U.S. Department of the Interior a U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey

Programs in Mississippi

For more than 100 years the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has provided 

earth-science information to help others 

understand and manage the Nation’s 

energy, land, mineral, biological, and 

water resources. Such information is used 

in many decisions regarding management 

and optimum use of Mississippi’s natural 

resources and to address major environmental, economic, and health issues, such 

as contamination of the environment by 

hazardous wastes, adequacy of suitablequality water supplies, nutrient input to 

streams and estuaries, distribution of coal 

and mineral resources, and effects of 

urban development and agriculture on the 

environment.

Bridge-Site Evaluations

The U.S. Geological Survey works 

closely with the Mississippi Department of 

Transportation (MDOT). USGS streamflow records, hydrologic analyses of 

basins, and hydraulic analyses of flooding 

potential at proposed highway bridges provide information used by the MDOT to 

design those bridges.

Flood-frequency and hydraulic characteristics at highway bridges are determined from historic flood elevations 

recovered by the USGS, cross-section 

data, and correlations with nearby gaging 

stations. Streamflow data are collected to 

define the hydraulic characteristics of 

other ungaged sites as requested by the 

MDOT. This information provides the 

basis for the design of highways and 

drainage structures, and it is used by local 

agencies and the general public to guide 

floodplain management.

During 1993–96, the USGS completed 

264 bridge-site studies; in 1996, 104 such 

studies were completed. Many of the analyses were for multiple bridge openings. 

Also, statistical analyses of streamflow data 

were provided as requested by the MDOT.

Streambanks and channel scour near 

bridge piers and abutments (fig. 1) during 

floods has resulted in more bridge failures 

than all other causes in recent history. The 

design and maintenance of bridge foundations require consideration of the maximum depth of scour that could occur 

during an extreme flood.

In 1993, the USGS, in cooperation with 

the MDOT, began a 5-year study to evaluate 

observed and potential scour conditions at 

selected bridges. Since 1993, the USGS has 

completed 102 scour-evaluation studies.

Surface-Water Investigations

The USGS has collected surface-water 

data in Mississippi since 1899. These data 

are stored in computerized local and 

national data bases and disseminated to 

cooperators, educational institutions, 

Index of Subjects

Bridge-Site Evaluations

Surface-Water Investigations

Ground-Water Investigations

Erosion Control

Water-Quality Assessment

Ecological Research

Topographic Mapping

Geologic Information

Oil and Gas Assessment

National Coal Assessment

Agricultural Management-Systems 

Evaluation

Geologic Mapping

Digital Mapping

Cooperative Programs and Partnership

Figure 1. An example of bridge-abutment scour in central Mississippi.

Earth Science in the Public Service
private organizations, and the public in 

published reports, and by the Internet. In 

addition, the USGS responds to thousands 

of data requests from the general public 

each year.

The current surface-water data-collection program in Mississippi provides continuous stage and discharge information for 

88 sites, continuous stage information for 

an additional 7 sites, and periodic stage and 

discharge information for 59 other sites.

As of January 1997, 83 of 96 continuously recording streamflow gaging stations 

were equipped with satellite transmitters. 

In 1995 the USGS became one of the first 

organizations to apply this technology to 

the Internet by developing a real-time Surface Water Data page that provides tabular 

and graphic forms of continuously updated 

stage and discharge data, in addition to 

long-term flow statistics and a gage 

description. To view or retrieve these data 

on the Internet, go to: 

http://water.usgs.gov/swr/MS/

With significant advancement of acoustic-signal processing, it is possible to profile three-dimensional velocity vectors with 

a high degree of precision and repeatability. 

Recently the USGS began using an acoustic Doppler current profiler to measure discharge at sites on some of the larger rivers 

in Mississippi. This method is used to 

model three-dimensional velocity near 

bridges, dams, and other flow-control structures to document effects of tidal flow and 

backwater conditions on rivers (fig. 2).

Ground-Water Investigations

Ground water supplies 80 percent of all 

the freshwater used in Mississippi. 

Increasing population and the accompanying economic growth are expected to 

increase the demand for freshwater. The 

USGS, in cooperation with State and local 

agencies, investigates ground-water 

resources in Mississippi.

 In northeastern Mississippi, most 

ground water is supplied by the Eutaw–

McShan aquifer and the Tuscaloosa aquifer 

system. A digital model developed by the 

USGS is being used to simulate flow in the 

aquifer system to understand the resource 

and its capacity. The model is being 

expanded to include the Coffee Sand and 

Paleozoic aquifers.

In coastal Jackson County, the location 

and depth of water-bearing sands were 

compiled and mapped by interpreting more 

than 1,600 well lithology records. Information determined from each record was 

entered into a geographic information system (GIS) data base. 

Erosion Control

In 1984, Congress directed the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers and the Soil 

Conservation Service, now the Natural 

Resource Conservation Service, to establish demonstration watersheds for studying 

erosion and sedimentation in agricultural 

watersheds. The Demonstration Erosion 

Control project is in the upper Yazoo River 

Basin in north-central Mississippi. The 

project is an ongoing, multiagency effort 

for planning, constructing, and evaluating 

projects to alleviate erosion, sedimentation, 

and flooding problems in the bluff hills that 

border the Mississippi River alluvial plain, 

known locally as the “Delta”. Analyses of 

the data by the USGS have identified trends 

in stream discharge, suspended-sediment 

concentration, and sediment discharge data 

for several of the sites.

Water-Quality Assessment 

The goals of the National Water-Quality 

Assessment (NAWQA) Program are to 

describe trends in the quality of a large 

part of the Nation’s water resources and to 

identify the major natural and human 

factors that affect the quality of these 

resources. Assessment of the Mississippi 

Embaymant study unit, which covers an 

area of about 49,800 square miles, and 

includes parts of Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, began in 1994. Much of the NAWQA 

work is done at more than 160 sites 

selected to represent a broad spectrum 

of land-use conditions.

The occurrence and distribution of common inorganic constituents, trace elements, 

nutrients, and pesticides and other organic 

compounds in surface and ground water are 

bring investigated. The amounts of nutrients and suspended sediment being transported by streams are being determined 

(fig. 3). Ecological characteristics of the 

area including assessment of algal, fish, 

and aquatic macroinvertibrate communities are being evaluated as integrated indicators of water quality. Organochlorine 

compounds, PCB’s (polyclorinated biphenyls), and trace elements are measured in 

fish tissue and in bed sediments.

Ecological Research

The USGS recently began a project with 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

that will use GIS to assist Federal, State, 

and local agencies to prioritize their wetlands restoration efforts. The project will 

use information such as soil type, amount 

Figure 2. Using an acoustic Doppler current 

meter to collect three-dimensional velocity data.

Figure 3. Processing sediment samples 

for trace element analysis.
of time areas are flooded, vegetative cover, 

and digital terrain models to assess the likelihood that an area could be restored to a 

functional wetland.

Other wetland studies are being conducted in Mississippi by the USGS 

National Wetlands Research Center in 

Lafayette Louisiana. Bottomland hardwood reforestation research at Yazoo 

National Wildlife Refuge is designed to 

assist managers in improving restoration 

success in farmed wetlands of the Delta 

Region. The effects of fire on the restoration of the longleaf pine savanna that the 

sandhill cranes require for habitat are being 

studied at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane 

National Wildlife Refuge.

The USGS Mississippi Cooperative Fish 

and Wildlife Research Unit is located at 

Mississippi State University in Stakrville. 

Research encompasses sport-fish-population dynamics, ecology and management of 

lower Mississippi river fishes, and the conservation biology of sensitive species in 

Mississippi and the Caribbean. Other studies include collaboration with State agencies and the Delta Wildlife Foundation on 

survival of largemouth bass and in providing the Catfish Farmers of America information to reduce losses of fish to fisheating birds. The USGS Patuxent Wildlife 

Research Center field station at Vicksburg 

is studying the response of waterfowl and 

migrant birds to land-use management 

strategies.

 Topographic Mapping

Among the most popular and versatile 

products of the USGS are 1:24,000-scale 

topographic maps (1 inch on the map represents 2,000 feet on the ground). Some of 

the map data are available in digital formats. These maps depict basic natural and 

cultural features of the landscape, such as 

lakes and streams, highways and railroads, 

boundaries, and geographic names. Contour lines are used to depict the elevation 

and shape of terrain. Mississippi is covered 

by 850 maps at this scale, which is useful 

for civil engineering, land-use planning, 

natural-resource monitoring, and other 

technical applications. These maps have 

long been favorites with the general public 

for outdoor uses, including hiking, camping, exploring, and back-country fishing 

expeditions.

The USGS National Mapping Program 

has developed a new agreement with Mississippi Automated Resources Information 

Systems (MARIS) for producing Digital 

Tagged Vector Contour Data (TVC). The 

USGS is supplying MARIS with elevation 

contours in exchange for the completed 

level-2 tagged vector contour data. TVC’s 

are an intermediate product used for developing Digital Elevation Models (DEM’s) as 

well as Digital Line Graph Hypsography.

Geologic Information

The USGS operates Geologic Information Centers; many of the topics they focus 

on are of interest to people in Mississippi. 

The National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) in Golden, Colorado, is deploying the U.S. National Seismograph 

Network (USNSN), which, when completed, will consist of about 60 seismograph stations nationwide. The USNSN 

monitors nationwide seismicity, provides 

early notification of seismic events to 

national-level emergency-services personnel, maintains an archive of high-quality 

digital data on national seismicity, and provides public information. A USNSN station 

in Oxford, Mississippi, sends data by satellite telemetry to the NEIC.

Oil and Gas Assessment

Much of southern Mississippi lies in the 

Gulf Coast region. This region has a long 

history of producing large amounts of petroleum and is experiencing a resurgence of 

interest in exploring for petroleum trapped 

around and underneath large subsurface salt 

structures. The USGS recently began a 

study of these structures to understand how 

they were formed and to evaluate their 

potential for containing trapped petroleum.

National Coal Assessment

Coal accounts for about one-fourth of 

the total energy and more than one-half of 

the electricity generated in the United 

States. Even with substantial increases in 

energy conservation and in natural gas use 

to meet increased demands for energy, coal 

will continue to be a major contributor. 

New technologies to use coal will require 

resources that fit explicit quality requirements. Therefore, information about the 

location, quantity, and quality of the 

Nation’s coal resources to be consumed 

during the next 20 years, classified particularly by best end use, will be needed by 

national and regional planners. In the 

National Coal Assessment, the USGS will 

work with the Mississippi Office of Geology to identify the location and quality of 

coal resources, including coal that may be 

suitable for export, on public and private 

lands. The USGS is working with several 

Federal and State agencies to aid Mississippi and its industry to develop cost-effective strategies to mitigate acid-rain and 

acidic mine drainage problems that are 

associated with coal burning and mining 

and to remedy present contamination.

The USGS STATEMAP program is supporting detailed mapping in east-central 

Mississippi where economically significant 

deposits of lignite are being considered for 

power generation. Lignite production will 

require strip mining and construction of a 

power plant. This part of the State also is a 

recharge area for an important aquifer 

where protection of the ground-water supply is necessary. The project also is studying the distribution and extent of potentially 

economic ceramic clay.

Agricultural ManagementSystems Evaluation

The Mississippi Delta Management Systems Evaluation Area project is an interagency 5-year study to assess how 

agricultural activities affect the water 

resources in the Delta and to increase the 

knowledge needed to design and evaluate 

management practices as components of 

farming systems. The study is being conducted at sites within three Delta oxbowlake watersheds, where cotton production is 

the primary land use.

Geologic Mapping

The USGS, in cooperation with the Surface Geology Division of the Mississippi 

Office of Geology, is working through the 

STATEMAP program to map the subsurface 

geology in north-central Mississippi. Shallow aquifers in these units could be affected 

by proposed development of a lignite stripmine and an electric power generating 

plant. The geology of 16 quadrangles, 

including parts of Choctaw, Oktibbeha, 

Winston, Montgomery, Attala, Webster, 

Calhoun, and Grenada Counties, will be 

mapped. In this area, several towns depend 

on ground water for their water supply.
For More

Information

The Surface Geology Division also has 

received USGS National Coal Resources 

Data System (NCRDS) grants for 1996 and 

1997. Lignite seams found in recent core 

holes and in about 90 drilling records have 

been added to the NCRDS data base.

Digital Mapping

The USGS and the National Park Service (NPS) have established an interagency 

agreement to produce digital raster graphics (DRG) for barrier islands along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The DRG’s are 

scanned from USGS topographic maps, and 

can be used as an accurate base for a GIS. 

A private company is producing the DRG’s 

for the USGS and participating agencies 

under a Federal–private partnership. DRG’s 

will be prepared for all 1:24,000-, 

1:100,000-, and 1:250,000-scale topographic maps covering the NPS area of 

interest. The USGS and the NPS also are 

cooperating to produce digital line graph, 

DEM’s, and digital orthophotoquad data for 

the Gulf Islands National Lakeshore.

The USGS has joined the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, and the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural 

Resources Conservation Service to fund 

completion of the 206 remaining 

1:24,000-scale DEM’s for Mississippi. 

The models can be used for topographic 

visualization (fig. 4). When complete, 

Mississippi will have an accurate, Statewide digital topographic data base suitable 

for GIS analysis.

Cooperative Programs and 

Partnerships

The work of the USGS in Mississippi is 

accomplished in part through cooperation 

with local, State, and other Federal agencies who share in the planning and financial 

support of the program. Agencies that provided funding and services in support of the 

USGS activities during 1995-97 include: 

the City of Jackson; the Harrison County 

Board of Supervisors; the Harrison County 

Development Commission; the Jackson 

County Board of Supervisors; the Jackson 

Port Authority; the Gulf States Marine 

Fisheries Commission; the Mississippi 

Automated Resource Information System; 

the Mississippi Department of Agriculture 

and Commerce; the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Office 

of Land and Water Resources, the Office of 

Geology, and the Office of Pollution Control; the Mississippi Department of Health; 

Mississippi State University; the Mississippi Department of Transportation; the 

Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation 

Commission; the Pat Harrison Waterway 

District; the Pearl River Basin Development District; the Pearl River Valley Water 

Supply District; the Yazoo Mississippi 

Delta Joint Water Management District; the 

National Park Service; the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, Mobile and Vicksburg 

Districts; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation 

Service, and the Agricultural Research Service; the Mississippi Water Resources 

Research Institute; and the Mississippi 

Rural Water Association.

USGS state representative

308 South Airport Road

Pearl, MS 39208

(601) 965-4600

Fax: (601) 965-5782

Email: dc_ms@usgs.gov

Additional earth science

information can be found by

accessing the USGS Home Page

on the World Wide Web at

http://www.usgs.gov/

For more information on

all USGS reports and products

(including maps, images,

and computerized data), call

1-800-USA-MAPS

The USGS provides maps,

reports, and information to help

others meet their needs to manage,

 develop, and protect America’s water,

energy, mineral, biological, and land

resources. We help find the natural

resources needed to build tomorrow,

and supply the scientific understanding needed to help minimize or mitigate the effects of natural hazards

and environmental damage caused

by natural and human activities. The

results of our efforts touch the daily

 life of almost every American.

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS-024-96 Figure 4. Aerial perspective of the terrain at Vicksburg with a topographic map superimposed upon it 

to aid visualization. (Created from digital raster graphic and digital elevation model data.)