Ground Water Quality Nitrate contamination was detected in some domestic wells sampled in portions of the State undergoing rapid expansion of poultry and livestock operations, including northwest Arkansas, the Arkansas River Valley, and southwest Arkansas. Wells sampled in pristine areas of northwest Arkansas were not contaminated. Programs to Restore Water Quality Arkansas has focused nonpoint source management efforts on controlling waste from confined animal production operations. Arkansas utilizes education, technical assistance, financial assistance, and voluntary and regulatory activities to control nonpoint source pollution from poultry, swine, and dairy operations. Liquid waste systems are regulated by permit and dry waste systems are controlled by voluntary implementation of BMPs in targeted watersheds.
Water quality is monitored during watershed projects to evaluate the effectiveness of the BMPs.
Programs to Assess Water Quality Arkansas classifies its water resources by ecoregion with similar physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. There are six eco-regions including the Delta, Gulf Coastal, Ouchita Mountain, Arkansas River Valley, Boston Mountain, and Ozark Mountain Regions. By classifying water resources in this manner, Arkansas can identify the most common land uses within each region and address the issues that threaten the water quality. The State has increased surface water and ground water monitoring to determine the fate of animal waste applied to pastures. Arkansas also conducted 10 water quality surveys in watersheds throughout the State to determine point and nonpoint sources of pollution impacting water quality.