Geology Reference
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for irrigation too, it also was declining at > 1 foot per year.
Farmers did not expect much increase from the Sparta
Aquifer because of a low specific yield (~ effective porosity)
of only 0.01 (cf., Alluvial Aquifer 0.30) so the capacity was
not there. Also the recharge was slow and the cost of pump-
ing was higher and increasing.
Check out the following websites (and others) to deter-
mine the expected economic and environmental impacts from
the loss of irrigation water in this area of Arkansas known as
the rice and duck capital of the world (Stuttgart is the head-
quarters of Riceland Foods). The brochure (website below) for
the project will be particularly useful in answering this ques-
tion. The site for the Grand Prairie Area Demonstration Pro-
ject (also known as the Grand Prairie Irrigation Project) is
http://www.mvm.usace.army.mil/grandprairie/maps/pdf/
GPADProj.pdf. See also USGS Fact Sheet 111-02 at http://
pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-lll-02/ , and the news item of July 21,
2006, by L. Sarter in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette ( http://
www.nwanews.com/adg/News/161090/ ) for more informa-
tion on the project and its status.
c. From where will much of the water come for this project?
d. List several economic and environmental benefits of
the project.
e. List several objections that environmental groups have
had to the project.
f . Although there have been many starts and stops to the
project over decades, what did Judge Bill Wilson do on
July 20,2006?
What was the name of the bird that was a factor in the
decision?
a. List two or three types of structures that are to be built
in the Grand Prairie Area Irrigation Project.
g . why wou ld area farmers not plan to continue expand-
ing their use of the lower aquifer (Sparta Aquifer) but
instead would like to use water from the GP Irrigation
Project?
b. What is the purpose of the project?
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