SUB-BASIN PROFILE

Arkansas and White River Sub-basin

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The Arkansas and White River Basin is a significant hydrological region in the United States, encompassing parts of Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Here’s a brief overview of each:

Arkansas River Basin

Geography

The Arkansas River Basin covers approximately 170,000 square miles, making it one of the largest river basins in the United States. It spans from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, eventually joining the Mississippi River.

Key Features

The basin includes major tributaries such as the Canadian, Cimarron, and Verdigris Rivers. It supports diverse ecosystems and is crucial for agriculture, industry, and urban water supply.

Uses

The river is vital for irrigation, drinking water, and hydroelectric power. It also supports recreational activities like fishing, boating, and wildlife observation.

Arkansas River Basin
Upper Arkansas River in Colorado. Photo courtesy of Mitch Tobin and the Water Desk.

White River Basin

Geography

The White River Basin covers about 28,000 square miles in northeastern Arkansas and southern Missouri. It includes the upper White River, which flows through the Ozark Mountains, and the lower White River, which meanders through the Mississippi Alluvial Plain.

Key Features

The basin contains five large multi-purpose reservoirs and one primarily for flood control. It also features over 150 miles of flood control levees, two major national wildlife refuges, and the largest remaining concentration of seasonally flooded bottomland hardwoods in the Mississippi Valley.

Uses

The White River Basin is essential for water supply, flood control, wastewater management, navigation, recreation, and power generation. It supports a variety of wildlife habitats and is a critical area for conservation efforts.

Projects in this sub-basin (3)

ProjectSub-BasinLocationTypeImplementerStatusCostBenefits
REForest Arkansas Arkansas-White River Basin Little Rock, Arkansas 16 Restore the Earth Foundation Accepting Funding $32,000,000 Volumetric, Water Quality
Arkansas River Watershed Restoration and Phreatophyte Removal, Kansas Arkansas-White River Basin Rice County, Kansas 8 Ducks Unlimited Accepting Funding Volumetric, Water Quality
Watershed Project – City of Altheimer Arkansas-White River Basin Altheimer, Arkansas 12 Arkansas Black Mayors Association Accepting Funding $5,500,000 Volumetric

REForest Arkansas

Sub-BasinArkansas-White River Basin
LocationLittle Rock, Arkansas
Type16
ImplementerRestore the Earth Foundation
StatusAccepting Funding
Cost$32,000,000
BenefitsVolumetric, Water Quality

Arkansas River Watershed Restoration and Phreatophyte Removal, Kansas

Sub-BasinArkansas-White River Basin
LocationRice County, Kansas
Type8
ImplementerDucks Unlimited
StatusAccepting Funding
Cost
BenefitsVolumetric, Water Quality

Watershed Project – City of Altheimer

Sub-BasinArkansas-White River Basin
LocationAltheimer, Arkansas
Type12
ImplementerArkansas Black Mayors Association
StatusAccepting Funding
Cost$5,500,000
BenefitsVolumetric