Arkansas Natural Resources Commission Nonpoint Source Pollution Management: April 2018 Plan

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (“ANRC”) published a document in April titled:

The 2018-2023 Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Plan (“Plan”)

The Plan was stated to be created in cooperation with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Public Policy Center and Crop, Soil and Environmental Science staff.

Nonpoint source pollutants are often associated with agricultural, silvicultural, and urban runoff. A substantial portion of such discharges tend to be generated by soil disturbance and sedimentation. Further, nonpoint source pollution may be characterized as resulting from land runoff, atmospheric deposition, drainage, or seepage of contaminate. A stormwater runoff or flow can mobilize various pollutants such as metals, oil and grease, and nutrients.

The Plan states that it has two purposes:

• Provide historical perspective of the Arkansas Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Program’s beginning, development process, function, purpose, management processes, objectives and overall goals
• Serve as a resource to state and federal agencies, stakeholders and those interested in nonpoint source management

Overall the Plan is stated to describe the process of how the Nonpoint Source Program will be managed from the years 2018-2023. Other aspects of the Plan are stated to include:

• Serves as a statewide reference
• Intended to be used in conjunction with the most current list of Impaired Waterbodies (Section 303[d] report – Clean Water Act) and the Water Quality Assessment Report (Section 305[b] report) prepared by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
• Provide an over-arching guide to develop, coordinate and implement Watershed Management Plans, programs and projects, to reduce, manage, control or abate nonpoint source pollution
• Provide a focal point for public agencies and nonprofit organizations, interest groups and citizens to discuss and address nonpoint source pollution
• Provide a basis that allows stakeholders to periodically evaluate, add to, and rank risk factors influencing the potential outcome of alternative nonpoint source management and investment strategy

The Plan includes a discussion of the various historical events associated with nonpoint source pollution management, including the significant previous policy and regulatory changes. Further, a description of the various programs that have been implemented to promote voluntary use of best management practices are discussed.

Besides the introduction, the Plan includes sections such as:

• Program Description
• Cooperating Entities
• Agriculture Statewide Programs
• Silviculture Statewide Programs
• Surface Erosion Statewide Programs
• Urban Runoff Statewide Programs
• Developing Issues
• Common Best Management Practices
• Common Nonpoint Source Pollutants
• Discussion of a number of watersheds

The appendices include:

• Watershed-Based Implementation
• SWAT Model Description
• Description of Public Participation
• Short-Term Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Program Milestones

A link to the plan can be found here.