ASABE Technical Library - Abstract

Abstract. The long-term success and sustainability of agriculture in the Lower Mississippi River Basin will depend largely on water resources. Aquifer decline in the region has been documented since the 1980s and continues today. Artificial recharge is one possible tool that could help alleviate this decline. This study describes a novel test of artificial recharge through direct well injection at a site in western Poinsett County, Arkansas. Water was taken from a source well 800 m (0.5 mi) from the injection well at a nearly uninterrupted rate of 565 gallons per minute for four days. A maximum rise in water level of 11.3 m (37.2 ft) at the injection well and 0.2 m (0.7 ft) at a well 100 m (330 ft) away from the injection well was recorded. Air entrainment was not extensive, particularly given that the recovery water-level data resulted in hydraulic conductivity values that were as large or larger than other values measured for the alluvial aquifer in the area. The success of artificial recharge hinges on the water quality of the source water. Water quality was collected monthly at five local reservoirs and the primary ditch used to fill each reservoir from January through April 2014. A reduction in turbidity was measured in the reservoirs compared to ditches. Water quality conditions in February were most conducive among the four months studied (January to April), and suggest this period as the most effective period to attempt artificial recharge in this area. However, more data are required to sufficiently characterize and strengthen these initial conclusions.