The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded nearly $3 million to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to support management of nonpoint-source water pollution.
The federal agency says the $2,988,000 in total funds will be used for a variety of projects designed to improve water quality in several priority watersheds - including the Illinois River, Bayou Bartholomew, Strawberry River and L'Anguille River.
Nonpoint-source pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over the ground. This runoff picks up natural and man-made pollutants as it flows, and eventually gets deposited into lakes, rivers and groundwater. This type of pollution can be difficult to manage since it can't be traced to a specific source.
