HYDROGEOLOGY AND ANALYSIS OF GROUND-WATER 

WITHDRAWAL IN THE MENDENHALL-D'LO AREA, 

SIMPSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

By Eric W. Strom and William T. Oakley

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4013

Prepared in cooperation with the

PEARL RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT and the

MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, 

OFFICE OF LAND AND WATER RESOURCES

Jackson, Mississippi 

1995
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Gordon P. Eaton, Director

For additional information Copies of this report can be 

write to: purchased from:

District Chief U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey Earth Science Information Center

Suite 710, Federal Building Open-File Reports Section

100 W. Capitol Street Box 25286, MS 517, Federal Center

Jackson, Mississippi 39269 Denver, Colorado 80225
CONTENTS

Page

Abstract.................................................................................................................................. 1

Introduction............................................................................................................................ 2

General setting of the study area...................................................................................... 2

Previous investigations.................................................................................................... 2

Hydrogeology........................................................................................................................ 2

Geologic setting............................................................................................................... 2

Description of the hydrogeologic units............................................................................ 4

Catahoula Formation.................................................................................................. 4

Hattiesburg Formation............................................................................................... 4

Citronelle Formation.................................................................................................. 8

Terrace deposits......................................................................................................... 8

Alluvial deposits........................................................................................................ 8

Ground-water movement................................................................................................. 8

Ground-water withdrawal................................................................................................ 8

Analysis of ground-water withdrawal.................................................................................... 9

Analysis of 1994 conditions ............................................................................................ 10

Projected effects of ground-water withdrawals............................................................... 14

Limitations of the analysis............................................................................................... 17

Summary................................................................................................................................ 17

References.............................................................................................................................. 18

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1. Map showing location of study area and trace of geologic section....................... 3

2. Geologic units and principal aquifers in the study area......................................... 5

3. Geophysical log of the Catahoula, Hattiesburg, and Citronelle Formations

for well J33 ...................................................................................................... 6

4. Geologic section showing relation of the geologic units in the study area............ 7

5. Grid cells and well locations used for drawdown calculations.............................. 11

6. Calculated drawdown of water levels for 1994 conditions.................................... 12

7. Generalized drawdown surface of the study area for 1994 conditions

viewed from the southeast............................................................................... 13

8. Calculated drawdown of water levels projected 10 years beyond 1994................ 15

9. Calculated drawdown of water levels projected 20 years beyond 1994................ 16

TABLES

Table 1. Wells in the Mendenhall-D'Lo area and aquifer properties used to calculate

drawdown.......................................................................................................... 9

2. Measured and calculated drawdown for selected wells......................................... 14

in
CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM

Multiply Ey. To obtain

foot 0.3048 meter

foot per day 0.3048 meter per day

foot per year 0.3048 meter per year

foot per mile 0.1894 meter per kilometer

inch 25.4 millimeter

inch per year 25.4 millimeter per year

mile 1.609 kilometer

million gallons per day 0.04381 cubic meter per second

cubic foot per second 0.02832 cubic meter per second

million cubic feet per day 0.3278 cubic meter per second

square mile 2.590 square kilometer

foot squared per day 0.0929 meter squared per day

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) can be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as 

follows: °C = (°F-32)/l.8.

Sea level: In this report "sea level" refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 

 a geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the 

United States and Canada, formerly called Sea Level Datum of 1929.

The standard unit for transmissivity is cubic foot per day per square foot times foot of 

aquifer thickness. In this report, the mathematically reduced form, foot squared per day, is used 

for convenience.

IV
HYDROGEOLOGY AND ANALYSIS OF GROUND-WATER

WITHDRAWAL IN THE MENDENHALL-D'LO AREA,

SIMPSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

By Eric W. Strom and William T. Oakley

ABSTRACT

The cities of Mendenhall and D'Lo, located in Simpson County, Mississippi, rely on ground 

water for their public supply and industrial needs. Most of the ground water conies from an 

aquifer of Miocene age. A study began in 1991 to describe the hydrogeology, analyze effects of 

ground-water withdrawal by making a drawdown map, and estimate the effects increased groundwater withdrawal might have on water levels in the Miocene age aquifer in the Mendenhall-D'Lo 

area.

The study area covers about 30 square miles in Simpson County, south-central Mississippi. 

Geologic units that crop out range from Tertiary to Quaternary in age. The sediments include 

alluvial and fluvial gravel, sand, and silt; deltaic sand, silt and clay; and prodeltaic and marginal 

marine clays. The geologic units, from oldest to youngest, are the Catahoula and Hattiesburg 

Formations of Miocene age; the Citronelle Formation of Pliocene or Pleistocene age; terrace 

deposits probably of Pleistocene age; and alluvium of Holocene age.

The significant withdrawals of ground water in the study area are from 10 wells screened in 

the lower sand of the Catahoula Formation. About 0.53 million gallons of water per day is 

currently (1994) withdrawn from these 10 wells. Analysis of the effect of withdrawals from the 10 

wells was made using the Theis nonequilibrium equation and applying the principle of 

superposition. The study area was discretized into an equally spaced grid and drawdown was 

calculated at the center of each grid cell. Analysis of 1994 conditions was based on the pumpage 

history and aquifer properties determined for each well. The drawdown surface resulting from the 

analysis indicates three general cones of depression. One cone is in the northwestern D'Lo area, 

one in the south-central Mendenhall area, and one about 1V2 miles east of Mendenhall. Calculated 

drawdown ranges from 21 to 47 feet.

Drawdown-surface maps were made for 10 years and 20 years beyond 1994 using a constant 

pumpage. The map made for 10 years beyond 1994 indicates an average total increase in 

drawdown of about 5.3 feet. The map made for 20 years beyond 1994 indicates an average total 

increase in drawdown of about 7.3 feet. Because drawdown and pumpage have a linear relation in 

the Theis nonequilibrium equation, the projection scenarios may be used for extrapolation or 

interpolation of drawdown for other pumping rates.
INTRODUCTION

The cities of Mendenhall and D'Lo, located in Simpson County, Mississippi, rely on ground 

water for their public supply and industrial needs. Most of the ground water comes from an 

aquifer of Miocene age. Regionally, water levels in the Miocene aquifers in Simpson County are 

declining at the rate of about 1 foot per year (Newcome and others, 1972). Continued population 

growth and the development of new industries may increase the rate of water-level decline. In 

1991, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pearl River Basin Development 

District and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Land and Water 

Resources, began an investigation for the purpose of describing the hydrogeology, analyzing 

effects of ground-water withdrawal by making a drawdown map, and projecting the possible 

effects of increased ground-water withdrawals on water levels in the Miocene aquifer within the 

Mendenhall-D'Lo area. This report presents the results of that study.

General Setting of the Study Area

The study area covers about 30 square miles in Simpson County, south-central Mississippi 

(fig. 1). The area is located in the Southern Pine Hills of the Gulf Coastal Plain physiographic 

province (Fenneman, 1938). The land surface is hilly, ranging in altitude from about 260 to 

520 feet above sea level. The Strong River, the major surface-water drainage, flows 

southwestward between Mendenhall and D'Lo and drains into the Pearl River about 15 miles 

southwest of the study area. The Strong River has an alluvial plain that is about 1-mile wide in the 

study area. The normal mean annual temperature at D'Lo is about 63 degrees Fahrenheit; normal 

annual precipitation is about 59 inches.

Previous Investigations

Previous investigations that include all or part of the study area have been published by the 

U.S. Geological Survey, the Mississippi Geological Survey, and the Mississippi Department of 

Natural Resources. These investigations include those by Stephenson, Logan, and Waring (1928); 

Newcome and others (1972); May and Marble (1976); and Gilliland and Harrelson (1981).

HYDROGEOLOGY

The hydrogeology of the study area is described here in terms of the geologic setting, the 

hydrogeologic units and their relation to each other, ground-water movement, and ground-water 

withdrawal. All of the formations and deposits described have potential water-bearing zones; 

however, a lower sand in the Catahoula Formation of Miocene age is the principal source of 

ground water in the study area.

Geologic Setting

The geologic setting of the study area is described by Gushing and others (1964) as resulting 

from subsidence that may have begun during the late Paleozoic Era and continued through the 

Cretaceous Period. This subsidence formed the basins of the Gulf Coast geosyncline, and of the 

southward plunging syncline of the Mississippi embayment. However, most of the syncline of the 

Mississippi embayment was not formed by the end of the Paleozoic Era, but during the Jurassic 

Period of the Mesozoic Era when evidence of a sedimentary basin became observable. By the end 

of the Cretaceous Period the Mississippi embayment had attained the approximate size and shape 

of today. Since the Cretaceous Period, cyclic transgression and regression of the sea have 

subsequently deposited an assorted, but ordered array of sediments within the Mississippi
89°55' 89°52'30" 89°50'

32°

EXPLANATION

TRACE OF GEOLOGIC 

SECTION

p TEST HOLE AND LETTER 

DESIGNATION

31°57'30"

SIMPSON 

COUNTY

Base from U.S. Geological Survey A. Mendenhall 1 West 1:24,000,1970 and Mendenhall 1 East 1:24,000,1970

0 1 MILE

1 KILOMETER

Figure 1. Location of the study area and trace of geologic section.
embayment. The nature of the sediments is directly related to past depositional environments, 

which in turn are related to fluctuations of sea level and the shifting of the shoreline. Older 

geologic units crop out in the northeast, and sequentially younger units are present at land surface 

to the west and south. The dip of the geologic units in the study area generally is toward the 

southwest.

Description of the Hvdroyeoloyic Units

Geologic units that crop out in the study area range from Tertiary to Quaternary age. The 

sediments include alluvial and fluvial gravel, sand, and silt; deltaic sand, silt and clay; and 

prodeltaic and marginal marine clays. The geologic units, from oldest to youngest, are the 

Catahoula and Hattiesburg Formations of Miocene age; the Citronelle Formation of Pliocene or 

Pleistocene age; terrace deposits probably of Pleistocene age; and alluvium of Holocene age 

(fig. 2). Descriptions of the geologic units are from May and Marble (1976) except where noted.

Catahoula Formation

The Catahoula Formation is fluvial to marginal-deltaic in depositional origin. The sediments 

probably represent a regressive, offlap sequence. The Catahoula Formation reaches a maximum 

thickness of about 450 feet in the study area and dips to the southwest at about 20 feet per mile. 

The formation mainly consists of deltaic silt and clay deposited in a low energy environment, and 

lenses of sand deposited in a high energy environment. Induration of the materials occurs 

primarily at surface exposures (Gilliland and Harrelson, 1981).

Many of the sand lenses in the Catahoula Formation are not continuous; however, an upper 

and lower sand interval exists within the formation. The upper sand consists of medium to coarse 

grained lenses, and ranges from 35 to 45 feet in thickness. The lower sand is fairly continuous in 

the study area, and ranges from 35 to 65 feet in thickness; greater thicknesses usually contain 

some clay or silt lenses. The lower sand primarily is a coarse to very coarse, poorly sorted quartz 

sand that is fluvial in nature. The upper and lower sands are both considered aquifers in the study 

area; however, most wells are screened in the lower sand. A geophysical log of the Catahoula 

Formation and overlying formations for well J33 is shown in figure 3.

The Catahoula Formation is unconformably underlain by the Vicksburg Group of Oligocene 

age. Clay from the Bucatunna Formation confines the Catahoula Formation from aquifers in the 

Vicksburg Group. The relation between the Catahoula Formation and other units is shown in 

figure 4.

Hattiesburg Formation

May and Marble (1976) describe a "Post-Catahoula Unit" that will be referred to as the 

Hattiesburg Formation in this report. Reasons for adopting this nomenclature are the same as 

those pointed out by Gilliland and Harrelson (1981): the "Post-Catahoula Unit" is in the same 

stratigraphic position as the Hattiesburg Formation and other publications, such as the geologic 

map of Mississippi (Bicker, 1969), show the unit as the Hattiesburg Formation.

The Hattiesburg Formation is fluvial to marginal-deltaic in depositional origin. The sediments 

probably represent a regressive sequence, similar to the underlying Catahoula Formation. The 

Hattiesburg Formation has a maximum thickness of about 130 feet in the study area and dips 

slightly west of south at about 20 feet per mile. The formation mainly consists of an upper 

argillaceous silt deposited in a low energy environment, and a lower medium to coarse grained,
Erathem

Cenozoic

System

Quaternary

& fi

£

Series

Holocene

Pleistocene

Pleistocene 

or Pliocene

Miocene

Oligocene

Group

Vicksburg

Geologic unit

Alluvial deposits

Terrace depositsCitronelle Formation

Hattiesburg Formation

Catahoula Formation

Bucatunna Formation

Byram Formation

Glendon Limestone

Mint Spring Formation

Hydrogeologic properties

Water-table aquifer of small areal extent yielding small amounts of water.Water-table aquifer of small areal extent yielding small amounts of water.Aquifer limited in areal extent.

Aquifer limited in areal extent.Sands form important aquifer in the study are Most public and industrial wells screened in t lower sand.Not an aquifer.Not an aquifer.

Generally not an aquifer.Potentially an aquifer capable of yielding small amounts of water.

Figure 2. Geologic units and principal aquifers in the study area (modified from Gilliland and Harrelson, 1981).
Electric Log 159, Simpson County, Mississippi

SPONTANEOUS POTENTIA 

20 Millivolts

1

^ " 2

J

v

1

\

 ^

S "*

^ 7

J

\

^

>j

V

i

J

/

T

7

j

^

^

^

7

r

X

^

-i 

L DEPTH 

(feet)

---- 0 -

s

A

T~l_

/

i\j\j

onn zuu

i N

~^_

/ onn JUU

^

JV/U

----- 600 -

: : _ _ 655 H

RESISTANCE 

20 Ohms metei2/meter

"^

7

^

'

^

c :

"*

JT

2

?

_ ^

- ^ .^

c ^

^

f

«'-

2 T

^ ^

1

~j_ n

T

- j Citronelle Formation

/

. J

/

 V 

: "~ : ~i Hattiesburg Formation

j

-. -- _ _ _-. .

: : Catahoula Formation

- - upper sand of Catahoula Formation

_

lower sand of Catahoula Formation

Figure 3. Geophysical log of the Catahoula, Hattiesburg, and Citronelle 

Formations for well J33 (modified from May and Marble, 1976).
Hattiesburg Formation

100 - SEA 

LEVEL

100 - Citronelle Formation Catahoula Formation - Vicksburg Group S

A'

DATUM IS SEA LEVEL

Note: letters index test holes described

in May and Marble, 1976.

0 1 MILE

VERTICAL SCALE GREATLY EXAGGERATED

0 1 KILOMETER

Figure 4. Geologic section showing relation of the geologic units in the study area (modified from May and Marble, 1976).
poorly sorted sand, deposited in a high energy environment. The Hattiesburg Formation is not 

heavily pumped in the study area.

Citronelle Formation

The Citronelle Formation is fluvial in depositional origin. The formation probably formed a 

continuous blanket of sediment in the past (Boswell, 1979), but now occurs only at the higher 

altitudes in the study area. The Citronelle Formation has a maximum thickness of about 150 feet 

in the study area and dips slightly west of south at about 10 feet per mile. The formation mainly 

consists of coarse sand and gravel deposited in a high energy environment. The Citronelle 

Formation is not heavily pumped in the study area.

Terrace Deposits

Terrace deposits occur on many of the hills at lower altitudes than the hills capped by the 

Citronelle Formation. Thickness of the deposits is highly variable and dips have not been 

determined. The deposits mainly consist of fine-to coarse-grained sand. The deposits may have 

resulted from sea level fluctuations during Pleistocene glaciation.

Alluvial Deposits

Alluvial deposits are present in the river valleys of the study area. These deposits are the result 

of fluvial erosion of materials from higher elevations. Thickness of the deposits is variable, but 

may average about 20 feet in the Strong River alluvial plain. The deposits mainly consist of clay, 

sand, and gravel eroded from terrace deposits and from the Citronelle, Hattiesburg, and Catahoula 

Formations.

Ground-Water Movement

Both confined and unconfined conditions occur in the aquifers of the study area. Aquifers in 

alluvial deposits, terrace deposits, the Citronelle Formation, and much of the Hattiesburg 

Formation are probably under unconfined conditions. Parts of the upper sand trend of the 

Catahoula Formation, particularly near the river valleys, may also be under unconfined 

conditions. The lower sand in the Catahoula Formation, however, is under confined conditions, 

separated from the overlying sand bed by silt and clay.

Ground-water movement in unconfined aquifers is influenced greatly by-topography. Ground 

water generally moves from areas that are topographically high to areas that are topographically 

low. In the study area, most of the movement of unconfined ground water is toward the Strong 

River (Boswell and Arthur, 1988). Limited water-level data for the confined lower sand of the 

Catahoula Formation indicate flow in the lower sand similarly may be toward the Strong River 

and to pumping wells.

Ground-Water Withdrawal

The significant withdrawals of ground water in the study area are from 10 wells screened in 

the lower sand of the Catahoula Formation. Information regarding pumpage and aquifer 

properties at each well is listed in table 1. Pumpage for the wells represents an average steady 

pumping rate, or the rate at which the wells would pumped if the pumps ran continuously 

throughout the year. The average steady pumping rate was determined by estimating the total 

volume of water pumped from the well and dividing by the total time. In most cases the total
volume of water pumped was known for a group of associated wells rather than for each 

individual well, and pumpage was distributed equally. About 0.53 million gallons of water per 

day currently (1994) is withdrawn from these 10 wells. The total years the wells have been 

pumped are calculated through December 1994.

Table 1. Wells in the Mendenhall-D'Lo area and aquifer properties used to calculate drawdown

Well

D38

D64

D51

D71

D67

E44

E29

J6

J34

J56

Latitude

315920

315908

315948

315948

315922

315752

315748

315734

315735

315731

Longitude

895417

895403

895435

895431

895420

894942

894944

895214

895236

895218

Years 

pumped

26

14

21

1

4

8

25

27

22

9

Pumpage 

(cubic feet per 

day)

3,475

3,475

9,290

9,290

4,812

6,283

6,283

9,491

9,491

9,491

Transmissivity 

(feet squared 

per day)

645

912

2,139

828

645

825

'1,200

'860

2,156

2,340

Hydraulic 

conductivity 

(feet per day)

18

17

35.7

28

18

19

'35

 16

31.7

32.5

1 Slack and Darden, 1991.

ANALYSIS OF GROUND-WATER WITHDRAWAL

Analysis of the effect of ground-water withdrawal from the 10 wells listed in table 1 was made 

using the Theis nonequilibrium equation and applying the principle of superposition. This method 

should be applicable because pumping tests for the wells indicated that the aquifer is confined and 

generally non-leaky in the study area. The Theis nonequilibrium equation computes drawdown in 

a confined aquifer at a desired distance from a pumping well. To perform the analysis, pumpage 

of the well, the length of time pumping occurred, and the transmissivity and storage coefficient of 

the aquifer must be known. The equation given by Theis (1935) is of the form:

h0 -h = _G_

4nT

Ss

4Tt
where

h0 is the initial head (length) at some distance r (length) from the well,

h is the head (length) at some time t (time),

s is the resulting drawdown (length),

Q is the pumping rate (length cubed per time),

T is the transmissivity (length squared per time), and

5 is the storage coefficient (dimensionless).

The Theis nonequilibrium equation is a solution to the radial form of the diffusion equation 

for a given set of initial and boundary conditions. Because the diffusion equation is linear, the 

principle of superposition allows for the determination of total drawdown caused by multiple 

wells being pumped simultaneously by summing the drawdown determined for each individual 

well.

The study area was discretized into an equally spaced grid. Each grid cell was 264 feet on a 

side for a total of 12,000 grid cells (fig. 5). This discretization provided the resolution necessary to 

delineate the surface of combined drawdown from multiple wells, and to place each well in the 

center of a grid cell. The Theis nonequilibrium equation was then applied at the center of each cell 

for each individual well using numerical approximations. Drawdown for each well in each cell 

was summed to produce a composite drawdown map. Drawdown was calculated using a well 

radius of 1 foot in cells that contained a well; however, the analysis does not account for 

drawdown near a well caused by other factors, such as turbulent flow or regional drawdown. A 

storage coefficient of 0.0002 was determined by an aquifer test only at well J6 (Slack and Darden, 

1991). This value was used for each well in the analysis.

Analysis of 1994 Conditions

Analysis of 1994 conditions was based on the pumpage records and aquifer properties 

determined for each well (table 1). The Theis nonequilibrium equation is based on the assumption 

that the aquifer is homogeneous and isotropic. For the analysis of each individual well this 

assumption was made. The Theis nonequilibrium equation was applied using the value of 

transmissivity determined from an aquifer test for each individual well for each cell in the grid. 

The total drawdown in each cell was then determined by summing the drawdown caused by each 

individual well. An alternative method would be to assume a single average value of 

transmissivity for all of the wells; however, error likely is reduced by using site specific values of 

transmissivity for each individual well because calculated drawdown is greatest at the center of a 

well and decreases exponentially with distance from the well.

The calculated drawdown surface (fig. 6) indicates three general cones of depression. One 

cone is in the northwestern D'Lo area, one cone in the south-central Mendenhall area, and one 

cone about 1V2 miles east of Mendenhall. A generalized view of the drawdown surface (fig. 7) 

shows the coalescing nature of the drawdown cones caused by multiple wells.

Because the computed drawdown surface is a composite of drawdowns from wells that began 

pumping at different times, drawdown measured at the oldest wells should provide the best 

verification. The oldest wells are J6, D38, E29, J34, and D51 (table 1). Water-level measurements 

are no longer possible at well J6 due to reworking of the well. Water-level measurements made in 

fall 1994 indicate total drawdown of about 39 feet for well D38,42 feet for well D51, and 39 feet 

for well J34 (table 2). The analysis indicated a total drawdown of about 42 feet at well D38,

10
,89°55' 89°52'30"

32°

31°57'30"

100 ^Ti" 1111111111111-1

Bas# from U.S. Gwlogkal Surw? MwxteRhaH 1 West 1;24,000,1970 asd Menttehall i East 1:24,000,1970

89°50'

11111

120

T2N TIN

R4E R5E 

0 1 MILE0 1

Figure 5. Grid cells and well locations used for drawdown calculations.
89°55' 89°52'30" 89°50'

32° -T.

31°57'30"

/s, Geological S«iv«y 

i W«si 1:24,000, 1970 and

 24 

EXPLANATION

LINE OF EQUAL DRAWDOWN IN 

FEET-Interval 2 feet

0 1 MILE 

1 KILOMETER

Figure 6. Calculated drawdown of water levels for 1994 conditions.
Figure 7. Generalized drawdown surface of the study area for 1994 conditions viewed from the southeast.
40 feet at well D51, and 37 feet at well J34, which compares closely to measured values of 

drawdown. However, well E29 had a measured drawdown of about 15 feet, and a calculated 

drawdown of about 35 feet. Review of the aquifer-test data confirmed the values used in the 

analysis, but it is possible that the transmissivity for well E29 is much higher because the well was 

pumped only 1 hour during the test and possible sources of recharge might not have been 

revealed. An upward inflection may have started in the drawdown curve at the very end of the 

test.

Table 2. Measured and calculated drawdown for selected wells

Well

D38

D51

J34

E29

Measured 

drawdown 

(feet)

39

42

39

15

Calculated 

drawdown 

(feet)

42

40

37

35

in

Only one value of storage coefficient (0.0002) was available, and this value was used at all 

wells; therefore, a sensitivity analysis to the change in the storage coefficient was made. 

Decreasing the storage coefficient from 0.0002 to 0.0001 resulted in an average increase in 

drawdown of about 3.4 feet. Increasing the storage coefficient from 0.0002 to 0.0003 resulted 

an average decrease in drawdown of about 1.9 feet.

Because the Theis nonequilibrium equation is based on the assumption of a homogeneous 

aquifer and site specific transmissivities were used for each individual well in the analysis, 

sensitivity analysis was performed using a constant transmissivity of 1,306 feet squared per day 

(the arithmetic mean of the transmissivities of each individual well). The resulting calculated 

drawdown surface was similar in both shape and magnitude to the drawdown surface using site 

specific transmissivities. In general, the site specific transmissivity drawdown surface was about 

1 foot closer to the observed values. A maximum difference between the two surfaces of about 

9 feet occurred in the D'Lo area, with the average difference being about 0.9 foot.

Pmfecti-d Effects uf Ground-Water Withdrawals

Calculated drawdown-surface maps were made for 10 years and 20 years beyond 1994 using 

the pumpage determined for 1994. The surface map for 10 years of pumpage beyond 1994 (fig. 8) 

indicates an average total increase in drawdown of about 5.3 feet. The surface map for 20 years of 

pumpage beyond 1994 (fig. 9) indicates an average total increase in drawdown of about 7.3 feet.

Because drawdown and pumpage have a linear relation in the Theis nonequilibrium equation, 

the projection maps may be used for extrapolation or interpolation of drawdown for other 

pumping rates. For example, the calculated drawdown for 1994 conditions in well J34 is about 

37 feet (fig. 6). After 10 years of pumpage beyond 1994 the calculated drawdown is about 42 feet 

(fig. 8). Therefore, total additional drawdown is 5 feet. If pumpage were increased by 50 percent 

for all of the wells for the 10 year period, the total additional drawdown would be 1.5 times 5, or 

7.5 feet, resulting in a total drawdown of about 44.5 feet.

14
89°55' 89°52'30" 89°50'

32° 

31°57'30" -8a/» from U.S. Gtofegkal Satvey 

MeiufeBhaS 1 W&it 1:24,000, 1970 and 

MsmtenMt 1 East 1:24,0«), 1970

EXPLANATION

 30 LINE OF EQUAL DRAWDOWN IN 

FEET-Interval 2 feet

R4ER51

1

0

Figure 8. Calculated drawdown of water levels projected 10 years beyond 1994.
89°55' 89°52'30" 89°50'

31°57'30" 

tia U,S. C

aH i. West 1:24,000, 

1 East J :24.0i>0. 1970 32 LINE OF EQUAL DRAWDOWN IN

FEET-Interval 2 feet 0

1

1 KILOMETER

Figure 9. Calculated drawdown of water levels projected 20 years beyond 1994.
Limitations of the Analysis

To perform the analysis, several assumptions were made: (1) the lower sand of the Catahoula 

Formation is confined and infinite in extent, (2) wells are of infinitesimal diameter and fully 

penetrate the aquifer, (3) water is released instantaneously with decline in head in the aquifer, (4) 

the aquifer is homogeneous and isotropic, and (5) no contributions of water are made from 

overlying or underlying aquifers. The first assumption is valid if the extent of the aquifer is large 

compared to the extent of the drawdown cones of the pumping wells. If impermeable geologic 

boundaries are reached by the drawdown cones, however, computed drawdown will be less than 

actual drawdown. Nearby sources of recharge would cause computed drawdown to be greater 

than actual drawdown. The second assumption ignores any storage in the well, which is a 

reasonable assumption for long-term analyses in which the total water pumped is large relative to 

wellbore storage. Wells in the study were screened to take full advantage of the sand interval. The 

third assumption is valid for the confined case, but would be invalid if water-table conditions were 

encountered. The fourth assumption was made for the analysis of each individual well; however, 

aquifer tests indicated variations in transmissivity. Because site-specific aquifer properties were 

used at each individual well, the drawdown calculated near each well probably is a better 

approximation than if a single uniform value of transmissivity had been applied to all wells. The 

fifth assumption assumes the clay and silt act as effective confining layers under pumping 

conditions as indicated by the pumping tests. The calculated drawdown will be greater than the 

actual drawdown if water is contributed from other sources.

Sparsity of historical water-level data and aquifer properties precluded the use of numerical 

techniques of analysis. However, the analytical technique used provides a guide for estimating 

drawdown in the past, as well as estimating drawdown trends that may occur in the future. The 

results from this investigation (feet of drawdown) do not necessarily represent precise drawdowns 

that will be observed in the field. The drawdown maps in figures 6 to 9 probably indicate too 

much drawdown in the vicinity of well E29 because transmissivity may be greater than assumed. 

The addition or deletion of wells, or significant changes in pumping rates would require additional 

analysis of the projected drawdown surfaces.

SUMMARY

The cities of Mendenhall and D'Lo, in Simpson County, Mississippi, rely on ground water for 

their public supply and industrial needs. Most of the ground water comes from an aquifer of 

Miocene age. In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pearl River Basin 

Development District and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Land 

and Water Resources, began an investigation for the purpose of describing the hydrogeology, 

analyzing effects of ground-water withdrawal by making a drawdown map, and projecting the 

possible effects of increased ground-water withdrawals on water levels in the Miocene aquifer 

within the Mendenhall-D'Lo area.

The study area covers about 30 square miles in Simpson County, south-central Mississippi. 

Geologic units that crop out in the study area range from Tertiary to Quaternary in age. The 

sediments include alluvial and fluvial gravel, sand, and silt; deltaic sand, silt and clay; and 

prodeltaic and marginal marine clays. The geologic units, from oldest to youngest, are the 

Catahoula and Hattiesburg Formations of Miocene age; the Citronelle Formation of Pliocene or 

Pleistocene age; terrace deposits probably of Pleistocene age; and alluvium of Holocene age.

The significant withdrawals of ground water in the study area are from 10 wells screened in 

the lower sand of the Catahoula Formation. About 0.53 million gallons of water per day currently

17
(1994) is withdrawn from these 10 wells. Analysis of the effect of ground-water withdrawal was 

made using the Theis nonequilibrium equation and applying the principle of superposition. The 

study area was discretized into an equally spaced grid, and drawdown was calculated at the center 

of each grid cell for each individual well. Analysis of 1994 conditions was based on the pumpage 

records and aquifer properties determined for each well. The calculated drawdown surface 

indicates three general cones of depression. One cone is in the northwestern D'Lo area, one in the 

south-central Mendenhall area, and one about 1V2 miles east of Mendenhall.

Calculated drawdown-surface maps were made for 10 years and 20 years beyond 1994 using 

the pumpage determined for 1994. The map for 10 years of pumpage beyond 1994 indicates an 

average total increase in drawdown of about 5.3 feet. The map for 20 years of pumpage beyond 

1994 indicates an average total increase in drawdown of about 7.3 feet. Because drawdown and 

pumpage have a linear relation in the Theis nonequilibrium equation, the projection maps may be 

used for extrapolation or interpolation of drawdown for other pumping rates.

REFERENCES

Bicker, A.R., Jr., 1969, Geologic map of Mississippi: Mississippi Geological Survey, 1 sheet.

Boswell, E.H., 1979, The Citronelle aquifers in Mississippi: U.S. Geological Survey WaterResources Investigations Open-File Report, 78-131,1 sheet.

Boswell, E.H., and Arthur, J.K., 1988, Generalized potentiometric surface of shallow aquifers in 

southern Mississippi: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 87- 

4257,1 sheet.

Gushing, E.M., Boswell, E.H., and Hosman, R.L., 1964, General geology of the Mississippi 

embayment: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 448-B, 28 p.

Fenneman, N.M., 1938, Physiography of the Eastern United States: New York, McGraw-Hill 

Book Co., p. 67-83.

Gilliland, W.A., and Harrelson, D.W, 1981, General geology and mineral resources of the 

Braxton Quadrangle, Mississippi: Mississippi Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of 

Geology, Map GQ 95-SW, 1 sheet.

May, J.H., and Marble, J.C., 1976, General geology and mineral resources of the Mendenhall west 

quadrangle, Mississippi: Mississippi Geological, Economic and Topographical Survey, Map 

GQ 82-NW, 1 sheet.

Newcome, Roy, Jr., Tharpe, E.J., and Oakley, W.T., 1972, Water for industrial development in 

Copiah and Simpson Counties, Mississippi: Mississippi Research and Development Center 

Bulletin, 60 p.

Slack, L.J., and Darden, Daphne, 1991, Summary of aquifer tests in Mississippi, June 1942 

through May 1988: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigation Report 90-4155, 

40 p.

Stephenson, L.W., Logan, W.N., and Waring, G.A., 1928, The ground-water resources of 

Mississippi, with a discussion o/The chemical character of the waters by C.S. Howard: 

U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 576,515 p.

Theis, C.V., 1935, The relation between the lowering of the piezometric surface and rate and 

duration of discharge of a well using groundwater storage: Transactions of the American 

Geophysical Union, v. 16, p. 519-524.

18 * U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1995 655-177/00023