U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2020-3053

December 2020

Prepared in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development 

Water Resources of Red River Parish, Louisiana

Introduction

Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of 

water in Red River 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about 5.76 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water were withdrawn 

in Red River Parish: about 4.23 Mgal/d from groundwater sources 

and 1.54 Mgal/d from surface-water sources1

 (table 1). Withdrawals 

for agricultural use, composed of general irrigation, rice irrigation, 

and livestock uses, accounted for about 72 percent (4.15 Mgal/d) of 

the total water withdrawn (table 2). Other categories of use included 

public supply (about 18 percent of the total water withdrawn, or 

1.03 Mgal/d), industry (about 7 percent, or 0.39 Mgal/d), and rural 

domestic (about 4 percent, or 0.20 Mgal/d). Water-use data collected 

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

that water withdrawals peaked in 1975 at more than 7.3 Mgal/d 

(fig. 2).

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.

Groundwater Resources

The primary freshwater-bearing aquifers in Red River Parish 

are the Red River alluvial, Carrizo-Wilcox, and Upland terrace 

aquifers (figs. 1 and 3). The Dolet Hills and Naborton aquifers are 

below the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, each present in thin lenses within 

their respective confining units, but few wells are registered in these 

aquifers, and they provide little freshwater. The altitude of the base 

of fresh groundwater (water having a chloride concentration of 

250 milligrams per liter [mg/L] or less) ranges from more than 50 feet 

(ft) above the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 

29) along the center of the parish in the Red River alluvial aquifer to 

deeper than 100 ft below NGVD 29 in the northeastern part of the 

parish in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer (Newcome and Page, 1962).

Red River Alluvial Aquifer

The Red River alluvial aquifer is present in a narrow band in 

the western half of Red River Parish and is the most heavily pumped 

aquifer underlying the parish. The aquifer is composed of sediments 

deposited primarily by the Red River, which generally grade from 

silt and clay at the surface to coarse sand and gravel at the base. The 

thickness of the Red River alluvial aquifer averages about 80 ft along 

the western border and about 40 ft in the eastern part of the parish 

(Newcome and Page, 1962). The altitude of the base of the aquifer 

Figure 1. Location of study area, Red River Parish, Louisiana.

Red River

alluvial aquifer

Carrizo-Wilcox

aquifer

Carrizo-Wilcox

aquifer

Coushatta

Lake End Lake End

East Point

CADDO

PARISH

BIENVILLE

PARISH

BOSSIER

PARISH

DE SOTO

PARISH

NATCHITOCHES

PARISH

RED RIVER

PARISH

RED RIVER

PARISH

71

71

507

84 84

174

49

1

1

514

515

371

507

Black Lake Bayou

subbasin Middle Red-Coushatta

subbasin

Middle Red-Coushatta

subbasin

Bayou Pierre

subbasin

Loggy Bayou

subbasin

Loggy Bayou

Middle

Red-Coushatta

subbasin

Loggy Bayou

Loggy Bayou

Prairie RiverPrairie River

Bayou

Chicot

Coushatta

Bayou

Coushatta

Bayou Brushy

Creek

Bayou PierreBayou Pierre

Grand BayouGrand Bayou

Red

River

John K Kelly

Grand Bayou

Reservoir

Black Lake BayouBlack Lake Bayou

RR-210

RR-218

RR-276

RR-261

07352800 RR-278

07351750

07350500

07350020

RUSSELL B LONG

LOCK AND DAM

A'

A

EXPLANATION

A'A

RR-261

07351750

07350020

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 99

Below NGVD 29 

0 to 99

100 to 199

Approximate boundary of area showing 

deepest freshwater contained within 

the overlying Red River alluvial aquifer

River subbasin boundary

Line of section (see fig. 3; modified from

Newcome and Page, 1962)

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)

93°20'

32°10'

32°00'

31°50'

93°10'

93°30'

93°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

GULF OF MEXICO TEXAS

ARKANSAS

MISSISSIPPI

LOUISIANA

RED RIVER

PARISH
is relatively constant throughout its extent at about 50 ft above 

NGVD 29 (Smoot, 1988).

The primary source of recharge for the Red River alluvial 

aquifer is the infiltration of precipitation with secondary sources 

of recharge from leakage from underlying aquifers (Newcome and 

Page, 1962).

Water levels in wells RR-210 and RR-218 have remained 

relatively stable throughout their periods of record (fig. 4). Small 

seasonal fluctuations between 5 and 10 ft generally show the 

aquifer’s response to precipitation and water-level altitude elevation 

of the Red River. Water levels in RR-210 sharply increased 

around 1995, which was probably caused by the completion of the 

Russell B. Long Lock and Dam (also known as Lock and Dam #4) 

on the Red River in the southern part of the parish in 1994. Both 

RR-210 and RR-218 show little, if any, long-term increasing or 

decreasing trend (fig. 4).

State well-registration records listed 99 active water wells 

screened in the Red River alluvial aquifer in Red River Parish in 

2017: 45 irrigation wells, 40 domestic wells, 6 public supply wells, 

and 8 industrial wells. Depths of these wells ranged from 17 to 

150 gallons per minute (gal/min) (Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources, 2017). In 2014, about 2.88 Mgal/d were withdrawn 

from the Red River alluvial aquifer, with use categories including 

0.02 Mgal/d for rural domestic, 2.29 Mgal/d for general irrigation, 

0.03 Mgal/d for livestock, and 0.53 Mgal/d for rice irrigation 

(Collier, 2018).

Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer

The Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer is composed of sands and gravels 

of Paleocene and Eocene age in two separate geologic units, the 

Carrizo Sand and the Wilcox aquifer, which are hydraulically 

connected and are generally considered to constitute a single aquifer 

in Red River Parish (Ryals, 1982). The Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer 

underlies all of Red River Parish, gradually thickening from the west 

to the east. Saltwater is present in most areas underlying the Red 

River, whereas freshwater is generally available in areas east of the 

Red River.

The altitude of the base of fresh groundwater in the aquifer 

is shallow (usually less than 10 ft deep) in much of the parish, 

remaining near NGVD 29 in the western part of the parish. Between 

the center and the eastern side of the parish, the base of freshwater 

declines sharply from about 50 ft below NGVD 29 to about 

200 ft below NGVD 29 (Newcome and Page, 1962; Ryals, 1984). 

Groundwater generally moves towards the Red River in the center of 

the parish (Seanor and Smoot, 1995).

In 2013, a study of water-level altitudes in wells screened in the 

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer indicated that levels were between 110 and 

about 170 ft above NGVD 29 from the center to the northeastern 

corner of Red River Parish (Fendick and Carter, 2015). Water levels 

at well RR-278, screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Red River 

Parish, generally fluctuated less than 1 ft annually during its period 

of record from 1981 to 2016 (fig. 4). The long-term record indicates 

a gradual increase of about 3 ft during 1981–2000 and then a gradual 

decrease of about 5 ft thereafter (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS], 

2018).

State well-registration records listed 207 active water wells 

screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Red River Parish in 2017: 

151 domestic, 25 public supply, 16 irrigation, and 15 industrial 

wells. Well depths ranged from 20 to 500 ft below land surface, and 

reported yields ranged from 5 to 500 gal/min (Louisiana Department 

of Natural Resources, 2017). In 2014, about 0.95 Mgal/d were 

withdrawn from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, with use categories 

including about 0.60 Mgal/d for public supply, 0.16 Mgal/d for rice 

irrigation, 0.10 Mgal/d for general irrigation, and about 0.09 Mgal/d 

for rural domestic (Collier, 2018).

Upland Terrace Aquifer

The Upland terrace aquifer is present as a nearly continuous, 

slender, ring which borders the eastern, southern, and western 

parts of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer’s extent in Red River Parish. 

Grain size within the terrace deposits generally becomes coarser 

Groundwater

Surface water

EXPLANATION

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

Year

0

Annual withdrawal, in million gallons per day

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Figure 2. Water withdrawals in Red River Parish, Louisiana, 

1960–2014 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2017; Collier, 2018).

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

source in Red River Parish, Louisiana, 2014 (Collier, 2018).

Aquifer or 

surface-water body Groundwater Surfacewater

Red River alluvial aquifer 2.88

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer 0.95

Upland terrace aquifer 0.35

Miscellaneous aquifers 0.04

Bayou Pierre 0.16

John K. Kelly Grand Bayou Reservoir 0.37

Red River 0.30

Miscellaneous surface-water bodies 0.70

Total 4.23 1.54

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

category in Red River Parish, Louisiana, 2014 (Collier, 2018).

Use category Groundwater Surface water Total

Public supply 0.65 0.37 1.03

Industrial 0.01 0.37 0.39

Rural domestic 0.20 0.00 0.20

Livestock 0.04 0.06 0.11

Rice irrigation 0.74 0.08 0.83

General irrigation 2.57 0.64 3.21

Total 4.23 1.54 5.76
with depth, ranging from clay and silt at the top to gravel towards 

the bottom. The primary source of recharge for the Upland terrace 

aquifer is the infiltration of precipitation, but recharge also occurs 

with leakage from underlying aquifers (Snider and Sanford, 1981; 

Stuart and others, 1994).

Water levels in RR-261 remained relatively unchanged from 

1978 to about 1990. Water levels increased about 10 ft during 1990–

2000. Water levels in RR-276 have remained relatively constant at 

about 210 ft during 1980–88 and again during 2000–17 (fig. 4).

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

unit intervals (individual sand and clay layers not shown). Modified from Newcome and Page (1962). Trace of section shown 

on figure 1. Bayou Pierre

Grand Bayou

Red River

Loggy Bayou

Bayou Chicot

Black Lake Bayou

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

BEND IN

SECTION

600

400

200

NGVD 29

200

FEET

400

200

FEET

600

400

200

400

NGVD 29

Alluvial aquifer

Upland

terrace

aquifer

Upland terrace and

alluvial aquifer

Midway confining unit

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer

A A'

WEST-SOUTHWEST EAST-NORTHEAST

? ?

?

?

0 5 10 MILES

0 5 10 KILOMETERS

VERTICAL SCALE GREATLY EXAGGERATED

Hydrogeologic unit (modified from 

Smoot, 1988, 1989)

Aquifer containing freshwater—

Freshwater contains a chloride

concentration of 250 milligrams

per liter or less

Aquifer containing saltwater

Confining unit

Hydrogeologic contact (modified

from Smoot, 1989)—Separates

hydrogeologic units. Dashed where

approximately located

Approximate freshwater/saltwater

interface (modified from

Smoot, 1989)—Queried where

uncertain

EXPLANATION 

NGVD 29, National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929

150

200

220

210

90

110

130

Water level, in feet (ft) above the National 

Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29)

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

Year

Well: RR-278

Aquifer: Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer

Altitude of land surface: 160 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 348 ft below land surface

Well: RR-218

Aquifer: Red River alluvial aquifer

Altitude of land surface: 138 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 56 ft below land surface

Well: RR-210

Aquifer: Red River alluvial aquifer

Altitude of land surface: 133 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 56 ft below land surface

Well: RR-276

Aquifer: Upland terrace aquifer

Altitude of land surface: 235 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 42 ft below land surface

Well: RR-261

Aquifer: Upland terrace aquifer

Altitude of land surface: 143 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 52 ft below land surface

Note: Blank where no data

Figure 4. Water levels in wells RR-210 and RR-218 screened in the Red River alluvial aquifer, wells RR-261 

and RR-276 screened in the Upland terrace aquifer, and well RR-278 screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, 

Red River Parish, Louisiana (see figure 1 for well locations; U.S. Geological Survey, 2018).
State well-registration records listed 122 active water wells 

screened in the Upland terrace aquifer in Red River Parish in 2017: 

109 domestic, 5 public supply, 4 irrigation, and 4 industrial wells. 

Well depths ranged from 18 to 100 ft below land surface, and 

reported yields ranged from 2 to 165 gal/min (Louisiana Department 

of Natural Resources, 2017). In 2014, about 0.35 Mgal/d were 

withdrawn from the Upland terrace aquifer, with use categories 

including 0.18 Mgal/d for general irrigation, 0.08 Mgal/d for rural 

domestic, 0.05 Mgal/d for rice irrigation, 0.02 for public supply, 

0.01 Mgal/d for industry, and less than 0.01 Mgal/d for livestock 

(Collier, 2018).

Groundwater Quality

Groundwater samples were collected in Red River Parish 

from 60 wells screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer during 

1955–2014, from 59 wells screened in the Red River alluvial 

aquifer during 1954–2013, and from 14 wells screened in the 

Upland terrace aquifer during 1941–78, as part of an ongoing, 

long-term program to monitor the State’s groundwater resources 

(table 3). The results for the samples were generally within the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Secondary Maximum 

Contaminant Levels2 (SMCLs) for color and for chloride and sulfate 

concentrations. Median values for pH exceeded the SMCLs in 

64 percent of samples in the Upland terrace aquifer but were generally 

within the SMCL range for samples from the Carrizo-Wilcox and Red 

River alluvial aquifers. The median hardness values of 33.2 mg/L for 

the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer and 22 mg/L for the Upland terrace aquifer 

were within the soft3 range, whereas the median hardness value of 

480 mg/L for the Red River alluvial aquifer was in the very hard 

range. Manganese concentrations in the Carrizo-Wilcox and Upland 

terrace aquifers exceeded the SMCL of 50 micrograms per liter (μg/L) 

in about 30 percent of samples, and manganese concentrations in 

more than 99 percent of samples from the Red River alluvial aquifer 

exceeded the SMCL. Iron concentrations exceeded the SMCL of 

300 μg/L in 47 percent of samples from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, 

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 groundwater from 59 wells screened in the Red River alluvial aquifer 

(1954–2013), 60 wells screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer (1955–2014), and 14 wells screened in the Upland terrace aquifer (1941–78) in 

Red River Parish, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey, 2018).

[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; <, less than; 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)

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

Red River alluvial aquifer, 59 wells (1954–2013) 

Median 20.5 5 1,020 7.0 480 31 46 4,000 400 586

10th percentile 20.0 0 775 6.7 360 5.3 4 1,160 170 430

90th percentile 21.5 15 1,620 7.2 700 136 214 7,140 1,430 941

Number of samples 269 165 388 461 599 625 537 507 508 189

Percentage of samples that 

do not exceed SMCLs

NA 90 NA 98 NA 98 93 5 <1 33

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, 60 wells (1955–2014) 

Median 20.6 10 415 7.3 33.2 21 1.6 250 30.6 277

10th percentile 19.8 0 179 6.7 6 5.9 0.2 45 10 162

90th percentile 22.1 41 950 8.2 124 195 14.2 1,900 115 493

Number of samples 20 37 42 49 54 66 47 36 24 38

Percentage of samples that 

do not exceed SMCLs

NA 67 NA 86 NA 91 100 53 71 89

Upland terrace aquifer, 14 wells (1941–78) 

Median 20.0 0 127 6.4 22 14 2.2 160 35 103

10th percentile 20.0 0 49.3 5.4 4.2 3.5 0.6 17 10 59

90th percentile 20.0 5 277 6.7 58.8 52 12.3 573 85 177

Number of samples 2 11 12 14 15 17 13 8 6 10

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA 100 NA 36 NA 100 100 75 67 100

SMCLs NA 15 NA 6.5–8.5 NA 250 250 300 50 500
95 percent of samples from the Red River alluvial aquifer, and 25 

percent of samples from the Upland terrace aquifer.

Surface-Water Resources

Numerous surface-water resources in Red River Parish are 

present in four drainage subbasins which include the Black Lake 

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

Middle Red-Coushatta subbasin (HUC 11140202), the Bayou Pierre 

subbasin (HUC 11140206), and the Loggy Bayou subbasin (HUC 

11140203). In 2014, 1.54 Mgal/d were withdrawn from surfacewater sources including the John K. Kelly Grand Bayou Reservoir 

(0.37 Mgal/d), Red River (0.30 Mgal/d), Bayou Pierre (0.16 Mgal/d), 

and miscellaneous surface-water bodies (0.70 Mgal/d) (table 1). 

Uses for surface water included general irrigation (0.64 Mgal/d), 

industry (0.37 Mgal/d), public supply (0.37 Mgal/d), rice irrigation 

(0.08 Mgal/d), and livestock (0.06 Mgal/d) (table 2; Collier, 2018).

Black Lake Bayou Subbasin

The Black Lake Bayou subbasin covers the majority of eastern 

Red River Parish. Major streams in the subbasin in the parish include 

Grand Bayou, Black Lake Bayou, and Brushy Creek. The annual 

average streamflow during 1957–96 was 104 cubic feet per second 

(ft3/s) at Grand Bayou near Coushatta (USGS site number 07352800; 

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

streamflow was 222 ft3/s in February, and the lowest was 7.5 ft3/s in 

October (USGS, 2018).

Bayou Pierre Subbasin

The Bayou Pierre subbasin is present along the entire western 

border of Red River Parish and spans to the western edge of the Red 

River. Major streams in the subbasin in the parish include Bayou 

Pierre, which defines the western border of Red River Parish, and the 

Prairie River (fig. 1). The annual average streamflow during 1981–

2018 was 971 ft3/s at Bayou Pierre near Lake End (in Natchitoches 

Parish) (USGS site number 07351750; fig. 1). During this same 

period, the highest monthly average streamflow was 2,043 ft3/s in 

February, and the lowest was 220 ft3/s in August (USGS, 2018).

Middle Red-Coushatta Subbasin

The Middle Red-Coushatta subbasin covers the west-central 

part of Red River Parish and borders the Red River. Major streams 

in the subbasin in the parish include the Red River and Coushatta 

Bayou. The annual average streamflow during 1939–52 was 

31,159 ft3/s at the Red River at Coushatta (USGS site number 

07350500; fig. 1). During this period, the highest monthly average 

streamflow was 62,113 ft3/s in May, and the lowest was 9,943 ft3/s 

during September (USGS, 2018).

Table 4. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics for samples from the Red River at Coushatta and the Grand Bayou near 

Coushatta, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey, 2018).

[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; <, less than; 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)

Calcium, 

filtered 

(as Ca)

Magnesium, 

filtered 

(as Mg)

Chloride, 

filtered

(as Cl)

Sulfate, 

filtered

(as SO4)

Iron, 

filtered 

(μg/L 

as Fe)

Manganese, 

filtered 

(μg/L as 

Mn)

Dissolved 

solids, 

filtered

Red River at Coushatta (1969–2010)1

Median 21 40 463 8.5 7.7 124 35 9 57 52 23 4 268

10th percentile 10 10 233 6.3 7.2 67 20 4 21 21 6 1 140

90th percentile 30 100 1,110 11.0 8.1 283 73 23 170 140 116 17 657

Number of samples 372 330 374 359 366 314 314 317 324 321 94 84 357

Percentage of 

samples that 

do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA 25 NA NA 97 NA NA NA 100 <100 99 100 79

Grand Bayou near Coushatta (1955–86)2

Median 18 70 140 6.7 6.3 29 6.5 2.8 18 7.4 495 2,150 98.5

10th percentile 6.9 36 88 2.6 5.8 18 4.1 1.7 8.2 1.3 222 103 76.6

90th percentile 27.8 100 192 9.4 6.9 39.9 10 4.8 37.6 13 915 9,030 139.8

Number of samples 45 47 46 41 48 45 45 45 47 47 12 12 44

Percentage of 

samples that 

do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA 2 NA NA 44 NA NA NA 100 100 17 0 100

SMCLs NA 15 NA NA 6.5–8.5 NA NA NA 250 250 300 50 300

1

U.S. Geological Survey site number 07350500 (see fig. 1).

2

U.S. Geological Survey site number 07352800 (see fig. 1).
Loggy Bayou Subbasin

The Loggy Bayou subbasin is present in the north-central part 

of Red River Parish, to the east of the Red River. Loggy Bayou is 

the only major stream present in the subbasin. The annual average 

streamflow during 1981–86 was 1,968 ft3/s at Loggy Bayou near East 

Point (USGS site number 07350020; fig. 1). During this same period, 

the highest monthly average streamflow was 4,466 ft3/s in February, 

and the lowest was 270 ft3/s in August (USGS, 2018).

Surface-Water Quality

Water samples were collected from the Red River at Coushatta 

(USGS site number 07350500) during 1969–2010 and Grand Bayou 

near Coushatta (USGS site number 07352800) during 1955–86 (fig. 1) 

as part of an ongoing program to monitor the State’s surface-water 

resources. The results for the samples were generally within SMCLs 

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

pH and the median concentrations for iron and manganese were within 

or less than the SMCLs in samples from the Red River at Coushatta. 

Samples collected from Grand Bayou near Coushatta had pH values 

that were generally (56 percent) greater than the SMCL range for pH 

and had concentrations of iron (83 percent exceeded) and manganese 

(100 percent exceeded) that exceeded the SMCLs (table 4). The 

median hardness values of 124 mg/L in samples from the Red River 

and 29 mg/L in samples from Grand Bayou were within the hard range 

and soft range, respectively. Median values for dissolved-oxygen 

(DO) concentration were greater than 6 mg/L for both sites; 5 mg/L 

is considered the minimum DO value for a diverse population of 

fresh, warmwater biota, including sport fish (Louisiana Department of 

Environmental Quality, 2017). Median values for color were greater 

than the SMCL (15 platinum cobalt units) for both sites.

References Cited

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.

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://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3311/.] 

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 https://doi.org/10.3133/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/.

Newcome, R., Jr., and Page, L.V., 1962, Water resources of Red River Parish, 

Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1614, 133 p. [Also 

available at https://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/1614/report.pdf.]

Ryals, G.N., 1982, Regional geohydrology of the northern Louisiana salt-dome 

basin; Part I, Conceptual model and data needs: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 82–343, 23 p. [Also available at https://doi.org/10.3133/

ofr82343.]

Ryals, G.N., 1984, Regional geohydrology of the northern Louisiana salt-dome 

basin; Part II, Geohydrologic maps of the Tertiary aquifers and related 

confining layers: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations 

Report 83–4135, 6 p., 7 pls. [Also available at https://doi.org/10.3133/

wri834135.]

Seanor, R.C., and Smoot, C.W., 1995, Louisiana ground-water map no. 8; 

Potentiometric surface, 1991, of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in northwestern 

Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 

95–4176, 1 sheet. [Also available at https://doi.org/10.3133/wri954176.]

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base of freshwater in Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 86–4314, 1 sheet, accessed November 2, 2011, at 

https://doi.org/10.3133/wri864314.

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sections of Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

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aquifer, central Louisiana: Louisiana Department of Transportation and 

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Standards—Guidance for nuisance chemicals, accessed April 13, 2016, at 

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Resources Cooperative Program—Louisiana Water Use Program, accessed 

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

Geological Survey National Water Information System database, accessed 

July 13, 2018, at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis.

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, 2018) 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/fs20203053