U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2020-3052

December 2020

Prepared in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development 

Water Resources of Bienville Parish, Louisiana

Introduction

Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of 

water in Bienville Parish, Louisiana (fig. 1), is critical for proper 

water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present 

information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, 

and others for stewardship of this vital resource. In 2014, about 

13.03 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water were withdrawn in 

Bienville Parish, including about 12.88 Mgal/d from groundwater 

sources and 0.15 Mgal/d from surface-water sources1

 (table 1). 

Withdrawals for industrial use accounted for about 78 percent 

(10.18 Mgal/d) of the total water withdrawn (table 2). Other 

categories of use included public supply, which accounted for about 

18 percent of the total water withdrawn (2.33 Mgal/d); agriculture, 

composed of general irrigation and livestock, which accounted for 

about 1 percent (0.18 Mgal/d); and rural domestic (0.33 Mgal/d), 

1

Water-withdrawal data are based on estimated or reported site-specific data 

and aggregated data, which are distributed to sources. For a full description of 

water-use estimate methodology, see “Data Collection” in Collier and Sargent 

(2018). Tabulation of numbers in text and tables may result in different totals 

because of rounding; nonrounded numbers are used for calculation of totals.

which accounted for about 2 percent. Water-use data collected at 

5-year intervals from 1960 to 2010 and again in 2014 indicated that 

water withdrawals peaked in 1995 at more than 17 Mgal/d (fig. 2).

Groundwater Resources

The primary freshwater-bearing aquifer in Bienville Parish is 

the Sparta aquifer. Additional groundwater resources include the 

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer and, to a minor extent, the Upland terrace 

aquifer (table 1). In the eastern part of Bienville Parish, the Sparta 

aquifer provides the primary freshwater source, whereas the CarrizoWilcox provides the source in the west (figs. 1 and 3). The altitude 

of the base of fresh groundwater (water with a chloride concentration 

of 250 milligrams per liter [mg/L] or less) ranges from about 0 feet 

(ft) to 500 ft below the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 

(NGVD 29) along the western border towards the central part of the 

parish in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer and from about 200 ft to greater 

than 400 ft below NGVD 29 from the central part of the parish 

towards the east-northeastern part of the parish in the Sparta aquifer 

(Smoot, 1988). The Cockfield aquifer underlies Bienville Parish 

narrowly in the northwestern parish corner.

Figure 1. Location of study area, Bienville Parish, Louisiana.

A' AA'

20

9

154

507

154

501

147

507

4

4

9

71

80

167

371

Sparta

aquifer

Alluvial

aquifers

Carrizo-Wilcox

aquifer

Carrizo-Wilcox

aquifer

07352410

07352500

07371540 07371540

07371500

0735200007352000

07350000

Bi-144

Bi-214

Bi-234

Jonesboro

Ninock

Woodardville Woodardville

Castor Lucky

Arcadia

Ringgold

JACKSON

PARISH

LINCOLN

PARISH

WEBSTER

PARISH

BOSSIER

PARISH

WINN

PARISH NATCHITOCHES

PARISH

RED RIVER

PARISH

CLAIBORNE

PARISH

BIENVILLE PARISH VILLE PARISH

Saline Bayou

subbasin

Dugdemona

subbasin

Bayou D’Arbonne

subbasin

Black Lake Bayou

subbasin

Loggy Bayou

subbasin

Walnut Creek

Duk edall Creek

Kepler Creek

Lake

Bistineau

Dugdemona River Dugdemona River

Choctaw C reekChoctaw C reek

Black Lake BayouBlack Lake Bayou

Loggy BayouLoggy Bayou

Tennyson

Creek

Toulon

Bayou

Toulon

Bayou

Kepler Creek

Lake

Kepler Creek Saline Bayou Saline Bayou

Castor

Creek Fous

Bayou

e Fous

Leatherman CreekLeatherman Creek

Muddy

Creek

Six mile

Creek

93°30'

92°10' 91°50'

32°10'

32°30'

93°20'

32°40'

32°20'

92°00' 91°40'

Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey digital data

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection

North American Datum of 1983

0 5 10 MILES

0 5 10 KILOMETERS

TEXAS

MISSISSIPPI

ARKANSAS

LOUISIANA

BIENVILLE

PARISH

GULF OF MEXICO

Approximate altitude of base of fresh

groundwater, in feet (modified from

Smoot, 1988)—Deepest freshwater 

contained within the Carrizo-Wilcox

aquifer, except where noted. Datum

is National Geodetic Vertical Datum

of 1929 (NGVD 29)

Above NGVD 29

0 to 100

Below NGVD 29

0 to 99

100 to 199

200 to 299

300 to 399

400 to 499

500 to 599

600 to 699

700 to 899 

Approximate boundary of area showing 

deepest freshwater contained within 

the underlying Sparta aquifer

River subbasin boundary

Line of section (see fig. 3; modified from

Ryals, 1984)

Well for which hydrograph is shown

(see fig. 4)

U.S. Geological Survey surface-water

streamflow site and number

U.S. Geological Survey surface-waterquality site and number (see table 4)

EXPLANATION

A'A

Bi-144

07352000

07352410
Sparta Aquifer

The Sparta aquifer is an extensive regional aquifer which is 

present and contains freshwater in about two-thirds of Bienville 

Parish. The aquifer, which is composed of very fine to medium sand 

with silt and clay lenses, outcrops in the central part of the parish. 

The thickness of the Sparta aquifer ranges from 0 ft along its western 

border, in central Bienville Parish, to greater than 800 ft in the 

northeastern corner of the parish, near Arcadia. The altitude of the 

base of the aquifer ranges from greater than 150 ft above NGVD 29 

along the aquifer’s western border to greater than 400 ft below 

NGVD 29 along the eastern and northeastern parts of the parish 

(Brantly and others, 2002).

The primary sources of recharge for the Sparta aquifer include 

the infiltration of precipitation in the outcrop area and leakage from 

overlying aquifers. In Bienville Parish, water in the Sparta aquifer 

generally moves in a northeastward direction, towards a major 

pumping center located in the city of West Monroe in Ouachita 

Parish (McGee and Brantly, 2015). Groundwater discharges by 

way of well withdrawals and through leakage into adjacent aquifers 

(Payne, 1968).

In 2012, water levels measured in wells screened in the 

Sparta aquifer ranged from about 220 ft above NGVD 29 in the 

southwestern part of the parish to about 40 ft above NGVD 29 in the 

northeastern part of the parish (McGee and Brantly, 2015). Water 

levels in the Sparta aquifer at well Bi-144 (figs. 1 and 4) indicate a 

long-term decreasing trend from 1970 to 2014, with a steady decline 

of about 48 ft from 1970 to 2009 and a sharp decline of about 10 ft 

from 2010 to 2012. Since 2012, however, water levels have been 

increasing, and were about 70 ft above NGVD 29 in 2016.

State well-registration records listed 367 active water 

wells screened in the Sparta aquifer in Bienville Parish in 2017: 

253 domestic wells, 56 public-supply wells, 33 industrial wells, and 

25 irrigation wells. Well depths ranged from 30 to 760 ft below land 

surface, and reported yields ranged from 2 to 2,500 gallons per 

minute (gal/min) (Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 

2017). In 2014, about 12.09 Mgal/d were withdrawn from the Sparta 

aquifer, with use categories including 10.18 Mgal/d for industry, 

1.70 Mgal/d for public supply, 0.18 Mgal/d for rural domestic, and 

0.02 Mgal/d for livestock (Collier, 2018).

Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer

Sand and gravels within the Carrizo aquifer and the Wilcox 

aquifer are hydraulically connected and are considered to be a single 

aquifer referred to as the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer (Ryals, 1983). 

The Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer underlies all of Bienville Parish but 

only provides a small percentage of the groundwater withdrawn in 

the parish because much of the water is saltwater. The transition 

from freshwater to saltwater occurs in the central part of the parish, 

with freshwater present in the southwestern part of the parish and 

saltwater present in the northeastern part.

The aquifer outcrops in southwestern Bienville Parish. The 

thickness of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer deepens from west to east, 

ranging from 0 to 1,500 ft across the entire parish and reaching its 

maximum thickness in the southeastern corner. The majority of 

the aquifer underlying the parish is from 500 to 1,000 ft thick. The 

altitude of base of freshwater in the aquifer ranges from 0 to 99 ft 

below NGVD 29 in the west to greater than 500 ft below NGVD 29 

in central Bienville Parish (Ryals, 1984).

The primary source of recharge for the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer 

is the infiltration of precipitation in western Bienville Parish. 

Discharge usually results through the pumping of wells and through 

leakage into adjacent aquifers. Groundwater in the Carrizo-Wilcox 

aquifer in Bienville Parish generally moves towards the towns of 

Castor and Woodardville which are areas of localized depression 

caused by heavy pumping (Fendick and Carter, 2015).

Water levels measured in well Bi-214, about 6 miles northwest 

of Ringgold and screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer (figs. 1 and 

4), indicate little if any long-term increasing or decreasing trend, 

with water levels that typically fluctuated about 0.5 ft annually.

State well-registration records listed eight active water wells 

screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Bienville Parish in 2017: 

six domestic wells and two public-supply wells. Well depths ranged 

Table 1. Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day, by 

source in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, 2014 (Collier, 2018).

Aquifer or 

surface-water body Groundwater Surfacewater

Sparta aquifer 12.09

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer 0.76

Upland terrace aquifer (northern 

Louisiana) 0.03

Miscellaneous streams 0.15

Total 12.88 0.15

Groundwater

Surface water

EXPLANATION

Annual withdrawal, in million gallons per day

18

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014

Year

Figure 2. Water withdrawals in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, 

1960–2014 (Collier, 2018; U.S. Geological Survey, 2018b).

Table 2. Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day, by use 

category in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, 2014 (Collier, 2018).

Use category Groundwater Surface 

water Total

Public supply 2.33 0.00 2.33

Industry 10.18 0.00 10.18

Rural domestic 0.33 0.00 0.33

Livestock 0.03 0.02 0.06

General irrigation 0.00 0.12 0.12

Total 12.88 0.15 13.03
from 140 to 335 ft below land surface, and reported yields ranged 

from 42 to 100 gal/min (Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 

2017). In 2014, about 0.76 Mgal/d were withdrawn from the 

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, including 0.63 Mgal/d for public supply and 

0.13 Mgal/d for rural domestic (Collier, 2018).

Upland Terrace Aquifer

The Upland terrace aquifer is adjacent to the Red River alluvial 

aquifer, underlying the western third of Bienville Parish (roughly 

the area southwest of Kepler Creek Lake). Basal sands and gravel 

are generally present near the bottom of the Upland terrace aquifer, 

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

Nacatoch Sand aquifer

Cane River confining unit

Midway confining unit

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer

Cane River confining unit

Sparta aquifer

Midway confining unit

500

NGVD 29

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

FEET

500

NGVD 29

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

FEET

Lake Bistineau

Black Lake Bayou

Kepler Creek

Saline Bayou

Dukedall Creek

Choctaw Creek

WEST EAST

A A'

NGVD 29, National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929

VERTICAL SCALE GREATLY EXAGGERATED

0 5 10 MILES

0 5 10 KILOMETERS

Hydrogeologic unit (modified from Ryals, 1984)

Aquifer containing freshwater—Freshwater 

contains a chloride concentration of 

250 milligrams per liter or less

Aquifer containing saltwater

Confining unit

Hydrogeologic contact (modified from

Ryals, 1994)—Separates hydrogeologic units

Approximate freshwater/saltwater interface 

(modified from Ryals, 1984)

Fault—Arrow shows relative movement

EXPLANATION 

Figure 3. Idealized west-to-east hydrogeologic section through Bienville Parish, Louisiana, showing aquifer and 

confining unit intervals (individual sand and clay layers not shown). Modified from Ryals (1984); base of freshwater from 

Smoot (1988). Trace of section shown on figure 1.

Note: Blank where no data

Well: Bi-144

Aquifer: Sparta aquifer

Altitude of land surface: 320 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 630 ft below land surface

Well: Bi-214

Aquifer: Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer

Altitude of land surface: 177 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 159 ft below land surface

Well: Bi-234

Aquifer: Upland terrace aquifer

Altitude of land surface: 270 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 76 ft below land surface

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

225

250

Water level, in feet (ft) above the National Geodetic

Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29)

197019721974197619781980198219841986198819901992199419961998200020022004200620082010201220142016

Year

Figure 4. Water levels in well Bi-144 screened in the Sparta aquifer, well Bi-214 screened 

in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, and well Bi-234 screened in the Upland terrace aquifer, 

Bienville Parish, Louisiana (see fig. 1 for well locations; U.S. Geological Survey, 2018a).
and finer materials, such as sand and clay, are near the top (Snead 

and McCulloh, 1984). The terrace deposits in Bienville Parish 

average about 100 ft thick (Boswell and others, 1968). The primary 

source of recharge for the Upland terrace aquifer is the infiltration of 

precipitation (Snider and Sanford, 1981).

Water levels at well Bi-234 (fig. 4), located about 2 miles 

northwest of Woodardville and screened in the Upland terrace 

aquifer, were measured from 1980 to 2016. Water levels declined 

about 4 ft between 1987 and 2008 and increased about 5 ft from 2009 

to 2016.

State well-registration records listed 26 active water wells 

screened in the Upland terrace aquifer in Bienville Parish in 2017: 

19 domestic wells, 6 irrigation wells, and 1 public-supply well. Well 

depths ranged from 40 to 160 ft below land surface, and reported 

yields ranged from 25 to 600 gal/min (Louisiana Department 

of Natural Resources, 2017). In 2014, about 0.03 Mgal/d were 

withdrawn from the Upland terrace aquifer, with use categories 

including about 0.02 Mgal/d for rural domestic and less than 

0.01 Mgal/d for livestock (Collier, 2018).

Groundwater Quality

Samples of fresh groundwater were collected during 1940–2014 

from 112 wells screened in the Sparta aquifer and during 1941–2004 

from 59 wells screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Bienville 

Parish as part of an ongoing, long-term monitoring program for the 

State’s groundwater resources (table 3). The analytical results for the 

groundwater samples were generally within the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency’s Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels2

(SMCLs) for chloride, sulfate, manganese, and dissolved-solids 

concentrations. The median hardness values of 13.7 mg/L for the 

Sparta aquifer and 20 mg/L for the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer were 

both within the soft3 range. The median values for pH exceeded the 

SMCL of 6.5–8.5 in more than 60 percent of samples from the Sparta 

aquifer and in about 35 percent of samples from the Carrizo-Wilcox 

aquifer. Iron concentrations exceeded the SMCL of 300 micrograms 

per liter (μg/L) in more than 70 percent of samples from the Sparta 

aquifer.

Surface-Water Resources

Numerous surface-water resources in Bienville Parish are 

present in five drainage subbasins: the Black Lake Bayou subbasin 

(Hydrologic Unit Code [HUC] 11140209), the Dugdemona subbasin 

(HUC 08040303), the Saline Bayou subbasin (HUC 11140208), 

the Loggy Bayou subbasin (HUC 11140203), and a small part of 

2

The SMCLs are Federal guidelines regarding cosmetic effects (such as 

tooth or skin discoloration), aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color), or 

technical effects (such as damage to water equipment or reduced effectiveness 

of treatment for other contaminants) of potential constituents of drinking water. 

SMCLs were established as guidelines by the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (2016).

3

Hardness ranges, expressed as milligrams per liter of calcium carbonate, are 

as follows: 0–60, soft; 61–120, moderately hard; 121–180, hard; greater than 

180, very hard (Hem, 1985).

Table 3. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics for freshwater from 112 wells screened in the Sparta aquifer and 59 wells 

screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Bienville Parish, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey, 2018a).

[Values are in milligrams per liter, except as noted. °C, degrees Celsius; PCU, platinum cobalt units; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; SU, standard 

unit; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; μg/L, micrograms per liter; NA, not applicable; SMCL, Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level established by the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (2016)]

Temperature

(

°

C)

Color,

(PCU)

Specific

conductance,

field

(μS/cm at 

25 °C)

Dissolved 

oxygen

pH,

field

(SU)

Hardness

(as 

CaCO3)

Chloride,

filtered

(as Cl)

Sulfate, 

filtered 

(as SO4)

Iron,

filtered

(μg/L as 

Fe)

Manganese,

filtered

(μg/L as 

Mn)

Dissolved

solids,

filtered

Sparta aquifer, 112 wells (1940–2014)

Median 21.0 5 76 0.2 6.2 13.7 4.4 7 853 24 83

10th percentile 19.5 0 38 0.1 5.2 5.2 2.0 0.9 48.0 4.0 35.9

90th percentile 23.3 30 298 7.7 7.5 53.2 16 19.2 3,430 95 182.6

Number of samples 69 70 84 21 110 143 144 119 88 66 100

Percentage of 

samples that 

do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA 73 NA NA 39 NA 100 100 28 77 100

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, 59 wells (1941–2004)

Median 23.0 20 710 NA 8.1 20 13 2.3 130 20 370

10th percentile 20.6 0 311 NA 6.8 3 5.4 0 42 0 196.4

90th percentile 26.4 60 1,440 NA 8.8 100 112 30.6 1,340 104 770.2

Number of samples 43 53 51 NA 54 68 68 60 43 29 55

Percentage of 

samples that 

do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA 47 NA NA 65 NA 93 98 79 76 62

SMCLs NA 15 NA NA 6.5–8.5 NA 250 250 300 50 500
the Bayou D’Arbonne subbasin (HUC 08040206). Surface waters 

flow in a general southerly direction. In 2014, 0.15 Mgal/d were 

withdrawn from miscellaneous streams in these subbasins for 

agricultural purposes, including about 0.12 Mgal/d for general 

irrigation and 0.02 Mgal/d for livestock (tables 1 and 2) (Collier, 

2018).

Black Lake Bayou Subbasin

The Black Lake Bayou subbasin covers the western part of 

central Bienville Parish, covering nearly 50 percent of the total 

surface parish area. The major streams in the subbasin in the parish 

include Black Lake Bayou, Leatherman Creek, Kepler Creek, and 

Castor Creek (fig. 1). The annual average streamflow during 1941–

57 was 549 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) at the Black Lake Bayou 

near Castor (USGS site number 07352500). During this period, the 

highest monthly average streamflow was 1,152 ft3/s in February, and 

the lowest was 549 ft3/s during September (U.S. Geological Survey 

[USGS], 2018a).

Saline Bayou Subbasin

The Saline Bayou subbasin covers the eastern part of central 

Bienville Parish. Major streams in the subbasin in the parish include 

Saline Bayou and Sixmile Creek. The annual average streamflow 

during 1941–2018 was 171 ft3/s at the Saline Bayou near Lucky 

(USGS site number 07352000; fig. 1). During this period, the highest 

monthly average streamflow was 322 ft3/s in February, and the lowest 

was 171 ft3/s during August (USGS, 2018a).

Dugdemona Subbasin

The Dugdemona subbasin covers eastern Bienville Parish. 

Major streams in the subbasin include the Dugdemona River, 

Dukedall Creek, Fouse Bayou, Muddy Creek, and Choctaw Creek 

(fig. 1). The annual average streamflow during 1939–2002 was 

460 ft3/s at the Dugdemona River near Jonesboro (USGS site number 

07371500; fig. 1). During this period, the highest monthly average 

streamflow was 1,130 ft3/s in February, and the lowest was 31 ft3/s 

during September (USGS, 2018a).

Loggy Bayou Subbasin

The Loggy Bayou subbasin is present in the westernmost parts 

of Bienville Parish. Major streams in the subbasin in the parish 

include the Loggy Bayou (which partially aligns with the western 

border of the parish), Toulon Bayou, and Tennyson Creek (fig. 1). 

Lake Bistineau is a large lake (also present along the western 

border) used for recreation (Louisiana Department of Wildlife and 

Fisheries, 2019). The annual average streamflow during 1949–84 

was 1,718 ft3/s at the Loggy Bayou near Ninock (USGS site 

number 07350000). During this period, the highest monthly average 

streamflow was 4,415 ft3/s in May, and the lowest was 237 ft3/s 

during September (USGS, 2018a).

Table 4. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics for samples from Loggy Bayou near Ninock and Kepler Lake near Castor, 

Bienville Parish, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey, 2018a).

[Values are in milligrams per liter, except as noted. μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; °C, degrees Celsius; SU, standard units; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; μg/L, 

micrograms per liter; NA, not applicable; SMCL, Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2016)]

Specific 

conductance, 

field

(μS/cm 

at 25 °C)

Dissolved 

oxygen

pH,

field

(SU)

Hardness 

(as 

CaCO3)

Calcium, 

filtered

(as Ca)

Magnesium, 

filtered

(as Mg)

Sodium, 

filtered

(as Na)

Chloride, 

filtered

(as Cl)

Sulfate, 

filtered

(as SO4)

Iron, 

filtered, 

(μg/L as 

Fe)

Loggy Bayou near Ninock (1954–81)1

Median 247 6.8 6.9 46 13 3 20 54 13 200

10th percentile 121 5.1 6.2 26 6 2.0 10 21 5 40

90th percentile 458 10.4 7.7 120 31 11 42 205 65 418

Number of samples 46 32 92 46 46 46 46 92 92 13

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 75 NA NA NA NA 94 100 77

Kepler Lake near Castor (1959–74)2

Median 41 7.6 6.4 9 2.3 0.7 3 4.3 3.4 310

10th percentile 34 6.0 5.7 7.5 1.8 0.6 2.4 2.9 1.1 150

90th percentile 46 9.5 6.7 14 4 1 3.2 6 4.6 755

Number of samples 11 9 16 16 11 11 11 16 16 6

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 31 NA NA NA NA 100 100 50

SMCLs NA NA 6.5–8.5 NA NA NA NA 250 250 300

1

U.S. Geological Survey site number 07350000 (see fig. 1).

2

U.S. Geological Survey site number 07352410 (see fig. 1).
Bayou D’Arbonne Subbasin

The Bayou D’Arbonne subbasin is present only in a small area at 

the northeastern corner of Bienville Parish. Walnut Creek is the only 

major stream present in the subbasin in Bienville Parish, and the creek 

flows to the east into Lincoln Parish.

Surface-Water Quality

Water samples were collected from Loggy Bayou near Ninock 

(USGS site number 07350000) during 1954–81 and Kepler Lake near 

Castor (USGS site number 07352410) during 1959–74 (fig. 1) as part 

of an ongoing program to monitor the State’s surface-water resources. 

The analytical results for these samples were generally within SMCLs 

for concentrations of chloride and sulfate (table 4). The median 

hardness values of 46 mg/L in Loggy Bayou and 9 mg/L in Kepler 

Lake were within the soft range. Median values for dissolved-oxygen 

concentrations were greater than 6.8 and 7.6 mg/L for Loggy Bayou 

and Kepler Lake, respectively; 5 mg/L is considered the minimum 

value for a diverse population of fresh, warmwater biota, including 

sport fish (Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, 2017).

References Cited

Boswell, E.H., Cushing, E.M., and Hosman, R.L., 1968, Quaternary aquifers 

in the Mississippi Embayment: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 

448–E, 15 p. [Also available at https://doi.org/10.3133/pp448E.]

Brantly, J.A., Seanor, R.C., and McCoy, K.L., 2002, Louisiana ground-water 

map no. 13—Hydrogeology and potentiometric surface of the Sparta 

aquifer in northern Louisiana, October 1996: U.S. Geological Survey 

Water-Resources Investigations Report 02–4053, 3 sheets. [Also available 

at https://wise.er.usgs.gov/dp/pdfs/WRI_02-4053.pdf.]

Collier, A.L., 2018, Water withdrawals by source and category in Louisiana 

Parishes, 2014–2015: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.

org/10.5066/F78051VM.

Collier, A.L., and Sargent, B.P., 2018, Water use in Louisiana, 2015: Louisiana 

Department of Transportation and Development Water Resources Special 

Report no. 18, 138 p. [Also available at https://wise.er.usgs.gov/dp/pdfs/

WaterUseinLouisiana_2015.pdf.]

Fendick, R.B., Jr., and Carter, K., 2015, Potentiometric surface, 2013, and 

water-level differences, 1991–2013, of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in 

northwest Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 

3311, 1 sheet. [Also available at https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3311.]

Hem, J.D., 1985, Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of 

natural water (3d ed.): U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2254, 

264 p., accessed February 20, 2013, at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/

wsp2254.

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, 2017, Environmental 

Regulatory Code, Title 33, Part IX, Subpart 1: Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

Department of Environmental Quality, accessed September 10, 

2019, at https://www.deq.louisiana.gov/assets/docs/Water/33v09-

201707WaterQuality.pdf.

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 2017, Strategic Online Natural 

Resources Information System (SONRIS): Louisiana Department of 

Natural Resources database, accessed June 12, 2017, at http://sonris.com/.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 2017, Waterbody 

Management Plans—Inland: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Department of 

Wildlife and Fisheries, accessed May 24, 2018, at https://www.wlf.

louisiana.gov/resources/category/freshwater-inland-fish/3.

McGee, B.D., and Brantly, J.A., 2015, Potentiometric surface, 2012, and 

water-level differences, 2005–12, of the Sparta aquifer in north-central 

Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3313, 

2 sheets, accessed January 23, 2017, at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/

sim3313.

Payne, J.N., 1968, Hydrologic significance of the lithofacies of the Sparta 

Sand in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas: U.S. Geological 

Survey Professional Paper 569–A, p. A1–A17. [Also available at https://

pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0569a/report.pdf.]

Ryals, G.N., 1983, Regional geohydrology of the northern Louisiana saltdome basin; Part IV, Hydraulic characteristics of the Wilcox-Carrizo 

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salt-dome basin; Part II, Geohydrologic maps of the Tertiary aquifers 

and related confining layers: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

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er.usgs.gov/publication/wri834135.]

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U.S. Geological Survey [USGS], 2018a, USGS water data for the Nation: 

U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database, 

accessed July 23, 2018, at https://doi.org/10.5066/F7P55KJN.

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By Angela L. Robinson and Vincent E. White

For additional information, contact: 

Director, USGS Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

3535 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Suite 120

Baton Rouge, LA 70816

E-mail: gs-w-lmg_center_director@usgs.gov

Fax: (225) 298–5490

Telephone: (225) 298–5481

Home Page: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/lmg-water/

This fact sheet has been prepared by the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Louisiana Department 

of Transportation and Development (DOTD), as part of a 

program to document water use, availability, and quality in 

the parishes of Louisiana. Information on the availability, 

past and current water use, use trends, and water quality 

from groundwater and surface-water sources in the parish is 

presented here. Previously published reports (see References 

Cited section) and data stored in the USGS National Water 

Information System (USGS, 2018a) are the primary sources 

of the information presented here. Special thanks are given 

to Doug Taylor, Director, and Zahir “Bo” Bolourchi (retired), 

DOTD Cooperative Program with the USGS.

ISSN 2327-6916 (print) ISSN 2327-6932 (online) https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20203052