The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission has scheduled seven public hearings this summer on the agency’s state water plan. Your comments and/or attendance is needed!
According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the $4 million water plan, funded by the Legislature in 2012, projects groundwater shortages in Eastern Arkansas.
The article goes on: “The new plan calls for…storing excess surface water, evaluating the effectiveness of existing tax credits and incentives for irrigation water conservation, and a re-evaluation of the limit on water use for homes or businesses that are not along bodies of water…most of the plan is focused on updating the state’s plan use and supply data. Nearly all of the recommendations are things the state already has started doing, but the plan is considered a rule-making process that would be adopted into the commission’s official rules.”
The Commission will accept written comments through September 3, 2015 at 4:30 pm. Written comments should be emailed to crystal.phelps@arkansas.gov
The Commission will hold public hearings on both sets of rules at 11 a.m. at each of the following locations on the following dates:
July 16: Russellville – Pope County Farm Bureau Office, 1805 E Parkway Dr.
July 21: Jonesboro – Craighead Conservation District, 3407 S. Caraway Rd, Suite 1
July 29: Little Rock – Arkansas River Room, 101 E. Capitol, Suite 350
August 11: Fayetteville – Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Arena, Rm 107, 1335 W. Knapp
August 13: El Dorado – Charles H. Murphy Boardroom, El Dorado Chamber of Commerce, 111 West Main
August 18: Stuttgart – Phillips Community College, Grand Prairie Center, Classroom C, 2709 Hwy 165 South
August 20: Texarkana – Ag Learning Center, Four States Fairgrounds, 3700 East 50th Street
For more information and to view documents, go to http://anrc.ark.org/rules/proposed-rules/