Publications—Scientific Investigations Report

Effects of Proposed Additional Ground-Water Withdrawals from the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer on Water Levels in Lonoke County, Arkansas

By John B. Czarnecki

This document is available in Portable Document Format (PDF):  SIR2006-5275 (657 KB)

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Abstract

The Grand Prairie Water Users Association, located in Lonoke County, Arkansas, plans to increase ground-water withdrawals from the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer from their current (2005) rate of about 400 gallons per minute to 1,400 gallons per minute (2,016,000 gallons per day). The effect of pumping from a proposed well was simulated using a digital model of ground-water flow. The proposed additional withdrawals were added to an existing pumping cell specified in the model, with increased pumping beginning in 2005, and specified to pump at a total combined rate of 2,016,000 gallons per day for a period of 46 years. In addition, pumping from wells owned by Cabot Water Works, located about 2 miles from the proposed pumping, was added to the model beginning in 2001 and continuing through to the end of 2049.

Simulated pumping causes a cone of depression to occur in the alluvial aquifer with a maximum decline in water level of about 8.5 feet in 46 years in the model cell of the proposed well compared to 1998 withdrawals. However, three new dry model cells occur south of the withdrawal well after 46 years. This total water-level decline takes into account the cumulative effect of all wells pumping in the vicinity, although the specified pumping rate from all other model cells in 2005 is less than for actual conditions in 2005. After 46 years with the additional pumping, the water-level altitude in the pumped model cell was about 177.4 feet, which is 41.7 feet higher than 135.7 feet, the altitude corresponding to half of the original saturated thickness of the alluvial aquifer (a metric used to determine if the aquifer should be designated as a Critical Ground-Water Area (Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, 2006)).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Effects of Proposed Ground-Water Withdrawals

Model Limitation

Summary

References

Figures

  1. Map showing location of study area, north alluvial model area, and proposed Grand Prairie Water Users Association well.
  2. Map showing simulated drawdown in water levels after 46 years of proposed additional pumping by the Grand Prairie Water Users Association.
  3. Graph showing simulated drawdown with time at model cell with proposed additional pumping by Grand Prairie Water Users Association.
  4. Map showing simulated saturated thickness after 46 years with proposed additional pumping by the Grand Prairie Water Users Association.


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