Mississippi’s Approach to Address Declining Groundwater Levels

Whittington, Kay

Mississippi’s Approach to Address Declining Groundwater Levels

Tuesday, October 2, 2018: 2:00 p.m.

Kay Whittington, PE , Office of Land and Water Resources, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Jackson, MS

Groundwater levels in the aquifer used for agriculture and wildlife in the Mississippi Delta are declining as irrigation demands have increased. By law, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is charged with conserving, managing, developing, and protecting the state’s water resources. MDEQ is working with those in the Delta through the Delta Sustainable Water Resources Task Force. A Voluntary Metering Program is being implemented to annually collect metered water use information. Water use efficiency practices proven to save water, time, and money are being required through water use permits. Progress is being made in improving our information and through the implementation of conservation measures while all options continue to be investigated using a regional groundwater availability model developed in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Kay Whittington, PE, Office of Land and Water Resources, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Jackson, MS

Kay Whittington was appointed as Director of the Office of Land and Water Resources in November of 2013. Kay has been with MDEQ for 20 years. She is a Licensed Professional Engineer and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer. Kay earned undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on Water Resources. Kay’s primary responsibility as the director of the Office of Land and Water Resources is to oversee the conservation, management, and protection of the water resources of Mississippi. The Office regulates water quantity issues affecting the beneficial use of these resources in the best interest and welfare of the citizens of the state.