Potentiometric surface of the Ozark Aquifer in northern Arkansas, 1995

The Ozark aquifer in northern Arkansas is comprised of dolostones, limestones, sandstones, and shales of Late Cambrian to Middle Devonian age, and ranges in thickness from approximately 1,100 feet to more than 4,000 feet. Hydrologically, the aquifer is complex, characterized by discrete and diffuse flow components with large spatial variations in porosity and permeability. Regionally, the flow within the aquifer is to the south and southeast in the eastern and central part of the study area and to the northwest and north in the western part of the study area. Within Arkansas, the potentiometric-surface map based on October- December 1995 data indicates maximum water-level altitudes of greater than 1,300 feet in Boone, Carroll, and Madison Counties and minimum water-level altitudes of less than 400 feet in Independence, Izard, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp, and Stone Counties. Comparing the 1995 potentiometric-surface map with a predevelopment potentiometric- surface map (Imes, 199), indicates general agreement between the two surfaces except in parts of Benton and Sharp Counties. Water-level differences could be attributed to differences in the time of year in which the water-level data were collected, differences in pumping conditions just prior to water-level measurement, differences in interpretation resulting (in part) from greater number of water-level measurements used for this report than for Imes (1990), or erroneous water-level data.