AETN documentary addresses state’s water concerns - Apr 24, 9pm

AETN documentary addresses state’s water concerns

CONWAY, Ark. (AETN) — Arkansas has long been a water-rich state, receiving approximately 42 inches of rain annually. But industry, agriculture, population growth and pollution are taking their toll, raising concerns about a water crisis in the state.

The Arkansas Educational Television Network addresses this potential crisis in “Troubled Water,” premiering Thursday, April 24, at 9 p.m.

The film complements the study, “Water Issues in Arkansas an Unfinished Story,” commissioned by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and prepared
by FTN & Associates, Ltd.

“When you consider that 71percent of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, it’s hard to imagine that we could ever run out,” AETN Production Director Carole Adornetto said. “What we fail to realize are the demands
we’re placing on this fragile resource and the possibility that even in the Natural State we could so severely damage, pollute and exhaust our environment to the point that it might not replenish itself.”

“Troubled Water,” an AETN original documentary, travels across the state to learn more about the strains on Arkansas’s water resources from those who know it best: farmers, geologists, experts and concerned citizens.

They share their opinions and stories about how water is managed and what should be done to protect this irreplaceable resource.

“Issues related to water quality, quantity and availability are affecting the people of Arkansas more and more,” hydrologist Jim Petersen of the U.S. Geological Survey Arkansas Water Science Center said.

“Water affects human health and safety, ecosystem health and our economy – think floods and droughts; drinking water; agricultural usage; nutrients, sediment and
pharmaceuticals in our waterways and drinking water; recreational use and aesthetics.

“There are hard choices ahead that will require an informed public. This documentary explores many of these issues.”

Topics highlighted in the film include: the 8 billion gallons of water per day needed to irrigate Arkansas’s 4 million acres of crops; cones of depression in the Sparta and Alluvial aquifers; the Grand Prairie Area Demonstration Project; Union County’s response to being declared as a
critical groundwater area; taste and odor problems with the water in Beaver Lake in Northwest Arkansas; development in the Lake Maumelle Watershed; Oklahoma’s lawsuit over the Illinois River; and sustainability practices.

Interviewees discuss the many ways water is changing in the state, from the need to dig wells deeper and deeper to a decline in waterfowl hunting due to dry seasons. They express their opinions on using water more
efficiently, finding new sources for water, development in watersheds and changes in quality.

“Troubled Water” features segments taped at Lake Maumelle, Beaver Lake, Stuttgart, De Valls Bluff, Weiner, El Dorado and Clarendon.

The film is closed-captioned in both English and Spanish. It was produced by AETN’s Mark Wilcken and narrated by Julian Rebolledo.

The film is funded in part by a grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation - http://www.wrfoundation.org/, and the
“Water Issues in Arkansas” report is expected to be published by summer.

The Arkansas Educational Television Network
- http://www.aetn.org/ - provides lifelong learning opportunities, improves and enhances Arkansans’ lives and celebrates the unique culture of Arkansas through its programming and services. AETN’s analog and digital transmitters and numerous cable system connections give it statewide reach.

Interview Subjects in the documentary

Hunter Jones: Rice & Soybean Farmer, Weiner

Cathy Hood: President, Arkansas Rice Festival, Weiner

Shawn Lynn: Owner/Operator, Kill Zone Duck Calls, Weiner

Billy Adams: Rice Farmer, Weiner

Buddy Schwartz: Retired Rice Farmer, Weiner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Tiffany L. Verkler
501-682-4157
April 15, 2008