In Arkansas we are blessed with an abundance of water resources that factor into our everyday lives, from clean drinking water to irrigation for crops and ideal settings for outdoor recreation. Whether it’s the Mississippi River or the Ouachita River, or other bodies of water like DeGray or Norfork Lake, a diverse range of opportunities and challenges are at stake with our waterways and groundwater.
It is important to remember the vital role the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) plays in the management of these resources within our state.
There is great respect for the task the Corps must carry out and its impact on the average Arkansan’s life. I have worked closely with Corps leaders on many projects to benefit The Natural State. With three Corps Districts managing Arkansas land and water – Vicksburg, Little Rock and Mississippi Valley – there is ongoing collaboration for the sake of efficiency and maximum utilization in addressing our transportation, energy, conservation, recreation and agriculture needs.
The Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers’ ability to support freight transport is a key tool for our state’s farmers, ranchers and producers. On the Arkansas River alone, roughly 11 million tons of commodities are shipped annually up and down the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) that begins at the confluence of the White and Mississippi Rivers and runs to Oklahoma.
The MKARNS is the Corps’ largest public works project. For more than 50 years, it has helped enable enhanced navigation, flood control, power generation, habitat conservation and economic development in our state and beyond.
Having direct access to this transportation artery, and others throughout Arkansas that amount to more than 1,000 miles of navigable waterways, gives our state’s agriculture industry access to ports across the country and the world.
