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I I ~ c) ~ ~ 00 ~ 4. Western Arkansas. The area under consideration lies in western Arkansas and encompasses Crawford and Sebastian counties. Fort Smith is the largest city in the two county area, the second largest city in Arkansas, and the major economic center for the area. The population for the two county area has been increasing at a faster rate than the entire state of Arkansas. The population for the two counties is over 105,000 (based on the 1970 census). Manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade accounts for more than half of the 1970 employment in the study area. The ~rgest single amount of manufacturing activitiy is the furniture industry which had an employment of 4,359 in 1970. I I Growth of the Fort Smith Metropolitan Region is having a major impact on the runoff characteristics of urban drainage. Numerous buildings and other.facilities have been cons~ructed in the flood plains. The continued urbanization has decreased the overland flow time and increased the runoff volume. The result is more water, less valley storage, and inadequate facilities for removal of the rapid runoff from higher elevations in the study area. Residential, commercial, industrial, and public properties are reportedly flooded to some degree annually. Residents are forced to leave their homes and their health menaced by the result- ing improper functioning of sewer system and related vector problems. Water supply sources used in the study area only meet existing demand~ and are inadequate to meet .the demands of futur~ growth. However, the authorized Pine Mountain Project would satisfy the water supply needs the study area. I I I I I 5. -Arkansas River - Fort Smith to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The problem area is the Arkansas River Basin from Fort Smith to Pine Bluff and includes 12 counties which are adjacent to the river. The area contains the three major metropolitan areas in the State of Arkansas: Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Pine Bluff. This area contains the major population and industrial centers of the State and is experiencing rapid population and industrial growth. The primary problem along the area is a lack of quality ground and surface water storage. In addition, rural and urban flooding adjacent to and above the Arkansas River is also a problem. I I I I I The lack of an adequate supply of water is considered critical as greater and greater requirements for water for residential and industrial needs have to be met. This study will have to be coordi- nated with other studies which are either taking place or are in the project stage of development along the Arkansas River. These are Pine Mountain (water supply for Fort Smith-Van Buren area), Conway Water Supply, and Little Rock Urban Study. See Arkansas Map 2. I 103 I I I I