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| Inputs and Threats to Ouachita River Water Quality in Louisiana and Arkansas |
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This map shows the Scenic River stretch of the Ouachita River |
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| The Ouachita River suffers pollution from many sources, a number of which are outlined below: |
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| Major Point Sources |
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1. Georgia Pacific Paper Mill in Crossett, Arkansas, releases toxic chemicals, carcinogens, and toxic metals.
 2. Cogentrix Power Plant in Sterlington, Louisiana, releases hot water into the waterbody, raising the temperature 20 to 30 degrees and killing spawning fish and depleting oxygen in the water.
3. Entergy Power Plant in Sterlington, Louisiana, releases hot water into the waterbody, raising the temperature 20 to 30 degrees and killing spawning fish and depleting oxygen in the water.
4. Angus Chemical in Sterlington, Louisiana, releases toxic chemicals, carcinogens, and toxic metals.
5. City of Monroe Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Richwood, Louisiana.
6. City of West Monroe STP in West Monroe, Louisiana.
7. Riverwood Paper Mill in West Monroe, Louisiana, releases toxic chemicals, carcinogens, and toxic metals. |
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| Tributary Inputs |
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1. Drainage from periodically flooded woodlands in Upper Ouachita National Refuge. (High color, low dissolved oxygen (D.O.), low pH).
2. Bayou Bartholomew - Agricultural drainage (suspended sediment (TSS) dissolved nutrients, pesticides).
3. Lonewa Bayou/River Styxx - Agricultural drainage, subdivision STP discharges.
4. Bayou D'Loutre - Swamp drainage (high color, low D.O., low pH).
5. Bayou Chauvin - Subdivision STP discharges, swamp drainage.
6. Bayou D'Arbonne - Swamp drainage.
7. Tupawek Bayou - Subdivision STP discharges, urban runoff. |
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| Other Pollution Sources |
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1. Urban runoff from the City of Monroe storm drains.
2. Urban runoff from the City of West Monroe storm drains.
3. Dredging of the river bottom by the Corps of Engineers releases dioxin buried under the river mud.
4. Houseboat sewage discharges.
5. Bilge discharges from tugboats.
6. Inappropriate development of wetlands.
7. Agricultural drainage. |
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| The El Dorado Pipeline |
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The El Dorado Pipeline is a proposed waste water effluent pipeline to the Ouachita River. The project as currently proposed calls for a 9.5 mile pipeline, to be constructed that would transport El Dorado, Arkansas's municipal waste water along with effluent from El Dorado Chemical, Great Lakes Chemical (now Chemture), and Lion Oil Companies to a discharge point on the Ouachita River. Natural resources present within the Ouachita River floodplain downstream of the proposed discharge point are tremendous and include excellent sport and commercial fisheries, excellent resident wild life populations and excellent migratory bird resources including winter waterfowl populations approaching half a million birds. The Moro Bay State Park, Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, Lower Ouachita /Beryl Anthony Wildlife Management Area and Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge in northern Louisiana are just some of the public lands downstream of the discharge location and on into the floodplain of North Louisiana and the Black Bayou National Wildlife Refuge and Bayou DeSiard, from which the city of Monroe receives their drinking water. Felsenthal Refuge alone receives over 400,000 visitors annually which generate millions of dollars to the local and regional economy.
The waste water creates a favorable environment for undesirable water plants to grow. Warmer temperatures would increase this growth. Higher temperatures cause fish kills as just a few degrees difference cannot be tolerated. An increase in bacteria growth will promote disease. A permit for this pipeline has been issued by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, despite lawsuits filed by environmental activists in Arkansas, the Attorney General for the State of Louisiana and Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. The permit is undergoing its second appeal. No one can predict how this mix of chemicals from three plants and waste water from the city of El Dorado will affect the river. Fish and wildlife habitat, plant growth, drinking water, and the health of numerous wildlife refuges and wetlands are all at risk. A clean river is essential to our quality of life in south Arkansas and north Louisiana. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has failed in its duty to protect the River. |
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