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Sparta Aquifer Recovery Project
The Sparta aquifer is Union County's only source of municipal and
industrial ground water. Since development began in the early 1920's
ground-water levels have declined more than 390 feet in some areas.
As a result, Union was among five southern Arkansas counties designated as
the state's first "Critical Ground Water Area" in 1996.
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The U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with the Union County
Water Conservation Board that formed in 1999 and the Union
County Conservation District, is conducting a 5-year
Sparta Aquifer Recovery Study in southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana.
Collecting data from 29 study wells in the five South Arkansas Critical
Water counties and four contiguous North Louisiana parishes,
the Study is documenting aquifer recovery resulting from completion
of the Board's Ouachita River Alternative Water Supply Project.
In 2004 and 2005, the project converted two major industrial users from ground to surface water, and partially converted a third.
The project, along with other conservation measures that have been implemented
in Union County, Arkansas over the past several years, have
reduced ground water consumption by approximately 50 percent, and
are designed to restore the aquifer to a sustainable level.
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