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The
Sparta Aquifer is a confined aquifer that covers south Arkansas and North Louisiana.
It is the primary source of water for many county, parish, municipal and industrial
water systems. Because the Sparta provides clean cool water, it is an excellent
source of water for many purposes. Water enters the Sparta primarily from outcrop
areas in the western part of the Sparta region from the Arkansas line in North Bossier
Parish to Winn Parish, including Webster and Bienville Parishes. Industry and municipalities
began withdrawing ground water from the Sparta aquifer in the early 1900's. Prior
to that time, water levels were well above the top of the Sparta Sand. By the 1940's
the rate of withdrawal was exceeding the aquifer's natural recharge rate, and substantial
declines in water levels began to be documented by the USGS in the 1980's (Nelson
and McWreath). "Cones of depression" have formed beneath major pumping centers (Monroe-West
Monroe, Ruston, and Jonesboro-Hodge). Some wells may pump water at a slower rate
or not at all if the water level is lower than the pump. In a heavily pumped area,
naturally occurring salt water may be pulled into pumps. In some soils, excessive
dewatering can lead to irreversible compaction, reducing the aquifer’s ability to
be recharged.
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