ATCHAFALAYA

BASIN

VERRET

SUBBASIN

I

IV

III

II

Hydrologic basin or subbasin boundary

Approximate interdistributary basin boundary

Interdistributary Basins

I

II

III

IV

Teche-Vermilion

Terrebonne

Timbalier

Barataria

Franklin

Caillou Lake

Cut Off

Barataria

Bay

Timbalier

Bay

Terrebonne

Bay

Bayou

Penc ha

nt

Penchant

29° 00 ́

92° 00 ́ 91° 30 ́ 91° 00 ́

30° 30 ́

30° 00 ́

29° 30 ́

90° 30 ́ 90° 00 ́

Salt and brackish emergent wetland

Fresh and intermediate emergent wetland

Forested wetland

Upland

Urban or industrial

Arrow indicates positive flow direction

EXPLANATION

<<

Diversion structure

Lock

Data-collection site and map number (table 1)

1 See number in parentheses on graph

Little 

Lake

MAP SHOWING SURFACE-WATER DATA-COLLECTION SITES, AND GRAPHS SHOWING INSTANTANEOUS DISCHARGE AND DAILY-AVERAGE SALINITY AT

SELECTED SITES IN RELATION TO DAILY-AVERAGE STAGE OF THE LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER AT MORGAN CITY, SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA, 

OCTOBER 1996 TO DECEMBER 1999

By

Christopher M. Swarzenski

2003

PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1672

Data-collection sites and instantaneous discharge and daily-

_

average salinity in relation to daily-average stage PLATE 1

Swarzenski, C. M., 2003. Surface-water hydrology of the Gulf

Intracoastal Waterway in south-central Louisiana, 1996-99

PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH THE

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, NEW ORLEANS DISTRICT

Study

area

T

E

X

A

S

MISSISSIPPI

ARKANSAS

Index Map

0 10 20 30 40

0 10 20 30 40

50

50 KILOMETERS

MILES

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

SAME-DAY STAGE, LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER AT

MORGAN CITY, IN FEET ABOVE NAVD88

IN

S

TA

N

TA

N

E

O

U

S

DIS

C

H

A

R

G

E,

IN

C

U

BIC

F

E

E

T

P

E

R

S

E

C

O

N

D

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

-5,000

-10,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Magenta ( ) indicates measurements after heavy precipitation

Orange ( ) indicates measurements with little prior precipitation

At Lower Atchafalaya River south of Morgan City (8)

East of Wax Lake Outlet near Calumet (7)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0

-2,000

Magenta ( ) indicates measurements after heavy precipitation

Orange ( ) indicates measurements with little prior precipitation

Bayou Penchant south of Morgan City (11)

GIWW near Bay Wallace east of Morgan City (13)

GIWW west of the Houma Navigation

Canal at Houma (16)

IN

S

TA

N

TA

N

E

O

U

S

DIS

C

H

A

R

G

E,

IN

C

U

BIC

F

E

E

T

P

E

R

S

E

C

O

N

D

SAME-DAY STAGE, LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER AT

MORGAN CITY, IN FEET ABOVE NAVD88

IN

S

TA

N

TA

N

E

O

U

S

DIS

C

H

A

R

G

E,

IN

C

U

BIC

F

E

E

T

P

E

R

S

E

C

O

N

D

SAME-DAY STAGE, LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER AT

MORGAN CITY, IN FEET ABOVE NAVD88

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

-5,000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Magenta ( ) indicates measurements after heavy precipitation

Orange ( ) indicates measurements with little prior precipitation

GIWW west of Wax Lake Outlet south of Calumet (5)

GIWW east of Jaws Bay west of Franklin (4)

GIWW west of Jaws Bay near Cypremort (3)

GIWW at Cypremort (2)

SAME-DAY STAGE, LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER AT

MORGAN CITY, IN FEET ABOVE NAVD88

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

IN

S

TA

N

TA

N

E

O

U

S

DIS

C

H

A

R

G

E,

IN

C

U

BIC

F

E

E

T

P

E

R

S

E

C

O

N

D

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

-5,000

-10,000

Magenta ( ) indicates measurements after heavy precipitation

Orange ( ) indicates measurements with little prior precipitation

Bayou Boeuf at railroad bridge at Amelia (12)

Avoca Island Cutoff Channel (10)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

IN

S

TA

N

TA

N

E

O

U

S

DIS

C

H

A

R

G

E,

IN

C

U

BIC

F

E

E

T

P

E

R

S

E

C

O

N

D

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0

-2,000

Magenta ( ) indicates measurements after heavy precipitation

Orange ( ) indicates measurements with little prior precipitation

GIWW west of Bayou Lafourche at Larose (20)

GIWW east of Bayou Lafourche at Larose (21)

GIWW east of the Houma Navigation Canal at Houma (17)

SAME-DAY STAGE, LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER AT

MORGAN CITY, IN FEET ABOVE NAVD88

10

0

5

15

20

25

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

D

AILY-AV

E

R

A

G

E

S

A

LINIT

Y, IN

PA

R

T

S

P

E

R

T

H

O

U

S

A

N

D

D

AILY-AV

E

R

A

G

E

S

TA

G

E, IN

F

E

E

T

A

B

O

V

E

N

AV

D

8

8

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

June 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

June 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

June 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

1996 1997 1998 1999

Salinity, Côte Blanche 4 (31)

Salinity, Vermilion Bay near Cypremort Point (1)

Stage, Lower Atchafalaya River at Morgan City (9)

Break in line indicates 

missing data

10

0

5

15

20

25

D

AILY-AV

E

R

A

G

E

S

A

LINITY, IN

PA

R

T

S

P

E

R

T

H

O

U

S

A

N

D

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

D

AILY-AV

E

R

A

G

E

S

TA

G

E, IN

F

E

E

T

A

B

O

V

E

N

AV

D

8

8

1996 1997 1998 1999

June 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

Ju

n

e 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

June 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Salinity, Grand Bayou tributary west of Galliano (26)

Salinity, Bayou Terrebonne at Bush Canal south of Chauvin (28)

Salinity, Bayou L’Eau Bleu (19)

Salinity, Bayou Jean Lacroix near Montegut (27)

Stage, Lower Atchafalaya River at Morgan City (9)

Break in line indicates missing data

Base Map of Land Cover: USGS-National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette, Louisiana

D

AILY-AV

E

R

A

G

E

S

A

LINIT

Y, IN

PA

R

T

S

P

E

R

T

H

O

U

S

A

N

D

D

AILY-AV

E

R

A

G

E

S

TA

G

E, IN

F

E

E

T

A

B

O

V

E

N

AV

D

8

8

1996 1997 1998 1999

Break in line indicates missing data

Salinity, Caillou Lake (Sister Lake) southwest of Dulac (30)

Salinity, Bayou du Large at Theriot (15)

Salinity, Bayou Penchant at Brady Canal (14)

Stage, Lower Atchafalaya River at Morgan City (9)

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

June 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

June 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

June 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

0

5

15

20

25

10

0

5

15

20

25

10

0

5

15

20

25

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

June 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

Ju

n

e 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

June 1

July 1

Aug. 1

Sept. 1

Oct. 1

N

ov. 1

Dec. 1

1996 1997 1998 1999

D

AILY-AV

E

R

A

G

E

S

A

LINITY, IN

PA

R

T

S

P

E

R

T

H

O

U

S

A

N

D

D

AILY-AV

E

R

A

G

E

S

TA

G

E, IN

F

E

E

T

A

B

O

V

E

N

AV

D

8

8

Salinity, GIWW east of Houma Navigation Canal at Houma (17)

Salinity, GIWW east of Larose (22)

Salinity, intersection of GIWW and Bayou Perot (24)

Stage, Lower Atchafalaya River at Morgan City (9)

Break in line indicates 

missing data

Salinity, Houma Navigation Canal at Dulac (29)

Stage, Lower Atchafalaya River at Morgan City (9)

B y f e

a ou La ourch

Larose

le

ev

e

Lower

laya

af a

h

ct A

R

ver i

Calumet

Morgan

City

Houma

yo f u

Ba u La o rche

Wax

Lake

Outlet

L

k

e

re

a

e

V

r

t

Lake

Palourde

New

Iberia

Franklin

INTRACOASTAL

WATERWAY

GULF

GULF

A

NTRACO STAL

I

WATERWAY

GULF

INTRACOASTAL

WATERWAY

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN

LAKE BORGNE NEW

ORLEANS

BATON

ROUGE

Donaldsonville

LAKE

MAUREPAS

RIVER

MISSISSIPPI

M SS

S

PI

I

IS

IP

VE

RI

R

Vermilion Bay

West Côte

Blanche Bay

East Côte

Blanche Bay

Atchafalaya Bay

Four Leagu

e

Ba y

C

al Minors an

Teche

At

hafa

aya

c

l

River

Lake

Salvador

Lafitte

o

f

e

Bay

u

La

ourch

o

Bayo

u

Per t

g

at Se

nette

W

erway

Baratar

a

Wa

erwa

i

t

y

Char

n

n Canal

e

to

Jaws

Bay

Cypremort

Weeks

Bay

Bayou

Teche

Bayou

Boeuf

B

C

a ou hene

y

Bayou

pe aw

Co s

Dulac

Lockport

Thibodaux

Montegut

Chauvin

Theriot

Ba

ou

y

du

Large

Bayou

er onne T reb

L

e ak

d

Bou reaux

Caillou Lake

Galliano

Grand

ou

Bay

Amelia

Wallace

B

ya

Bayou

Cail ou l

Grand

a

u

B

yo

Jean

Lacroix

Lac des

Allemands

Barataria

Bay

Bayou

u

L’Ea

Bleu

Bayou

Penc nt ha

Brady

a l C na

Caernarvon

Diversion

Davis Pond

Diversion

<<

<<

<<

Cypremort

Point

Bu

C

sh

anal

H

m

a

N tion

a

o

u

aviga

C

n

al

nel

nah Cff ot u Cdn la

A

Is

voca

l an a C

ynap mo C

Bayou

GULF

1

9

8

10

11

12

6

32

5

4

3

14

16

13

30

28

31

29

27

25

20

24

22

21

23

18

17

19

26

7

15

2

OF

MEXICO