 percent of the State’s total water use in 1965 

and 3.8 percent in 2010.

Total water use in Arkansas has increased about 

428 percent from 2,142 to 11,300 Mgal/d between 1965 and 

2010 (fig. 6, table 14). Total groundwater use increased about 

533 percent from 1,231 to 7,790 Mgal/d and total surface-water 

use increased about 289 percent from 911 to 3,540 Mgal/d. 

Since about 2000, total water use in Arkansas has 

plateaued, peaking in 2005 at 11,428 Mgal/d (fig. 6, table 14). 

The plateauing of total water use is the result of decreasing 

surface-water use in the irrigation, thermoelectric power, and 

public-supply categories offsetting the continuing increases 

in groundwater use in the irrigation category. Before 1980, 

groundwater and surface water each provided about half of 

the total water used in Arkansas. Since 1980, groundwater has 

provided about two-thirds of the total water use in Arkansas.

An examination of total water use and irrigation water use 

changes over time demonstrates the increasing dominance of 

groundwater withdrawals for irrigation on Arkansas’ total water 

use. In 1965, irrigation water use dominated the State’s water 

use, accounting for 77 percent of groundwater use, 23 percent 

of surface-water use, and 54 percent of total water use in 

Arkansas (table 14). The dominance of irrigation on Arkansas’ 

total water use continued to increase through 2005 when 

irrigation water use accounted for 95 percent of groundwater 

use, 38 percent of surface-water use, and 77 percent of total 

water use.

Total irrigation water use in Arkansas between 1965 

and 2010 has increased about 652 percent from 1,160 to 

8,720 Mgal/d (table 14). Irrigation groundwater use increased 

about 678 percent from 949 to 7,380 Mgal/d, and irrigation 

surface-water use increased about 535 percent from 211 to 

1,340 Mgal/d.

The continuing increase in total irrigation water use has 

occurred despite the fact that irrigation from surface-water 

sources peaked in 2000 (fig. 7). Irrigation from surface water 

has decreased since 2000, while irrigation from groundwater 

has continued to increase. Total irrigation water use since 2000 

has continued to increase because irrigation from groundwater 

has increased at a greater rate than irrigation from surface 

water has decreased.

Withdrawals for thermoelectric power water use in 

Arkansas has continuously accounted for about half of the 

State’s total surface-water use for the period 1965–2010. 

Thermoelectric power water use accounted for 46 percent 

of total surface-water use and 20 percent of total water use 

for the State in 1965 and 44 percent of total surface-water 

use and 14 percent of total water use for the State in 2010 

(table 14). In 1975, thermoelectric power water use peaked 

for both percent of surface-water use (69 percent) and percent 

of total water use (34 percent). Groundwater withdrawals for 

thermoelectric power water use have always been relatively 

small, never accounting for more than one-half of 1 percent of 

total groundwater use in the State for the period 1965–2010.

Thermoelectric power water use in Arkansas between 

1965 and 2010 increased 264 percent from 423 to 

1,540 Mgal/d (table 14). Total water use for the thermoelectric 

power category peaked in about 2000 at 2,175 Mgal/d, a 

414-percent increase in water use from 1965. From 2000 to 

2010, thermoelectric power water use decreased 29 percent.

The percentage of Arkansas’ population served by public 

water suppliers has continued to increase while the percentage 

of the State’s total water use withdrawn by public water 

suppliers has remained relatively constant. In 1965, public 

water suppliers provided water to about 1.10 million people 

(58 percent of the State’s population) withdrawing 127 Mgal/d 

(5.9 percent of the State’s total water use). In 2010, public 

water suppliers provided water to about 2.77 million people 

(95 percent of the State’s population) withdrawing 429 Mgal/d 

(3.8 percent of the State’s total water use).

Public-supply water use in Arkansas between 1965 and 

2010 increased about 238 percent from 127 to 429 Mgal/d 

(fig. 8, table 14). Between 1965 and 2010, the population 

served by public water supplies increased about 152 percent 

from approximately 1.1 to 2.77 million people, and the per 

capita use of public-supply water increased 35 percent from 

approximately 115 to 155 gal/d. The increase in public-supply 
Changes in Water Use for Selected Categories, 1965–2010

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Arkansas 0 0 0

Ashley 0 0 0

Baxter 0 0 0

Benton 0 333.80 333.80

Boone 0 0 0

Bradley 0 0 0

Calhoun 0 0 0

Carroll 0 0 0

Chicot 0 0 0

Clark 0 0 0

Clay 0 0 0

Cleburne 0 0 0

Cleveland 0 0 0

Columbia 0 0 0

Conway 0 0 0

Craighead 0 0 0

Crawford 0 0 0

Crittenden 0 0 0

Cross 0 0 0

Dallas 0 0 0

Desha 0 0 0

Drew 0 0 0

Faulkner 0 0 0

Franklin 0.05 7.07 7.12

Fulton 0 0 0

Garland 0 0 0

Grant 0 0 0

Greene 0 0 0

Hempstead 0 0 0

Hot Spring 0 110.50 110.50

Howard 0 0 0

Independence 1.20 28.80 30.00

Izard 0 0 0

Jackson 0 0 0

Jefferson 1.12 19.22 20.34

Johnson 0 0 0

Lafayette 0.35 0 0.35

Lawrence 0 0 0

County

Groundwater 

(Mgal/d)

Surface 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Total 

water 

(Mgal/d)

Lee 0 0 0

Lincoln 0 0 0

Little River 0.35 0 0.35

Logan 0 0 0

Lonoke 0 0 0

Madison 0 0 0

Marion 0 0 0

Miller 0 0 0

Mississippi 0.60 4.70 5.30

Monroe 0 0 0

Montgomery 0 0 0

Nevada 0 0 0

Newton 0 0 0

Ouachita 0 39.50 39.50

Perry 0 0 0

Phillips 0.34 0 0.34

Pike 0 0 0

Poinsett 0 0 0

Polk 0 0 0

Pope 0 972.93 972.93

Prairie 0 0 0

Pulaski 0.19 0.08 0.27

Randolph 0 0 0

St Francis 0 0 0

Saline 0 0 0

Scott 0 0 0

Searcy 0 0 0

Sebastian 0 0 0

Sevier 0 0 0

Sharp 0 0 0

Stone 0 0 0

Union 0 4.70 4.70

Van Buren 0 0 0

Washington 0 0 0

White 0 0 0

Woodruff 0.06 13.74 13.80

Yell 0 0 0

Totals: 4.26 1,540 1,540 

Table 13. Thermoelectric power water use in Arkansas, 2010.

[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
Table 14. Changes in water use for selected categories in Arkansas, 1965–2010. [Mgal/d; million gallons per day; gal/d/p, gallon per day per person  ← Smallest Valu  Largest    ] Year State population (thousands) Total Irrigation Thermoelectric power Public 

Ground- water (Mgal/d) Surface water (Mgal/d) Total water (Mgal/d) Ground- water (Mgal/d) Surface water (Mgal/d) Total water (Mgal/d) Ground- water (Mgal/d) Surface water (Mgal/d) Total water (Mgal/d) Population served (thousands) Ground- water (Mgal/d) Sur

wa

(Mg

1965 1,894 1,231 911 2,142 949 211 1,160 5.9 417 423 1,100 54 7

1970 1,923 1,530 1,531 3,061 1,064 229 1,266 4.1 952 957 1,240 71 9

1975 2,160 2,596 2,468 5,064 2,094 346 2,440 2.5 1,715 1,717 1,485 89 11

1980 2,327 4,051 2,845 6,897 3,484 598 3,992 3.1 1,779 1,782 1,627 110 15

1985 2,359 3,808 2,101 5,909 3,333 541 3,874 1.1 1,094 1,095 1,681 101 15

1990 2,353 4,708 3,128 7,836 4,296 949 3,874 2.4 1,638 1,641 1,780 119 19

1995 2,484 5,456 3,311 8,767 4,926 1,010 5,936 5.2 1,766 1,771 1,996 135 24

2000 2,673 6,925 3,948 10,872 6,506 1,407 7,913 2.9 2,172 2,175 2,323 132 28

2005 2,779 7,507 3,922 11,428 7,378 1,341 8,265 0.93 1,996 1,997 2,579 138 26

2010 2,916 7,790 3,540 11,300 7,380 1,340 8,720 4.3 1,540 1,540 2,770 134 29

Year

Irrigation Thermoelectric power Public supply

Total, 

groundwater

(percent)

Total, 

surface 

water

(percent)

State 

total

water

(percent)

Total, 

groundwater

(percent)

Total, 

surface 

water

(percent)

State 

total 

water

(percent)

State 

population 

served

(percent)

Total, 

groundwater

(percent)

To

sur

wa

(per

1965 77 23 54 0.48 46 20 58 4.4 

1970 70 15 41 0.27 62 31 64 4.6 

1975 81 14 48 0.09 69 34 69 3.4 

1980 86 21 58 0.08 63 26 70 2.7 

1985 88 26 66 0.03 52 19 71 2.6 

1990 91 30 49 0.05 52 21 76 2.5 

1995 90 31 68 0.09 53 20 80 2.5 

2000 94 36 73 0.04 55 20 87 1.9 

2005 98 34 72 0.01 51 17 93 1.8 

2010 95 38 77 0.05 44 14 95 1.7 
Sources of Groundwater Withdrawals

Figure 6. Total water, groundwater, and surface-water use in 

Arkansas, 1965–2010.

Figure 7. Total water and irrigation water use for groundwater 

and surface water in Arkansas, 1965–2010.

Figure 8. Groundwater and surface-water use and population 

served for public-supply systems in Arkansas, 1965–2010.

water use for the 45-year period resulted from both an 

increase in population and an increase in average per capita 

water use.

Regardless of continuing increases in population, since 

about 2000, total public-supply water use in Arkansas has 

plateaued at about 425 Mgal/d. (table 14). Groundwater public 

supply has remained between 132 and 138 Mgal/d since 2000, 

and surface-water public supply has remained between 266 

and 295 Mgal/d since 2000 (fig. 8). Public supply per capita 

use was 155 gallons per day per person (gal/d/p) in 2010, a 

decrease of 2 gal/d/p since 2005. Historically, public supply 

per capita use has varied from a minimum of 115 gal/d/p in 

1965 to a maximum of 191 gal/d/p in 1995.

Sources of Groundwater Withdrawals

Groundwater withdrawals comprised about 69 percent 

(7,790 Mgal/d) of the total amount of water used in Arkansas 

in 2010 (table 1). Four aquifers in Arkansas account for more 

than 99 percent of the total groundwater withdrawals. In 

order of decreasing withdrawals, the alluvial aquifer, mostly 

located within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain physiographic 

section; the Sparta-Memphis and Wilcox aquifers, located in 

the Coastal Plain physiographic division; and the Paleozoic 

aquifer, located in the Interior Highlands physiographic 

division (fig. 1).

In 2010, the alluvial aquifer supplied about 97 percent 

(7,520 Mgal/d) of all groundwater withdrawals. The five 

counties with the largest withdrawals from the alluvial aquifer 

were Poinsett (838.13 Mgal/d), Cross (518.39 Mgal/d), 

Arkansas (482.99 Mgal/d), Jackson (429.16 Mgal/d), and Clay 

(396.25 Mgal/d), accounting for about 35 percent of the water 

withdrawn from the aquifer (table 15).

The Sparta-Memphis aquifer supplied about 2.5 percent 

(192 Mgal/d) of all groundwater withdrawals. The five 

counties with the largest withdrawals from the SpartaMemphis aquifer were Arkansas (56.71 Mgal/d), Jefferson 

(43.49 Mgal/d), Lonoke (16.45 Mgal/d), Craighead 

(13.36 Mgal/d), and Prairie (10.22 Mgal/d), accounting for 

about 73 percent of the total water withdrawn from the aquifer 

(table 15). 

The Wilcox aquifer supplied about 0.5 percent 

(36.2 Mgal/d) of all groundwater withdrawals. The five 

counties with the largest withdrawals from the Wilcox aquifer 

were Mississippi (9.91 Mgal/d), Crittenden (7.08 Mgal/d), 

Greene (5.58 Mgal/d), Poinsett (3.32 Mgal/d), and Saline 

(2.74 Mgal/d), accounting for about 79 percent of the total 

water withdrawn from the aquifer (table 15). 

The Paleozoic aquifer supplied about 0.3 percent 

(26.9 Mgal/d) of all groundwater withdrawals. The five 

counties with the largest withdrawals from the Paleozoic 

aquifer were Benton (5.69 Mgal/d), Fulton (1.89 Mgal/d), 

Boone (1.80 Mgal/d), Carroll (1.77 Mgal/d), and Searcy 

(1.54 Mgal/d), accounting for about 47 percent of the total 

water withdrawn from the aquifer (table 15). 

0 

2,000 

4,000 

6,000 

8,000 

10,000 

12,000 

14,000 

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Total water use

Groundwater use

Surface-water use 

Water use, 

in million gallons per day

EXPLANATION

Year

0 

2,000 

4,000 

6,000 

8,000 

10,000 

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 

Total groundwater use

Irrigation groundwater use

Total surface-water use

Irrigation surface-water use 

EXPLANATION

Year

Water use, 

in million gallons per day

0.0 

0.5 

1.0 

1.5 

2.0 

2.5 

3.0 

3.5 

0 

50 

100 

150 

200 

250 

300 

350 

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Public-supply groundwater use

Public-supply surface-water use

Public-supply population served 

Water use,

in million gallons per day

Population, in millions

EXPLANATION

Year
Table 15. Groundwater use by major aquifer in Arkansas, 2010.—Continued [Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding] County Aquifer in Deposits of Quaternary age Cockfield Formation Sparta-Memphis Sands Cane River Formation Wilcox Group, undifferentiated Clayton Formation Nacatoch Sand Tokio Formation Trinity Group Ro

age

Arkansas 482.99 0.38 56.71 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Ashley 129.16 10.02 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Baxter 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Benton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Boone 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Bradley 0 0.10 1.88 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Calhoun 0 0 0.63 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Carroll 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Chicot 201.19 1.95 0.47 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Clark 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.48 0.12 0 

Clay 396.25 0 0.12 0 0.80 0 1.21 0 0 

Cleburne 0.37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Cleveland 0 0 1.16 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Columbia 0.07 0 9.36 0 0 0 0 0 0.04 

Conway 1.66 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Craighead 358.45 0 13.36 0 0.77 0 0 0 0 

Crawford 0.87 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Crittenden 211.13 0 0 0 7.08 0 0 0 0 

Cross 518.39 0 5.01 0 0.34 0 0 0 0 

Dallas 0 0 0.78 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Desha 365.24 2.01 3.96 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Drew 31.30 0 2.14 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Faulkner 4.53 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Franklin 0.47 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Fulton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Garland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Grant 3.39 0 1.73 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Greene 350.33 0 0 0 5.58 0 0.46 0 0 

Hempstead 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.29 2.12 0 

Hot Spring 0 0 0.23 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Howard 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.54 0 

Independence 58.67 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Izard 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Jackson 429.16 0 0.34 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Jefferson 234.93 1.12 43.49 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Johnson 0.35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Lafayette 22.61 0.01 0.75 0.65 0.02 0 0 0 0 

Lawrence 179.35 0 0 0 0 0 0.01 0 0 

Table 15. Groundwater use by major aquifer in Arkansas, 2010.[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]
Table 15. Groundwater use by major aquifer in Arkansas, 2010.—Continued[Mgal/d, million gallons per day; values may not sum to totals because of independent rounding]

County

Aquifer in

Deposits of 

Quaternary age

Cockfield 

Formation

Sparta-Memphis 

Sands

Cane River 

Formation

Wilcox Group, 

undifferentiated

Clayton 

Formation

Nacatoch 

Sand

Tokio 

Formation

Trinity 

Group

Ro

age

Lee 299.76 0 0.94 0 0.05 0 0 0 0 

Lincoln 194.18 0 3.23 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Little River 4.12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Logan 0.71 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Lonoke 347.42 0 16.45 0 1.92 0 0 0 0 

Madison 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Marion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Miller 6.67 0 0.01 0 0.02 0 0 0.15 0 

Mississippi 363.62 0 0 0 9.91 0 0 0 0 

Monroe 275.53 0.95 1.33 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Montgomery 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Nevada 0 0 0 0 0.22 0 0.21 0 0 

Newton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Ouachita 0 0 1.16 0.07 0 0 0.01 0 0 

Perry 0.49 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Phillips 261.09 0 3.72 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Pike 0.64 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Poinsett 838.13 1.97 2.40 0 3.32 0 0 0 0 

Polk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Pope 0.70 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Prairie 225.59 0 10.22 0 2.15 0 0 0 0 

Pulaski 14.09 0 0.86 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Randolph 111.38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

St. Francis 341.72 0.67 0.09 0 0.56 0 0 0 0 

Saline 1.32 0 0.49 0 2.74 0 0 0 0 

Scott 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Searcy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Sebastian 0.24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Sevier 0.81 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.14 

Sharp 0.01 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Stone 0.06 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Union 0.05 0 7.59 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Van Buren 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Washington 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

White 31.73 0 0 0 0.68 0.15 0 0 0 

Woodruff 214.22 0 1.14 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Yell 0.45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Total: 7,520 19.2 192 0.72 36.2 0.15 3.67 2.93 0.18 
30

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

Summary

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) 

conducts an annual inventory of reported groundwater and 

surface-water withdrawals in Arkansas in cooperation with 

the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This report describes 

withdrawals from groundwater and surface-water resources 

in Arkansas for 2010. The report compiles withdrawals 

by county for 10 categories of water use—public supply, 

domestic (self-supplied), commercial (self-supplied), 

industrial (self-supplied), mining, livestock, aquaculture, 

irrigation, duck (hunting) clubs, and thermoelectric power 

generation. Water-use trends in Arkansas from 1965 to 2010 

and sources of groundwater withdrawals also are described.

During 2010, total withdrawals from groundwater 

and surface-water sources in Arkansas were 11,300 million 

gallons per day (Mgal/d). Of the total withdrawn, about 

69 percent (7,790 Mgal/d) was from groundwater. The largest 

total withdrawals generally occurred in eastern Arkansas 

and in counties along major rivers. The five counties 

with the largest total water use are Pope (987.15 Mgal/d), 

Arkansas (939.73 Mgal/d), Poinsett (937.26 Mgal/d), Cross 

(561.71 Mgal/d), and Lonoke (489.49 Mgal/d). 

A summary of Arkansas’ 2010 water use by category 

follows. Public-supply systems served about 2.77 million 

or about 94 percent of Arkansas’ population. Public-supply 

total withdrawals were 429 Mgal/d, with about 69 percent 

from surface-water sources. The statewide average of per 

capita residential use from public-supply systems was 

about 155 gallons per day (gal/d). All domestic (selfsupplied) withdrawals were assumed to be obtained from 

groundwater sources. The domestic (self-supplied) water 

use was 12.8 Mgal/d. Total commercial (self-supplied) water 

use was 11.7 Mgal/d, with about 92 percent (10.8 Mgal/d) 

from surface-water sources. Total industrial (self-supplied) 

water use was 276 Mgal/d, with about 78 percent (214 

Mgal/d) from surface-water sources. Total mining water use 

was 44.3 Mgal/d, with over 99 percent (44.1 Mgal/d) from 

surface-water sources. Total livestock water use was 39.0 

Mgal/d, with about 60 percent (23.4 Mgal/d) from surfacewater sources. Total aquaculture water use was 268 Mgal/d, 

with about 68 percent (181 Mgal/d) from groundwater 

sources. Irrigation water use totaled 8,720 Mgal/d, with about 

85 percent (7,380 Mgal/d) from groundwater sources. Total 

duck (hunting) club water use was 216 Mgal/d, with about 

63 percent (136 Mgal/d) from surface-water sources. Total 

thermoelectric power water use was 1,540 Mgal/d, with over 

99 percent (1,540 Mgal/d) from surface-water sources. 

The three water-use categories with the largest 

withdrawals and their effects on total water use were 

examined. Total water use in Arkansas has increased about 

428 percent from 2,142 to 11,300 Mgal/d between 1965 and 

2010. Total groundwater use increased about 533 percent 

from 1,231 to 7,790 Mgal/d, and total surface-water use 

increased about 289 percent from 911 to 3,540 Mgal/d. 

Since about 2000, total water use in Arkansas has plateaued 

and peaked in 2005 at 11,428 Mgal/d. The plateauing of 

total water use is the result of decreasing surface-water use 

in the irrigation, thermoelectric power, and public-supply 

categories offsetting the continuing increases in groundwater 

use in the irrigation category. An examination of total water 

use and irrigation water use changes over time demonstrates 

the increasing dominance of groundwater withdrawals for 

irrigation on Arkansas’ total water use. Total irrigation water 

use in Arkansas between 1965 and 2010 has increased about 

652 percent from 1,160 to 8,720 Mgal/d. The continuing 

increase in total irrigation water use has occurred despite the 

fact that irrigation from surface-water sources peaked in 2000. 

Withdrawals for thermoelectric power water use in Arkansas 

have continuously accounted for about half of the State’s total 

surface-water use for the period 1965–2010. Thermoelectric 

power water use in Arkansas between 1965 and 2010 

increased 264 percent from 423 to 1,540 Mgal/d. The 

percentage of Arkansas’ population served by public water 

suppliers has continued to increase while the percentage of the 

State’s total water use withdrawn by public water suppliers 

has remained relatively constant. Public-supply water use in 

Arkansas between 1965 and 2010 increased about 238 percent 

from 127 to 429 Mgal/d. Regardless of continuing increases 

in population, since 2000, total public-supply water use in 

Arkansas has plateaued at about 425 Mgal/d.

Groundwater withdrawals comprised about 69 percent 

(7,790 Mgal/d) of the total amount of water used in Arkansas 

in 2010. Four aquifers in Arkansas account for more than 

99 percent of the total groundwater withdrawals. The aquifers 

in deposits of Quaternary age supplied about 97 percent 

(7,520 Mgal/d) of all groundwater withdrawals. The SpartaMemphis aquifer supplied about 2.5 percent (192 Mgal/d) 

of all groundwater withdrawals, the Wilcox aquifer 

supplied about 0.5 percent (36.2 Mgal/d) of all groundwater 

withdrawals, and the Paleozoic aquifer supplied about 

0.3 percent (26.9 Mgal/d) of all groundwater withdrawals. 

Selected References

Arkansas Department of Health, 2011, 2010 Drinking water 

information for Arkansas: Arkansas Department of Health, 

accessed February 28, 2011, at http://www.healthyarkansas.

com/eng/pwslist0.htm.

Fenneman, N.M., and Johnson, D.W., 1946, Physical divisions 

of the United States (Map): Washington, D.C., U.S. 

Geological Survey.

Halberg, H.N., 1972, Use of water in Arkansas, 1970: 

Arkansas Geological Commission Water Resources 

Summary 7, 15 p. (Also available at http://www.geology.

ar.gov/water_summaries/wrs7.htm.)

Halberg, H.N., 1977, Use of water in Arkansas, 1975: 

Arkansas Geological Commission Water Resources 

Summary 9, 28 p. (Also available at http://www.geology.

ar.gov/water_summaries/wrs9.htm.)
Selected References

Halberg, H.N., and Stephens, J.W., 1966, Use of water in 

Arkansas, 1965: Arkansas Geological Commission Water 

Resources Summary 5, 12 p. (Also available at http://www.

geology.ar.gov/water_summaries/wrs5.htm.)

Hall, A.P., and Holland, T.W., 1984, Water use in Arkansas, 

1981: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 84–4070, 1 sheet. (Also available at 

http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri844070.)

Holland, T.W., 1987, Use of water in Arkansas, 1985: 

Arkansas Geological Commission Water Resources 

Summary 16, 27 p. (Also available at http://www.geology.

ar.gov/water_summaries/wrs16.htm.)

Holland, T.W., 1993, Use of water in Arkansas, 1990: U.S. 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 93–48, 1 sheet. (Also 

available at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr9348.)

Holland, T.W., 1999, Water use in Arkansas, 1995: U.S. 

Geological Survey Open-File Report 99–188, 1 sheet. (Also 

available at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr99188.)

Holland, T.W., 2004, Estimated water use in Arkansas, 2000: 

U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 

2004–5230, 31 p. (Also available at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/

publication/sir20045230.)

Holland, T.W., and Hall, A.P., 1986, Water use in Arkansas, 

1982: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 85–4282, 1 sheet. (Also available at 

http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri854282.)

Holland, T.W., and Ludwig, A.H., 1981, Use of water in 

Arkansas, 1980: Arkansas Geological Commission Water 

Resources Summary 14, 30 p. (Also available at 

http://www.geology.ar.gov/water_summaries/wrs14.htm.)

Hutson, S.A., and others, 2004, Estimated use of water in the 

United States in 2000: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 

1268, 46 p.

 Kenny, J.F., and others, 2009, Estimated use of water in the 

United States in 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 

1344, 52 p.

MacKichan, K.A., 1951, Estimated water use in the United 

States—1950: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 115, 13 p.

MacKichan, K.A., 1957, estimated water use in the United 

States—1955: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 398, 18 p.

MacKichan, K.A., and Kammerer, J.C., 1961, Estimated water 

use in the United States, 1960: U.S. Geological Survey 

Circular 456, 26 p.

Maupin, M.A., Kenny, J.F., Hutson, S.S., Lovelace, J.K., 

Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2014, Estimated use of 

water in the United States in 2010: U.S. Geological Survey 

Circular 1405, 56 p. (Also available at http://dx.doi.

org/10.3133/cir1405.)

Murray, C.R., 1968, Estimated use of water in the United 

States, 1965: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 556, 53 p.

Murray, C.R., and Reeves, E.B., 1972, Estimated use of water 

in the United States, 1970: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 

676, 37 p.

Murray, C.R., and Reeves, E.B., 1977, Estimated use of water 

in the United States, 1975: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 

765, 37 p.

Petersen, J.C., Broom, M.E., and Bush, W.V., 1985, 

Geohydrologic units of the Gulf Coastal Plain in Arkansas: 

U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations 

Report 85–4116, 20 p.

Solley, W.B., Chase, E.B., and Mann, W.B., 1983, Estimated 

use of water in the United States in 1980: U.S. Geological 

Survey Circular 1001, 56 p.

Solley, W.B., Merk, C.F., and Pierce, R.R., 1988, Estimated 

use of water in the United States in 1985: U.S. Geological 

Survey Circular 1004, 82 p. 

Solley, W.B., Pierce, R.R., and Perlman, H.A., 1993, 

Estimated use of water in the United States in 1990: U.S. 

Geological Survey Circular 1081, 76 p. 

Solley, W.B., Pierce, R.R., and Perlman, H.A., 1998, 

Estimated use of water in the United States in 1995: U.S. 

Geological Survey Circular 1200, 71 p. 

Stephens, J.W., and Halberg, H.N., 1961, Use of water in 

Arkansas, 1960: Arkansas Geological Commission Water 

Resources Special Report Series 294, 56 p.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2010, Data and statistics: 

National Agricultural Statistics Service, accessed November 

28, 2012, at http://www.nass.usda.gov/Data_and_Statistics/

index.asp.

U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 2010: 

Census 2010 summary file (SF1) 100-percent data, accessed 

December 1, 2011, at http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/

DTGeoSearchBYListServlet?ds_name=Dec_2010_SF!-

U&lang=en&ts=90149465759.

Webster, 2015, Webster’s online dictionary: Accessed April 

24, 2015, at http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/

hunt%20club.
32

Estimated Water Use in Arkansas, 20

Glossary

Water-use terminology continues to evolve as the field 

grows and expands. The following is a list of definitions 

for terms, phrases, and various data-collection components 

commonly used in the process of water-use data collection 

and compilation.

Acre-foot of water (acre-ft) The volume of water required 

to cover 1 acre of land (43,560 square feet) to a depth of 

1 foot. 

Acres irrigated The total number of acres of the crop that 

was irrigated during the year.

Aquaculture Farming of organisms that live in water, 

such as fish, shellfish, and algae. Reported water-use for 

aquaculture does not include usage by government fish 

hatcheries.

Aquifer A geologic formation, group of formations, or part 

of a formation that contains sufficient saturated permeable 

material to yield significant quantities of water to wells and 

springs.

Commercial water use Water for motels, hotels, restaurants, 

office buildings, schools, and other commercial facilities 

and institutions, both civilian and military. The water may 

be obtained from a public supply facility or may be selfsupplied. See also public supply and self-supplied water.

Cooling water Water used for cooling purposes, such as 

cooling of condensers and nuclear reactors.

Domestic population served The total number of people 

served by the public supplier during the calendar year.

Domestic water use Water used for household purposes, 

such as drinking, food preparation, bathing, washing clothes 

and dishes, flushing toilets, and watering lawns and gardens, 

also called residential water use. The water may be obtained 

from a public supply facility or may be self-supplied. See also 

public supply and self-supplied water.

Duck (hunting) club are associations of huntsmen who hunt 

for sport.

Freshwater Water that contains less than 1,000 mg/L 

(milligrams per liter) (but generally between less than 500 

and 1,000 mg/L in Arkansas) of dissolved solids and is 

desirable for drinking and many industrial uses.

Groundwater Generally all subsurface water and springs 

as distinct from surface water; specifically, that part of the 

subsurface water in the saturated zone (a zone in which all 

voids are filled with water) where the water is under pressure 

greater than atmospheric.

Industrial water use Water used for industrial purposes, 

such as fabrication, processing, washing, and cooling, 

and includes such industries as steel, chemical and allied 

products, paper and allied products, mining, and petroleum 

refining. The water may be obtained from a public supply 

facility or may be self-supplied. See also public supply and 

self-supplied water.

Instream use Water use taking place within the stream 

channel for such purposes as hydroelectric power generation, 

navigation, water-quality improvement, fish propagation, 

and recreation. Sometimes called nonwithdrawal use or 

in-channel use.

Irrigation Refers to the process of supplementing rainfall 

with water that is needed to produce a crop.

Irrigation water use Artificial application of water on lands 

to assist in the growing of crops and pastures or to maintain 

vegetative growth in recreational lands, such as parks and 

golf courses.

Livestock water use Water for stock watering, feedlots, 

dairy operations, fish farming, and other farm needs. 

Livestock as used here includes cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, and 

poultry. Also included are such animal specialties as horses, 

rabbits, bees, pets, and fur-bearing animals in captivity.

Mining water use Water use for the extraction of minerals 

occurring naturally, including solids, such as coal, clay, 

and ores; liquids, such as crude petroleum; and gases, such 

as natural gas. Also includes uses associated with sand, 

gravel, and quarrying for rock aggregates, well operations 

(dewatering), milling (crushing, screening, washing, 

floatation, and other), and other preparations customarily 

done at the mine site or as part of a mining activity.

Per capita use The average amount of water used per 

person during a standard time period, generally per day.

Public supply Water withdrawn by public and private 

water suppliers and delivered to groups of users. Public 

suppliers provide water for a variety of uses, such as 

domestic, commercial, thermoelectric power generation, 

industrial, and public water use. See also commercial water 

use, domestic water use, industrial water use, and public 

water use.

Public water use Water supplied from a public water 

supply and used for such purposes as firefighting, street 

washing, and municipal parks and swimming pools. See also 

public supply.

Self-supplied water Water withdrawn from a groundwater 

or surface-water source by a user rather than being obtained 

from a public supply facility.

Thermoelectric power generation Electrical power 

generated using fossil fuel (coal, oil, or natural gas), 

geothermal, or nuclear energy.

Thermoelectric power water use Water used in the process 

of the generation of thermoelectric power. The water may 

be obtained from a public supply facility or may be selfsupplied. See also public supply and self-supplied water.

Water consumed or consumptive use Refers to that part 

of water withdrawn that is no longer available because it 
Glossary

has evaporated, been incorporated into products and crops, 

consumed by man or livestock, or otherwise removed from the 

water environment.

Water use Describes how and where the water was used and 

in what amounts.

Withdrawal The amount of water withdrawn from a source 

(ground or surface). This is equivalent to “intake,” “water 

diversion,” or “pumpage,” terms commonly used by industry 

and for irrigation and public supply, respectively.

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