Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee Regional Aquifer Study

Ground-water use in the MATRAS area increased dramatically from 1985 to 2000. Increased development and growth resulted in an increase in water use for public-water, supply, domestic, and industry from 253 million gallons per day in 1985 to 302 million gallons per day in 2000. The largest increases in water use for water supply and industry occurred in Craighead County, Arkansas (7 mgal/d), Shelby County, Tennessee (24 mgal/d), and Desoto (12 mgal/d), Tate (13 mgal/d), and Tunica (8 mgal/d) Counties, Mississippi. Ground water for public and industrial supply is pumped from the Memphis Aquifer, Sparta Aquifer, and the deeper Wilcox/Fort Pillow aquifer.

Ground-water use for irrigation, especially in eastern Arkansas, also increased significantly from 1985 to 2000. Agricultural water use (irrigation, aquaculture, and livestock) increased from 1,210 mgal/d in 1985 to 2,230 mgal/d in 2000. Six of the seven Arkansas counties in the study area increased ground-water production for agriculture by more than 100 mgal/d each. Ground-water production from agriculture occurs primarily from the Mississippi River Alluvial aquifer.

Ground-water use for Public-Water Supply, Rural Domestic Supply, and Industrial Supply

1985, Ground-Water use by county, in million gallons per day

2000 Ground-Water use by county, in million gallons per day

Ground-water use for Irrigation, Aquaculture, and Livestock

1985, Ground-Water use by county, in million gallons per day

2000 Ground-Water use by county, in million gallons per day

Source for water-use data:

Solley, Wayne B.; Merk, Charles F.; Pierce, Robert R., 1988, Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 1985: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1004, 82 p.

Hutson,S. S., Barber, N.L., Kenny,J.F., Linsy, K.S., Lumia, D.S., and Maupin, M.A. 2005, Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2000: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1268