Water restrictions in Fort Smith, AR — also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance — set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Fort Smith Utility Department operates a two-phase Water Conservation Plan tied to storage in the combined Lake Fort Smith / Lake Shepherd Springs reservoir on Frog Bayou. Phase I triggers when usable storage drops to 55,000 acre-feet (60%) of the 91,100 acre-foot capacity; Phase II triggers at 36,000 acre-feet (39%). Phase II prohibits lawn watering, fountain operation, pool filling, and most vehicle washing except at licensed commercial car washes on Tuesday and Friday.
Fort Smith's water-restriction framework is administered by the Fort Smith Utility Department (https://www.fortsmithwater.org/) and runs through the City's two-phase Water Conservation Plan. The primary water source is the combined Lake Fort Smith / Lake Shepherd Springs reservoir on Frog Bayou, formed when the two lakes were merged into a single 1,400-acre, ~84,000 acre-foot reservoir behind a 196-foot dam completed in 2008, treated at the Lake Fort Smith Water Treatment Plant. Phase I triggers when usable storage falls from 91,100 acre-feet (100%) to 55,000 acre-feet (60%) and remains in effect until storage exceeds 56,000 acre-feet (61%) for 15 consecutive days. Phase II triggers when usable storage drops to 36,000 acre-feet (39%) and ends when storage exceeds 41,000 acre-feet (45%) for 15 consecutive days. Phase II is the more restrictive stage: lawn watering is prohibited, washing of vehicles, trailers, boats, and aircraft is prohibited except at licensed commercial car washes and commercial auto dealers (limited to Tuesday and Friday), and filling of swimming pools and operation of outdoor non-recirculating fountains is prohibited. Phase II restrictions apply to residential and commercial customers alike. Fort Smith has invoked Phase II conservation in recent drought episodes and updates emergency conservation status through City press releases and govdelivery bulletins. The 1980s-vintage Lee Creek Reservoir provides supplemental supply.
Violation of Phase II restrictions is enforced administratively by the Fort Smith Utility Department under its customer service rules and tariff. The Utility may issue warning notices, escalating surcharges, and ultimately discontinue water service to repeat violators after due process. Persistent commercial violations can trigger municipal-court prosecution alongside utility action. Essential uses (firefighting, healthcare facilities, construction-site dust control with prior approval) typically remain permitted. Outside customers connected to the Fort Smith system through wholesale contracts must comply at the wholesale-customer level.
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