Document Type

Technical Report

Publication Date

2-2023

Keywords

Water quality, pollution, biodegradable hydroponics, wastewater, degradation

Abstract

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Division (ANRD) has identified the Upper White River Basin (UWRB; HUC 11010001) a hydrologic unit code (HUC) 8 watersheds, located in Northwest Arkansas, for prioritization by the Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Program. UWRB includes Beaver Lake in its borders, the drinking water source for 1 in 6 Arkansans. Nonpoint source pollution concerns in these watersheds are excess nutrients from agriculture and sediment from changes in land use/land cover (LULC).

Local, state, and national groups, including the NPS Source Management Program, have invested in education, best management practices, and streambank restoration in the UWRB. This watershed is also subject to regulation on the application of poultry litter as fertilizer and permitted limits on phosphorus discharge from point sources, such as municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Longterm water-quality monitoring data is necessary to identify whether these interventions are influencing water quality. The lag time before water-quality response can be considerable. Robust data are also needed to guide where additional resources should be targeted, or to identify potential emerging water quality concerns.

Report Number

395

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