U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2015–3038

June 2015

Prepared in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development 

Water Resources of St. James Parish, Louisiana

Introduction 

Information concerning the availability, use, and quality 

of water in St. James 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. 

Information on the availability, past and current use, use trends, 

and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources 

in the parish is presented. Previously published reports (see 

References Cited section) and data stored in the U.S. Geological 

Survey’s National Water Information System (http://waterdata.

usgs.gov/nwis) are the primary sources of the information 

presented here. 

In 2010, about 192 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of 

water were withdrawn in St. James Parish, Louisiana, including 

about 190 Mgal/d from surface-water sources and 2.85 Mgal/d 

from groundwater sources1

 (table 1). Withdrawals for industrial 

use accounted for 92 percent of the total water withdrawn 

(table 2). Other categories of use included public supply, 

rural domestic, livestock, general irrigation, and aquaculture. 

Withdrawals for industrial use from surface-water sources have 

been the dominant component of total water withdrawals since 

1970 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014b). Water-use data collected 

at 5-year intervals from 1960 to 2010 indicated that withdrawals 

peaked in 1980 (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 Sargent (2011). 

Tabulation of numbers across text and tables may result in different totals 

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

Lake

Maurepas

SJ-203

SJ-86

Union

Convent

Grand Point

Sorrento

Belmont

St James

ST JOHN THE

BAPTIST

PARISH

ST JAMES

PARISH

LAFOURCHE PARISH

ASSUMPTION

PARISH

ASCENSION

PARISH

Gramercy

Blind River

Mississippi RiverMississippi River

Acadiens

Bayou des

Bayou Verret

Lac des

Allemands

Bayo u Chevreuil

Bayou Citamon

A

A'

East Central

Louisiana Coastal

Basin

 Lake Maurepas

Basin

3089

3127

3127

3125

61

§ ̈ 61 10

§ ̈10

641

18

70 22

44

70

1 20

54

44

18

07374220

O

07380270

07380222

O

C EXPLANATION

Approximate availability of fresh

 groundwater, by aquifer—Modified

 from Tomaszewski, 2003 

 Area of freshwater in the Mississippi

 River alluvial aquifer

 Area of freshwater in the Gramercy

 aquifer

 Area of freshwater in the Norco aquifer

Line of section (see fig. 3)

River basin boundary

Well for which hydrograph is shown

 (see fig. 4)

U.S. Geological Survey surface-water 

 discharge site and number

U.S. Geological Survey surface-water 

 quality site and number (see table 4)

A A'

07374000

O

07380222

C

SJ-86

Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey digital data

Parish boundaries defined by Louisiana Department of

Transportation and Development

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection

North American Datum of 1983

30°10'

30°00'

90°50'

90°40'

0 5

0 5

10 MILES

10 KILOMETERS TEXAS

ARKANSAS MISSISSIPPI

LOUISIANA

07373291C

07374000 O

GULF OF MEXICO

ST JAMES

PARISH

Figure 1. Location of study area, St. James Parish, Louisiana.
Table 1. Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day, by source 

in St. James Parish, Louisiana, 2010 (Sargent, 2011; B.P. Sargent, 

unpub. data, 2011).

[<, less than]

Aquifer or surface-water body Groundwater Surface 

water

Mississippi River alluvial aquifer 0.01

Gramercy aquifer 2.84

Norco aquifer <0.01

Mississippi River 177.65

Miscellaneous streams 11.88

Total 2.85 189.53

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

category in St. James Parish, Louisiana, 2010 (modified from 

Sargent, 2011).

[<, less than]

Use category Groundwater Surface water Total

Public supply 0.00 3.12 3.12

Industrial 2.83 174.52 177.36

Rural domestic 0.01 0.00 0.01

Livestock <0.01 0.00 0.00

General irrigation 0.00 0.06 0.06

Aquaculture 0.00 11.82 11.82

Total 2.85 189.53 192.38

Surface water

Groundwater

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Annual withdrawals, in million gallons per day

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Year

EXPLANATION

Figure 2. Water withdrawals in St. James Parish, Louisiana, 

1960–2010 (Sargent, 2011).

Groundwater Resources 

The primary aquifers that contain freshwater in areas of St. 

James Parish, from near surface to deepest, include the Mississippi 

River alluvial, Gramercy, and Norco aquifers (fig. 3). Deeper 

aquifers in St. James Parish generally contain only saltwater (water 

with chloride concentrations greater than 250 milligrams per liter 

[mg/L]); however, there are small areas of freshwater overlying 

saltwater in the deeper Gonzales-New Orleans aquifer in the 

northeastern and north-central parts of the parish (Tomaszewski, 

2003). Mississippi River point-bar deposits and other local 

unnamed shallow sands are also present above the Gramercy 

aquifer and can provide limited quantities of freshwater; however, 

these aquifers are generally of limited extent and contain water 

that is very hard2 and has high iron concentrations (greater than 

300 micrograms per liter [μg/L]) (Dial and Kilburn, 1980).

In St. James Parish, all of the aquifers that contain freshwater, 

except for the Gonzales-New Orleans aquifer, form a single 

interconnected hydrologic system. In many cases, Mississippi 

River point-bar deposits, the Mississippi River alluvial aquifer, 

and localized unnamed shallow sands provide a direct hydraulic 

connection to the Mississippi River for the Gramercy and Norco 

aquifers (Dial and Kilburn, 1980). A sizable connection has been 

observed where the Mississippi River alluvial, Gramercy, and 

Norco aquifers merge (fig. 3) to the west of Convent (Dial and 

Kilburn, 1980). The Gramercy and Norco aquifers are similar 

lithologically and are distinguished mainly on the basis of 

stratigraphic position. The Gonzales-New Orleans aquifer is more 

easily distinguished because of its uniform texture and because it is 

separated from the overlying Norco aquifer by a substantial layer 

of clay, reaching 150 feet (ft) thick in the central part of the parish 

(Dial and Kilburn, 1980). 

The connections of the aquifers described above provide for 

both recharge and discharge by way of interaquifer flow and the 

Mississippi River. These connections also result in groundwater 

levels in the aquifers that fluctuate in response to river stage. In 

general, groundwater flows towards and discharges into the river; 

however, when river stage is high enough or when pumping has 

induced drawdown, Mississippi River water recharges the aquifers. 

The main source of freshwater recharge to the aquifers, however, is 

by infiltration of precipitation. Well withdrawals are also a source 

of discharge for the aquifers (Dial and Kilburn, 1980). 

In 2010, groundwater withdrawals totaled about 2.83 Mgal/d 

for industrial use, 0.01 Mgal/d for rural-domestic use, and less 

than 0.01 Mgal/d for livestock (table 2). Groundwater withdrawals 

in St. James Parish were primarily from the Gramercy aquifer 

(2.84 Mgal/d), with 0.01 Mgal/d withdrawn from the Mississippi 

River alluvial aquifer and less than 0.01 Mgal/d withdrawn from the 

Norco aquifer (table 1). 

Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer 

The Mississippi River alluvial aquifer is present and contains 

freshwater in roughly the southwestern half of St. James Parish 

(fig. 1; Tomaszewski, 2003). Generally, the upper part of the 

aquifer consists of fine to medium sand, and the lower part consists 

2

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).
?

MISSISSIPPI

RIVER

MISSISSIPPI

RIVER

MISSISSIPPI

RIVER

Norco aquifer

Gramercy aquifer

Mississippi River alluvial aquifer Shallow sand

Gonzales-New Orleans aquifer

?

ASCENSION PARISH

ST. JAMES PARISH

ST. JAMES PARISH

ST. JOHN THEBAPTIST PARISH

BEND INSECTIONBEND INSECTIONBEND INSECTIONBEND INSECTION

Freshwater in sand

Saltwater in sand 

Clay

Lithologic contact separates clay

and sand units. Dashed where

approximate. Queried where

uncertain

Hydrogeologic contact defines

boundary between conjoined 

or merged aquifers

?

EXPLANATION

GENERALIZED 

SURFACE PROFILE

-200

-400

NGVD 29

200

400

-600

-800

-1,000

FEET

-200

-400

NGVD 29

200

400

-600

-800

-1,000

FEET

WEST 

A

EAST

A'

0

0 5 KILOMETERS

VERTICAL SCALE GREATLY EXAGGERATED 5 MILES

Vertical datum is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29)

Figure 3. West-to-east hydrogeologic section through St. James Parish, Louisiana (modified from Griffith, 2003). Trace of section shown on 

figure 1.

of coarse sand and gravel. The base of the aquifer reaches 

a maximum depth of about 275 ft below land surface in St. 

James Parish. The alluvial aquifer is capable of yielding several 

thousand gallons per minute of freshwater that is generally 

hard, with high (greater than 300 μg/L) iron concentrations 

(Tomaszewski, 2003). 

State well-registration records listed 16 active water wells 

screened in the Mississippi River alluvial aquifer in St. James 

Parish in 2014, including 2 domestic, 3 industrial, 8 irrigation, 

and 3 public supply. Depths of these wells ranged from about 

100 to 212 ft below land surface. Reported yields from these 

wells ranged from 10 to 2,300 gallons per minute (gal/min) 

(Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 2014). 

Gramercy Aquifer 

The Gramercy aquifer contains freshwater in St. James 

Parish in an irregular area extending from near the northwestern 

corner of the parish to the south-central part of the parish and in a 

much smaller area near the town of Gramercy (fig. 1). Grain size 

in the aquifer typically grades from fine sand at the top to coarse 

sand and fine gravel in the middle and lower parts of the aquifer 

(Dial and Kilburn, 1980). The aquifer is thin or missing in the 

north-central and northeastern parts of St. James Parish. Where 

the Gramercy aquifer is present in the parish, the top of the 

aquifer is about 175–200 ft below the National Geodetic Vertical 

Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29). Aquifer thickness ranges from less 

than 75 ft to more than 225 ft, increasing generally from north 

to south (Dial and Kilburn, 1980). Water levels in the Gramercy 

aquifer reach seasonal highs in the spring and lows in the fall 

(fig. 4), coinciding with the seasonal high and low stages of the 

Mississippi River. The seasonal fluctuation in water levels in 

the aquifer decreases as the distance from the Mississippi River 

increases (Dial and Kilburn, 1980). 

Freshwater quality from the Gramercy aquifer in St. James 

Parish varies depending on locality in response to inflow from 

adjacent sands and aquifers. This freshwater is generally hard 

to very hard and classified as a calcium-magnesium bicarbonate 

type (Hosman, 1972). The highest values of hardness are present 

in areas where the Gramercy aquifer is hydraulically connected 

with overlying Mississippi River point-bar deposits or shallow 

sands, except for a small area near Belmont where Gramercy 

aquifer water is soft. Freshwater in the Gramercy aquifer in 

St. James Parish generally exceeds the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency’s Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels3

(SMCLs) for color, iron, manganese, and dissolved solids (table 

3; Dial and Kilburn, 1980).

State well-registration records listed 69 active water wells 

screened in the Gramercy aquifer in St. James Parish in 2014, 

including 25 domestic, 21 industrial, 19 irrigation, and 4 public 

supply. Well depths ranged from about 200 to 348 ft below land 

surface. Reported yields from wells screened in the Gramercy 

aquifer in St. James Parish have ranged from 10 to 3,260 gal/min 

(Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 2014). 

3

The SMCLs are nonenforceable Federal guidelines regarding cosmetic 

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

odor, or color) of drinking water. At high concentrations or values, health 

implications as well as aesthetic degradation may be present. SMCLs were 

established as guidelines for the States by the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (1992). 
Year

1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Water-level altitude, in feet (ft) 

0

-5

5

10

15

20

Well: SJ-203

Altitude of land surface: 19 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 444 ft below land surface 

Well: SJ-86

Altitude of land surface: 18.3 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 290 ft below land surface 

Figure 4. Water levels in well SJ-86 screened in the Gramercy aquifer and well SJ-203 screened in the Norco aquifer in St. James Parish, 

Louisiana (see fig. 1 for well locations; U.S. Geological Survey, 2012). Altitude of land surface and water level is measured in feet (ft) relative to 

the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29).

Norco Aquifer 

The Norco aquifer contains saltwater in most of St. James 

Parish. Freshwater in the aquifer is only available in a narrow 

lobe, extending from the northwestern parish border to as far 

south as St. James (fig. 1). The thickness of the Norco aquifer 

ranges from about 75 to 200 ft within the parish, and the depth 

of the top of the aquifer ranges from about 250 ft below NGVD 

29 in the northeastern part of the parish to 450 ft below NGVD 

29 in the southern part of the parish. The aquifer is lithologically 

similar to the Gramercy aquifer; the upper part contains fine 

sand, and the lower part contains medium to coarse sand. Fine 

gravel may also be present in the lower part of the aquifer 

(Dial and Kilburn, 1980). Water levels in the Norco aquifer in 

St. James Parish (fig. 4) are also affected by the stage of the 

Mississippi River because of indirect hydraulic connection. 

State well-registration records listed 16 active wells 

screened in the Norco aquifer in St. James Parish in 2014, 

including 7 domestic, 6 industrial, and 3 irrigation. Well depths 

ranged from about 340 to 528 ft below land surface. Reported 

yields from these wells have ranged from 205 to 3,000 gal/min 

(Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 2014). 

Limited groundwater samples taken during the period 

1938–89 from 12 freshwater wells screened in the Norco 

aquifer in St. James Parish indicated that hardness ranged from 

40 to 420 mg/L as calcium carbonate, pH ranged from 6.5 to 

8.5, and chloride concentrations ranged from 7 to 230 mg/L 

(U.S. Geological Survey, 2014c). 

Surface-Water Resources 

In 2010, about 190 Mgal/d of surface water were withdrawn 

in the parish, including about 175 Mgal/d for industrial use, 

11.8 Mgal/d for aquaculture, 3.12 Mgal/d for public supply, 

and 0.06 Mgal/d for general irrigation (table 2). All industrial 

and public supply water came from the Mississippi River. Most 

surface water withdrawn for industrial use was used for cooling 

purposes and was returned to its source after use (Sargent, 2011). 

Surface-water drainages in St. James Parish are divided by 

the presence of higher natural elevations and constructed levees 

along the Mississippi River. This results in the Mississippi River 

being generally isolated from the surface-water flow in the rest 

of the parish. Rainfall generally flows away from the higher 

elevations along the river towards lower elevations through an 

intricate system of canals and streams. The area of the parish to 

the north of the Mississippi River is in the Lake Maurepas Basin 

(Hydrologic Unit Code [HUC] 08070204), which drains to the 

north and east through Bayou des Acadiens and Blind River 

(fig. 1) towards Lake Maurepas. The area of the parish to the 

south of the Mississippi River is in the East Central Louisiana 

Coastal Basin (HUC 08090301) and drains to the south and east 

through Bayous Verret, Citamon, and Chevreuil towards Lac des 

Allemands (fig. 1; U.S. Geological Survey, 1954, 2014a). 

Very little streamflow or water-quality data are available for 

smaller streams in St. James Parish. Discharge statistics could 

not be computed; however, some water-quality constituent levels 
Table 3. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics of freshwater in the Gramercy aquifer in St. James Parish, Louisiana, 

1931–2005 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014c).

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

CaCO3, calcium carbonate; μg/L, micrograms per liter; SMCL, Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(2012); NA, not applicable]

Temperature 

(°C)

Color

(PCU)

Specific conductance, field

(μS/cm at 25 °C)

pH,

field

(SU)

Hardness 

(as CaCO3

)

Chloride,

filtered

(as Cl)

Iron, 

filtered

(μg/L as Fe)

Manganese, 

filtered

(μg/L as Mn)

Dissolved 

solids, 

filtered

Gramercy aquifer (70 wells)

Median 21.0 20 802 7.4 220 46 600 130 550

10th percentile 20.0 4 479 6.9 26 13 100 19 311

90th percentile 21.5 55 1,180 7.9 390 150 3,900 450 803

Number of samples 45 27 60 46 68 70 34 20 24

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA 37 NA 98 NA 100 29 30 42

SMCLs

NA 15 NA 6.5–8.5 NA 250 300 50 500

have been measured. Five water samples taken from Blind River 

(site number 07380222; fig. 1) during 1967–2005 indicated a 

pH range of 6.8–7.2, a dissolved oxygen range of 3.6–7.5 mg/L, 

a hardness range of 65–140 mg/L as calcium carbonate, a 

chloride range of 25–199 mg/L, and a dissolved solids range of 

122–518 mg/L. Four water samples taken in 1999 from Bayou 

Chevreuil (site number 07380270; fig. 1) indicated a pH range 

of 6.7–7.3, a dissolved oxygen concentration of 3.5 mg/L, a 

hardness range of 71–105 mg/L as calcium carbonate, a chloride 

range of 19–89 mg/L, a manganese range of 148–177 mg/L, 

and a dissolved solids range of 142–290 mg/L (U.S. Geological 

Survey, 2014c). A dissolved oxygen concentration of 5 mg/L 

is considered the minimum value for a diversified population 

of fresh, warmwater biota, including sport fish (Louisiana 

Department of Environmental Quality, 2008). 

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River, which divides St. James Parish 

into northern and southern parts, is the primary source of 

fresh surface water in the parish. The Mississippi River drains 

more than 40 percent of the continental United States. Water 

quality and quantity in the Mississippi River are affected by 

both natural processes and human activities in the Mississippi 

River Basin upstream of St. James Parish. These processes 

and activities include precipitation, erosion, and the effects 

of dams and diversions. Water quantity and quality both vary 

seasonally because of the rate and distribution of precipitation 

and land-use patterns. 

Water quantity can vary appreciably as indicated by 

record discharges at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, located about 

54 river miles upstream of the St. James Parish border (site 

number 07374000; fig. 1 index map), of 1,436,000 cubic feet 

per second (ft3

/s) in May 2011 and 132,800 ft3/s in October 

2012 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014d). The average flow 

of the Mississippi River near Red River Landing, Louisiana 

(site number 07373291; fig. 1 index map), located about 

125 river miles upstream of Union, was about 460,000 ft3

/s 

(about 298,000 Mgal/d) during 1928–76 (Wells, 1980). 

The flow in the Mississippi River at Red River Landing is 

representative of flows in St. James Parish because there are no 

major tributaries or distributaries, and the river is mostly leveed 

between the landing and the parish. 

Water quality is also affected by runoff, discharge, and 

contamination from upstream agricultural, municipal, and 

industrial activities. Water-quality constituent concentrations, 

such as agricultural pesticides and nutrients, are generally 

highest in June and July, representing the “spring flush,” 

which results from the runoff of upstream applications of 

these pesticides and nutrients (Demcheck and others, 2004). 

Suspended-sediment concentrations are generally highest in 

late winter and early spring and lowest in late summer and 

fall (Wells, 1980). Water samples analyzed during the period 

1973–93 indicated that water in the Mississippi River at Union 

(site number 07374220; fig. 1) is generally hard and usually does 

not exceed the SMCLs for pH and concentrations of chloride, 

sulfate, and iron (table 4). Dissolved oxygen concentrations are 

generally greater than 5 mg/L.

References Cited 

Demcheck, D.K.; Tollett, R.W.; Mize, S.V.; Skrobialowski, S.C.; Fendick, 

R.B., Jr.; Swarzenski, C.M.; and Porter, Stephen, 2004, Water quality in 

the Acadian-Pontchartrain Drainages, Louisiana and Mississippi, 1999–

2001: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1232, 41 p.

Dial, D.C., and Kilburn, Chabot, 1980, Ground-water resources of the Gramercy 

area, Louisiana: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, 

Office of Public Works Water Resources Technical Report no. 24, 39 p. 
Table 4. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics for the Mississippi River at Union, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014c).

[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; <, less than; SMCL, Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2012); NA, not 

applicable]

Specific 

conductance, field

(μS/cm 

at 25 °C)

Oxygen, 

dissolved

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)

Mississippi River at Union, 1973–931

Median 386 8.2 7.6 150 39 12 16 21 46 20

10th percentile 300 6.3 7.2 120 31 8.9 12 15 34 <10

90th percentile 485 11.4 7.9 170 45 16 27 33 67 60

Number of samples 305 299 296 299 274 275 53 303 299 296

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 100 NA NA NA NA 100 100 99

SMCLs

NA NA 6.5–8.5 NA NA NA NA 250 250 300

1

Site number 07374220. 

Griffith, J.M., 2003, Hydrogeologic framework of southeastern Louisiana: 

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Water Resources 

Technical Report no. 72, 21 p., 18 pls. 

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.

Hosman, R.L., 1972, Ground-water resources of the Norco area, Louisiana: 

Department of Conservation, Louisiana Geological Survey, and Louisiana 

Department of Public Works Water Resources Bulletin no. 18, 61 p. 

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, 2008, Environmental 

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

Department of Environmental Quality, accessed June 9, 2009, at http:www.

deq.louisiana.gov/portal/tabid/1674/Default.aspx.

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 2014, Strategic Online Natural 

Resources Information System (SONRIS): Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources database, accessed October 28, 2014, at http://sonris.com/.

Sargent, B.P., 2011, Water use in Louisiana, 2010: Louisiana Department of 

Transportation and Development Water Resources Special Report no. 17, 

135 p. 

Tomaszewski, D.J., 2003, Groundwater resources along the lower Mississippi 

River, southeastern Louisiana: Louisiana Department of Transportation and 

Development Water Resources Technical Report no. 69, 23 p. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992, Secondary Drinking Water 

Regulations—Guidance for nuisance chemicals: U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency publication EPA 810/K-92-001, 4 p., accessed September 

28, 2011, at http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/secondarystandards.cfm. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012, 2012 Edition of the drinking 

water standards and health advisories: U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency publication EPA 822-S-12-001, Office of Water, 12 p., accessed 

August 7, 2012, at http://water.epa.gov/action/advisories/drinking/upload/

dwstandards2012.pdf.

U.S. Geological Survey, [Turcan, A.N., Jr.], [1954], Water, in St. James Parish 

Resources and Facilities: St. James Parish Planning and Development Board 

and Louisiana Department of Public Works, p. 27–33. 

U.S. Geological Survey, 2012, Ground-water levels for Louisiana [data for 

USGS 300024090433501 SJ-86]: National Water Information System Web 

Interface, accessed October 18, 2012, at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/la/

nwis/gwlevel/.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2014a, Science in your watershed: Accessed October 

28, 2014, at http://water.usgs.gov/wsc/reg/08.html.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2014b, U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources 

Cooperative Program: Louisiana Water Use Program, 1960–2010 data, 

accessed September 3, 2014, at http://la.water.usgs.gov/WaterUse/default.

asp.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2014c, Water quality samples for Louisiana: National 

Water Information System Web Interface, accessed August 6, 2014, at http://

nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/qwdata/.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2014d, Water-resources data for the United States, 

water year 2013: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report WDR-US-2013, 

site 07374000, accessed August 19, 2014, at http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/

wy2013/pdfs/07374000.2013.pdf.

Wells, F.C., 1980, Hydrology and water quality of the lower Mississippi River: 

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Public 

Works Water Resources Technical Report no. 21, 83 p.

This fact sheet was published by the U.S. Geological 

Survey in cooperation with the Louisiana Department 

of Transportation and Development (DOTD). 

Thanks are given to Zahir “Bo” Bolourchi, Director, 

Water Resources Programs, Louisiana DOTD, who 

contributed to the content of the fact sheet.

By Vincent E. White and Lawrence B. Prakken

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: http://la.water.usgs.gov

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20153038