VICKSBURG, Miss. –Two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District-proposed agreements for water storage space at DeGray Lake near Arkadelphia, Arkansas, were recently approved by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
The agreement with Central Arkansas Water (CAW) is for an estimated 157,014 acre-feet of storage and will supply approximately 100 million gallons a day (MGD) of water to their customers. The agreement with the City of Hot Springs is for an estimated 31,456 acre-feet and will supply approximately 20 MGD to the city.
CAW and the City of Hot Springs have requested a combined 188,470 acre-feet of storage space, which equates to approximately 120 MGD, to be withdrawn from the main reservoir or upper pool of DeGray Lake. Located on the Caddo River in Arkansas, DeGray Lake is a multi-purpose reservoir with flood control, hydropower, water supply, environmental and recreational functions.
CAW and the City of Hot Springs initiated the request for a water storage agreement with the Vicksburg District in October of 2013.
“We appreciate the partnerships we have with all those interested in maximizing the benefits derived from the flood control reservoir at DeGray Lake,” said Vicksburg District Commander Col. Michael Derosier. “We are incredibly pleased to be part of a collective effort to identify mutually agreeable and beneficial solutions for all involved.”
The Vicksburg District, CAW, the City of Hot Springs and Southwestern Power Administration have collaborated to create a solution for water withdrawal from the main pool that is consistent with current policy and advantageous to both hydropower and water supply users of the lake.
The two water storage agreements will be executed at a later date between the Department of the Army and CAW and the City of Hot Springs, respectively. The Vicksburg District commander will be the signatory for the government.
The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana that holds seven major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline levees. The district is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,000 personnel.
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