Marion hopes Sunday rain brings relief from second summer of water woes

Sunday's expectation of stormy weather might put a dent in some Father's Day plans, but it would be more than a welcome relief in Marion.

It has become another worrisome summer in Crittenden County, where Marion mayor D'Anna Browning had to reinstate water conservation orders in June. They're the same rules employed when the levee at Lake George was breached last year and the loss of 83 million gallons of raw water threatened the city's supply.

After hauling truckloads of water, distributing thousands of bottles to residents and making hasty hookups with neighboring water districts, Marion limped through the dry summer of 2022 by leaving cars unwashed, pools unfilled and lawns unsprinkled.

This year, winter and early spring rains refilled Old City Lake to overflowing, and restrictions were lifted. But little to no rain for the past few weeks have once again stopped the stream over the spillway.

The 30-60 day weather outlook calls for drier than average conditions, and that figured into Browning's decision to bring back the restrictions.

But she's confident that Marion is in a better position this summer to weather the potential dry spell.

She recently posted that Marion water employees' ongoing mission to seek and repair pipe leaks are saving a substantial percentage of water produced. Agreements are still in place with Crittenden Livingston Water District to quickly switch over.

Browning also noted that original water source Lake George is now holding more water, thanks to a cover placed over a cracked pipe. Marion recently installed a pump and long hose to draw water from Lake George. They even dismantled a beaver dam that was slowing down the water supply to Old City Lake. 

Another issue that may resurface for Marion this summer concerns July 4th fireworks. Last year's water crisis meant no fireworks within the city limits, and the city's celebration had to be postponed. The mayor noted that she'll talk to the fire chief, and they'll have to see what the situation looks like in a few weeks.



Photo: a sign at The 88 Dip in Marion last summer during the city's water crisis. Dry weather recently caused Mayor D'Anna Browning to bring back last year's water conservation measures for city residents.