Hartford
Map
Jack White, a retired natural gas and oil supervisor lives in Hartford Arkansas where his riparian rights are being challenged by big industry. For years the ground and surface waters survived the timber, agriculture and livestock industries. But the recent addition of the natural gas industry may prove more than the fragile streams can survive. In a state where no one owns the water and every one is entitled to fair use, White is wondering how one man or even a small town can compete with big business. The old swimming hole is so polluted now it attracts more graffiti than swimmers and stagnates an eerie green. According to the laws established in the state, a riparian water user can use the water so long as it doesn’t infringe on someone else’s riparian use. Enforcing this is a different matter.
