Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 101 Series 0, Underground "Waters, 23 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR

UNDERGROUND WATERS

OF

SOUTHERN LOUISIANA

BY

GILBERT DENNISON HARRIS

WITH DISCUSSIONS OF THEIR USES FOR WATER SUPPLIES 

AND FOR RICE IRRIGATION

BY

M. L. FULLER

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

1904
PUBLICATIONS OF UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

The publications of the United States Geological Survey consist of (1) Annual Reports; (2) 

Monographs; (3) Professional Papers; (4) Bulletins; (5) Mineral Resources; (6) Water-Supply and 

Irrigation Papers; (7) Topographic Atlas of United States, folios and separate sheets thereof; (8) 

Geologic Atlas of United States, folios thereof. The classes numbered 2, 7, and 8 are sold at cost 

of publication; the others are distributed free. A circular giving complete lists may be had on 

application.

The Professional Papers, Bulletins, and Water-Supply Papers treat of a variety of subjects and the 

total number issued is large. They have therefore been classified into the following series: A, Economic geology; B, Descriptive geology; C, Systematic geology and paleontology; D, Petrography and 

mineralogy; E, Chemistry and physics; F, Geography; G, Miscellaneous; H, Forestry; I, Irrigation; 

J, Water storage; K, Pumping water; L, Quality of water; M, General hydrographic investigations; 

N, Water power; O, Underground waters; P, Hydrographic progress reports.

The following Water-Supply Papers are out of stock, and can no longer be supplied: Nos. 1-16, 19, 

20, 22, 29-34, 36, 39, 40, 43, 46, 57-65, 75. Complete lists of papers relating to water supply and allied 

subjects follow. (PP=Professional Paper; B=Bulletin; WS= = Water-Supply Paper.)

SBEIES I IKBIGATION.

WS 2. Irrigation near Phoenix, Ariz., by A. P. Davis. 1897. 98 pp., 31 pis. and maps.

WS 5. Irrigation practice on the Great Plains, by E. B. Cowgill. 1897. 39 pp., 11 pis.

WS 9. Irrigation near Greeley, Colo., by David Boyd. 1897. 90 pp., 21 pis.

WS 10. Irrigation in Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, by F. C. Barker. 1898. 51 pp., 11 pis.

WS 13. Irrigation systems in Texas, by W. F. Hutson. 1898. 68 pp., 10 pis.

WS 17. Irrigation near Bakersfield, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1898. 96 pp., 16 pis.

WS 18. Irrigation near Fresno, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1898. 94 pp., 14 pis.

WS 19. Irrigation near Merced, Cal., by C. E. Grunsky. 1899. 59 pp., 11 pis.

WS 23. Water-right problems of Bighorn Mountains, by Elwood Mead. 1899. 62 pp., 7 pis.

WS 32. Water resources of Porto Rico, by H. M. Wilson. 1899. 48 pp., 17 pis. and maps.

WS 43. Conveyance of water in irrigation canals, flumes, and pipes, by Samuel Fortier. 1901. 86 pp.,

15 pis. v 

WS 70. Geology and water resources of the Patrick and Goshen Hole quadrangles, Wyoming, by

G. I. Adams. 1902. 50 pp., 11 pis.

WS 71. Irrigation systems of Texas, by T. U. Taylor. 1902. 137 pp., 9 pis. 

WS 74. Water resources of the State of Colorado, by A. L. Fellows. 1902. 151 pp., 14 pis. 

WS 87. Irrigation in India (second edition), by H. M. Wilson. 1903. 238 pp., 27 pis. 

WS 93. Proceedings of first conference of engineers of the reclamation service, with accompanying

papers, compiled by F. H. Newell, chief engineer. 1904. 361 pp.

The following papers also relate especially to irrigation: Irrigation in India, by H. M. Wilson, in 

Twelfth Annual, Pt. II; two papers on irrigation engineering, by H. M. Wilson, in Thirteenth Annual, 

Ft. III.

SEEIES J WATER STOBAGE.

WS 33. Storage of water on Gila River, Arizona, by J. B. Lippincott. 1900. 98 pp., 33 pis.

W8 40. The Austin dam, by Thomas U. Taylor. 1900. 61 pp., 16 pis.

WS 45. Water storage on Cache Creek, California, by A. E. Chandler. 1901. 48 pp., 10 pis.

WS 46. Physical characteristics of Kern River, California, by F. H. Olmsted, and Reconnaissance of

Yuba River, California, by Marsden Manson. 1901. 57 pp., 8 pis.

WS 58. Storage of water on Kings River, California, by J. B. Lippincott. 1902. 100 pp., 32 pis. 

WS 68. Water storage in Truckee Basin, California-Nevada, by L. H. Taylor. 1902. 90 pp., 8 pis. 

WS 73. Water storage on Salt River, Arizona, by A. P. Davis. 1902. 54 pp.. 25 plsWS 86. Storage reservoirs on Stony Creek, California, by Burt Cole. 1903. C2 pp., 16 pis. 

WS 89. Water resources of Salinas Valley, California, by Homer Hamlin. 1904. 91 pp., 12 pis. 

WS 93. Proceedings of first conference of engineers of the reclamation service, with accompanying

papers, compiled by F. H. Newell, chief engineer. 1904. 361 pp.

The following paper also should be noted under this heading: Reservoirs for irrigation, by J. D. 

Bchuyler, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV.

IKK 101 2
Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 101 Series 0, Underground Waters, 23 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

CHARLES 1). WALCOTT, DIKECTOK

UNDERGROUND WATERS

OF

SOUTHERN LOUISIANA

BY

GILBERT DENNISON HARRIS

WITH DISCUSSIONS OE THEIR USES FOR WATER SUPPLIES 

AND FOR RICE IRRIGATION

BY

M. L. FULLER

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1904
CONTENTS.

Letter of transmittal, by F. H. Newell................................... 9

Prefatory remarks........................................................ 11

Origin of artesian and deep-well waters in southern Louisiana ............... 12

Precipitation......................................................... 12

Gulf waters as a source of supply of deep wells ......................... 13

River waters as a source of supply ..................................... 13

Topography of southern Louisiana......................................... 15

Topographic subdivisions ............................................. 15

Swamp-lake area................................................. 15

Eegion of prairies and low, rolling hills............................ 16

Hill lands........................................................ 17

Stratigraphy of southern Louisiana ...... .................................. 17

General considerations................................................ 17

Tertiary ............................................................. 19

Oligocene........................................................ 19

Miocene ...i...................................................... 21

Quaternary .......................................................... 21

Subdivisions..................................................... 21

Genesis of deposits ............................................... 23

Effect of the Mississippi on stratigraphy of southern Louisiana ...... 26

Subdivisions of southern Louisiana, based on underground water conditions.. 27 

Modification of kind and conditions of water brought about by local topography and stratigraphy ............................................. 27

Remarks on special areas...................................... ........ 29

Well statistics............................................................ 30

Artesian wells in southern Mississippi, from Biloxi westward..-.-.....-. 30

Harrison County ................................................. 31

Biloxi....................................................... ' 31

Ship Island.................................................. 31

Mississippi City .............................................. 32

Generalized section from Pass Christian to Biloxi............... 32

Bay St. Louis ................................................ 33

Artesian and deep wells in Louisiana east of the Mississippi............. 33

St. Tammany Parish.............................................. 33

Covington and vicinity ....................................... 33

Abita Springs ................................................. 35

Pearl Eiver Junction ......................................... 36

Mandeville Junction.......................................... 37

Mandeville .................................................. 37

Chinchuba................................................... 38

Tangipahoa Parish ............................................... 38

Singletry' s still............................................... 38

Hammond...-..-.-...........-.--...--...--..--..------.---- 38

Ponchatoula ................................................. 42

3
4 CONTENTS.

Well statistics Continued. Page. 

\rtesian and deep wells in Louisiana east of the Mississippi Continued.

Orleans Parish ......... .......................................... 43

Deep salt-water wells......................................... 44

Common "yellow-water" wells ............................... 45

The 400-foot sands............................................ 46

Shallow wells....-._....._..........._...-......._....._..... 46

Bonnabel well -.--...-.---.__.._._.......-...........__...... 46

St. John the Baptist Parish ....................................... 47

Ruddock ...................................................^ 47

East Baton Rouge Parish ......................................... 48

Baton Rouge and vicinity..................................... 48

Baker ........................................................ 48

Zachary ..................................................... 49

West Feliciana Parish ............................................ 49

Bayou Sara .................................................. 49

Artesian and deep wells in Louisiana west of the Mississippi............. 49

La Fourche Parish ............................................... 49

Thibodaux .................................................. 49

Assumption Parish ............... ................................ 49

Napoleonville................................................ 49

St. James Parish ................................................. 49

St. Mary Parish.................................................. 50

Morgan City ..................................... ........... 50

Glencoe ............................ .........-.............".. 50

Iberia Parish ..................................................... 50

Jeaiierette and vicinity ...-.....-"-.---...-.--------.--...----. 50

New Iberia .--...-....--............-...............----..... 51

St. Martin Parish................................................. 52

St. Martinville and vicinity ................................... 52

Breaux Bridge -.....,..........-.-.........-.........-..----. 52

Lafayette Parish ................................................. 53

Lafayette and vicinity ....----...-.----..-.-..--. ............ 53

St. Landry Parish ................................................ 53

Opelousas.................................................... 53

Washington ................................................. 53

West Baton Rouge Parish......................................... 54

Baton Rouge Junction.......-...--........-----..-....--..._ 54

LobdelL..................................................... 54

Pointe Coupee Parish............................................. 54

New Roads ..---....-...-.-......---..............-..--- -. 54

Batchelor.................................................... 54

Avoyelles Parish -...................--..---....-.-.-.....---..... 54

Bunkie ..-...............-........--.-......-----.-.-........ 54

Marksville....................................... ............ 54

Vermilion Parish-.......................................... .... 54

Abbeville and vicinity........................................ 54

Shell Beach.................................................. 55

Gueydan ..........................................^......... 55

Acadia Parish....................:............................... 55

Rayne and vicinity........................................... 55

Crowley and vicinity ..---'-.....-......-.-...--..-......-..-.. 55

Midland..................................................... 56

Oriza and vicinity............................................ 56
CONTENTS. 5

Well statistics Continued. Page. 

Artesian and deep wells in Louisiana west of the Mississippi Continued.

Calcasieu Parish.................................................. 56

"Welsh and vicinity ........................................... 57

Lake Arthur .......... ....................................... 58

Jennings and vicinity......................................... 58

Kinder and vicinity ........................................... 59

China ....................................................... 59

Oberlin...................................................... 59

Lake Charles ................................................ 59

West Lake................................................... 60

Rapides Parish................................................... 60

Blowing wells................................................ 60

Variation in flow and pressure head shown by wells in southern Louisiana.... 61

Wells east of the Mississippi -.-.....---.......--..--...--.-......-.--- 61

Wells west of the Mississippi-......................................... 62

Well drilling and pumping................................................ 68

Methods of drilling................................................... 68

Jetting .......................................................... 68

Rotary process ................................................... 69

Screens.............................................................. 71

Pumping .___._..._...._........._....._..._...._,__.......__._.._. .. 72

Water supplies from wells in southern Louisiana, by M. L. Fuller ........... 74

Increased use of underground water ................................... 74

Town and domestic supplies ..............;............-.............. 74

Farm supplies......................................................... 80

Railroad supplies..................................................... 81

Manufacturing supplies ............................................... 81

Rice irrigation in southern Louisiana, compiled by M. L. Fuller............. 82

Development of rice irrigation......................................... 82

Sources of water...................................................... 83

Bayous .......................................................... . .83

Wells............................................................ 84

Irrigation systems in operation ........................................ 84

Pumping ............................................................ 91

Application of water.................................................. 92

Canals........................................................... 92

Field levees...................................................... 92

Methods of farming .............................................. 93

Index ................................................................... 95

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page. 

PLATE I. Topographic map of southern Louisiana .......................... 14

II. Well sections from Alexandria to New Orleans.................... 18

III. A, Remnant of Grand Chenier Ridge at the ferry landing on Mermentau River; B, Location of springs among the live oaks on the 

border between the sea marsh and the south side of Grand Chenier 

Island, about 2 miles east of the. village......................... 22

IV. A, North side of Grand Chenier Island; B, South shore of Lake

Pontchartrain, 1J miles west of West End ...................... 24

V. A, Well in the barn lot of the Hernandez place, 2J miles north of 

Covington, La.; B, Well in Mr. Andersen's barnyard, threefourths of a mile northwest of Hammond station, La ............ 34

VI. A, Artesian well of Bradley and Ramsay Lumber Company, 1 mile 

* north of Lake Charles, La.; B, Screen wound 'at the Moresi 

Brothers' shop, Jeanerette..................................... 58

VII. A, May pumping plant, Welsh, La.; B, Pumping from a 12-inch well

on the farm of A. E. Lee, 8 miles northwest of Crowley, La...... 70

VIII. A characteristic bayou of the more sluggish type in the Gulf coastal

region........................................................ 76

IX. A, Pumping station on one of the larger streams of the Gulf coastal

region; B, Discharge of a heavy pump system................... 82

X. Pumping plant, Bayou des Cannes ............................... 84

XI. Canal and well systems in southwestern Louisiana................. 92

FIG. 1. Map showing topographic subdivisions of southern Louisiana ........ 15

2. North-south section from the Kansas City Southern Railroad, in Texas,

through Sabine Lake and southwest Cameron Parish, La .......... 16

3. North-south section from the Mississippi line through Covington and 

New Orleans and Baratara Bay to the Gulf........................ 18

4. North-south section starting 12 miles west of Alexandria, passing

through Oakdale, Jennings, and Grand Lake to the Gulf........... 18

5. Correlation of water-bearing sands north and south of Lake Pontchartrain ....................................................... 19

6. Sections across Grand Chenier Island............................... 24

7. Subdivisions of southern Louisiana in accordance with underground

water conditions ................................................ 28

8. Relation of land surface to pressure head of artesian and deep-well

waters approximately along parallel 30° 27'....................... 29

9. Relation of land surface to pressure head of artesian and deep-well

waters approximately along parallel 30° 12'....................... 30

10. Well-drilling outfit of Bacon and Gamble, sinking a well at Ponchatoula by the jetting process ...................................... 69

11. A common method of constructing a screen......................... 72

12. Common form of rotary pump; Van Wie model..................... 72

13. Cross section of rice canal ......................................... 92

14. Cross section of correct form of field levee .......................... 93

15. Diagram showing depth of water used on rice field at Crowley and

dates of irrigation ................. .............................. 94

7

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL, SURVEY,

HYDROGRAPHIC BRANCH, 

Washington, D. (7., December 4, 1903.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript by Prof. 

G. D. Harris on the "Underground Waters of Southern Louisiana," 

to which has been added short discussions of certain economic features, 

including the uses of underground waters for water supplies and for 

rice irrigation, by Mr. M. L. Fuller. The part by Professor Harris 

is an elaboration of a portion of an earlier paper published in the 

reports of the geological survey of Louisiana, and by means of its 

descriptions and illustrations brings out clearly the nature of the 

occurrence and the importance of the underground water resources of 

the region considered. It is believed that the discussion of water supplies, by reiterating the importance of pure sources, will hasten their 

introduction. The irrigation of rice, though yet in its earlier stages, 

has already increased tenfold the value of land over large areas, and 

the publication of information which will in any way call attention to 

the importance of underground waters in its development will be of 

considerable value. I would recommend that the report be published 

in the series of Water-Supply and Irrigation Papers. 

Very respectfully,

F. H. NEWELL, Chief Engineer. 

Hon. CHARLES D. WALCOTT,

Director, United States Geological Survey.

9

UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA.

By GILBERT D. HARRIS.

PREFATORY REMARKS.

In the writer's studies of the geology of southern Louisiana during 

the last three years, opportunities have presented themselves for collecting data relating to the underground waters of this section of the 

State. A brief summary of the data so collected was given in Part 

VI of the report of the State geological survey for the year 1902, in 

Special Report No. 6, "The Subterranean Waters of Louisiana." 

Since the publication of this work one winter season has been spent 

in southern Louisiana in general geological work, and one month 

(June 20 to July 20, 1903) has been devoted to field work bearing 

exclusively on water supplies. This report, therefore, may be considered as an enlarged and revised edition of the special report named, 

based, in large measure, on facts gathered by the writer while he 

was employed by the State of Louisiana. After this explanation it 

seems scarcely necessary to use quotation marks or to give precise 

references in every case where facts have been taken from the earlier 

report.

In many instances the height above tide (mean sea level) of stations 

along the Southern Pacific Railroad will be found to vary as much as 

8 feet in the two reports. This is due to the fact that early elevations furnished by this road to the United States Geological Survey, 

and published in Bulletin 160, were different from those now posted on 

the stations along the line throughout southern Louisiana (see PI. I).

11
12 UNDERGROUND WATEE8 OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

ORIGIN OF ARTESIAN A^D DEEP-WELL WATERS IN SOUTHERN LOtTISIANA.

PRECIPITATION.

Last year's Weather Bureau report gives the following figures 

regarding precipitation at several stations in southern Louisiana : a

Precipitation at stations in southern Louisiana.

Station.

Amite ............-..-..-.._-....._....._-....................

Cheneyville. ..................................................

Clinton. ......................................................

Hammond ....................................................

Lafayette .....................................................

Sugartown. ...................................................

1902.

45.24

41.44

40.74

52.29

47.01

36.35

41.19

39.77

48.12

Average.

55.95

60.41

53.18

55.01

58.13

53.48

54.94

54.64

54.52

From this it appears that the average annual precipitation in this 

part of the State is about 55 inches. This means that each acre of 

land receives more than double enough rain water to irrigate it properly if planted in rice. But much of this water is lost., so far as agricultural purposes are concerned, by flowing away in surface streams 

to the Gulf. Much, too, that descends into the soil and lower strata 

of the earth, doubtless leaches out into the Gulf underground. Unfortunately for our present study, the main local streams of southern 

Louisiana have never been gaged, and consequently the amount of 

water that reaches the sea, even by surface streams, is not known. 

The extent, therefore, to which the total amount of rainfall may be 

utilized as deep-well water can not at present be even approximately 

estimated. That much rain water is absorbed and transported to distant places through underground porous layers is evident from the 

existence of many satisfactory deep and artesian wells throughout the 

southernmost parishes of the State. Yet it is often held that the supply of deep waters may be derived from large bodies of neighboring 

water for example, from lakes and rivers and small streams that have 

a greater altitude than the surface of the water in the deep wells. 

This may, indeed, be the case in a region in which there are limestone 

formations, or in a region where the gradient of the streams is considerable and erosion is scouring and cleaning the sides and bottom of 

the channels and where practically no silt is being deposited, but in

«TJ. S. Dept. Agr., Ann. Summary, 1902, Louisiana Section, Weather Bureau Office, New Orleans, La,
HABRIS.] ORIGIN OF' UNDERGROUND WATERS. 13

Louisiana none of these conditions exist, so far as the larger streams 

and other large bodies of water are concerned. However, we will 

consider with all necessary detail two of the common theories advanced 

to account for the presence of water in such apparently immense 

quantities beneath the surface in southern Louisiana.

GULF WATER AS A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF DEEP WELLS.

It is frequently asserted that the continuance of southerly winds or 

high tides causes an appreciable rise in the level of the water in wells 

not far from the coast; that when wells are vigorously pumped the 

water level descends below tide; that therefore there is an intimate 

connection between the waters of the Gulf and those encountered so 

abundantly in deep wells.

That there is more or less connection between the fresh water under 

the ground and the salt water of the Gulf there can be no doubt. A 

variation in the height of the water in a few wells coincident with that 

in a neighboring body of water in which there is a perceptible tide 

was long ago recorded by members of the Louisiana State geological 

survey and others. That there is no underground current from the 

Gulf landward is evident from the facts (1) that when pumping ceases 

for a few hours the water level in the wells quickly rises above tide, 

and (2) that any water derived from the Gulf would possess a saltiness that has not thus far been recorded in any deep irrigation well. 

Any impediment tending to retard the escape of the underground 

waters Gulf ward, as the weight of water collected from long-continued 

heavy showers or the backing up of the Gulf's waters from the south, 

will necessarily raise the level of the water in the deep wells or cause 

the artesian wells to flow more strongly.

RIVER WATERS AS A SOURCE OF SUPPLY.

In 1860 Raymond Thomassy 05 published his Geologie pratique de 

la Louisiane. He seems to have been greatly captivated with the 

idea that a large amount of the water flowing into the Mississippi from 

its various tributaries never reaches the Gulf by surface streams, but 

is absorbed by the pervious layers that form the banks and bottom of 

the river, and is carried thence through underground passages and 

porous layers to the Gulf coast, or beneath its waters.

Thomassy was of course not aware of the great possibilities of irrigation in southern Louisiana, but had he lived to see hundreds of 10 

or 12 inch wells yielding almost rivers of deep, cool water, he would 

doubtless have felt that his absorption theory was at last fully proved, 

else whence could all this underground water come ?

«G6ologie pratique de la Louisiane, par R. Thomassy (accompagn6 de 6 planches), chez 1'auteur, 

a la Nouvelle-Orl^ans et & Paris, 1860.
14 UNDEKGKOUND WATEBS OF SOTJTHEKN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

No definite statements can be made regarding the amount of water 

furnished by the rivers of Louisiana to the general underground supply until the topography and stratigraphy have been determined in 

detail. Yet it may be shown here that the oft-repeated popular statement that waters of the Mississippi River supply the wells in southern Louisiana is but partly, if at all, correct. Certainly no "veritable 

river" is leaving the Mississippi in its lower reaches to force its way 

laterally for long distances underground. The process of transferring 

discharge measurements from one point on the river to another, as 

employed by Humphreys and Abbot a in their delta survey, has 

shown that the difference in discharge at two stations at equal stages 

in the river is due to increment of water from tributaries and loss in 

distributary bayous and crevasses between the two places. Daily discharge measurements made at Vicksburg were compared with discharge measurements made at stations up and down the river, and these 

agreed in a remarkable way.

In other words, there is no difference in the amounts of discharge at 

Vicksburg and Carrol]ton, for example, that can not be explained by 

taking into account the difference between water received and that 

given up by surface channels. The absorption, therefore, of the Mississippi's waters by underground porous layers is a subject that is of 

no importance in the present report.

The impropriety of assuming that variations in "head" noticed in 

deep wells located at any considerable distance from the Mississippi 

are due to difference in the stage or height of the river, is evident from 

facts presented farther on in this report. It is fortunate that the 

measurements of well stages here recorded were made mostly in the 

spring of 1901, especially in April and May. The wells showed a 

slight temporary rise about April 22, due to local showers, but thereafter the usual marked decline for the summer went steadily on. Not 

so the river; it gradually rose till it reached the highest point of the 

season on the dates which follow, at the localities designated:* May 

16, Vicksburg, Miss.; May 15-16, St. Joseph, La.; May 16-17* Natchez; 

May 17, Red River Landing; May 17, Bayou Sara; May 17, Baton 

Rouge; May 16, Plaquemine; May 19, Donaldsonville; May 15, College Point; May 17 and 20, Carrollton. After these dates, at the stations named, the river began to decline.

The cross sections presented in figs. 8 and 9 (pp. 29, 30) show 

clearly the behavior of deep waters in the vicinity of large stream 

channels. There is therefore reason to suppose that the Mississippi 

and other large streams serve as drains on the underground-water 

supply rather than as feeders.

"Report upon the physics and hydraulics of the Mississippi River; upon the protection of the 

alluvial region from overflow, etc.: Professional Paper No. 13, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, 1861. 

See reprint of 1876, pp. 280, 358-363.

^Stages of the Mississippi, etc.: Miss. Riv. Comm., 1901, St. Louis, Mo., Mississippi River Commission Print, 1902.
U.S.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL.I

I. A KE 

PONTC HA HTHAI Ar

Compiled from maps of the U.S Land Office, U S Engineers Report

U.S Coastand Geodetic Survey, Railroad profiles

State Geological S-jrvey of Icsrsiane.sna U S Geological Survey ' MAP OF SOLTHEUX LOUISIANA SHO\V1NG TOPOGIIAPHIC FEATURES AND IMPORTANT WELLS

JULIUS BIEN &CO.LITI..N.Y.

HABEIS.] UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. 

TOPOGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA.

15

Since the cause of flow of underground waters must be due mainly 

to the action of gravity, it follows that the surface features of the land 

have a marked influence on the rate of underground as well as of overground flow. Southern Louisiana has only just begun to cooperate 

with the General Government in the construction of detailed topographic maps, so it is not possible to show the surface features as well 

as could be desired; yet private individuals, corporations (such as 

railroad and canal companies), United States engineers, and members 

of the State geological survey have done a large amount of spirit 

leveling throughout the area, and from such data it has been found

FIG. 1. Map showing topographic subdivisions of southern Louisiana,

possible to compile a small-scale contour map (PL I) and a still smaller 

index map (fig. 1) to the topography of this part of the State.

TOPOGRAPHIC SUBDIVISIONS. 

SWAMP-LAKE AREA.

To this subdivision may be assigned in general that portion of the 

State having an elevation above tide of less than 20 feet (see fig. 1). 

Its size is surprisingly great when compared with that of the more 

elevated areas. PL I represents an area in Louisiana, exclusive of 

large lakes, bays, etc., covering 28,900 square miles, of which 15,800 

are below the 20-foot contour. The Five Islands in Iberia and St. 

Mary parishes are the only areas furnishing what might be called 

notable relief in this subdivision of southern Louisiana. One '' island " 

rises to a height of 150 feet above the surrounding marsh land; others 

are but two-thirds or half as high. Since, however, the diameter of 

the largest is only approximately 2 miles, their total area is extremely 

insignificant when compared with the vast extent of low land shown
l-b GO

FIG. 2. North-south section from the Kansas. City Southern Railroad, in Texas, through Sabine La

35 miles; extreme elevations, 30 to +30 feet.

^ & hj
HAEEIS.] TOPOGKAPHY OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. 17

prairies. This is specially true of the low plains west of the Atchafalaya. In general, this region may be approximately defined as extending from the 20-foot to the 100-foot contour line. For a stretch of about 

40 miles in width west of the Mississippi the general appearance of this 

region is somewhat changed by the erosion and the alluvial deposits 

of this great stream and its tributaries or distributaries. East of 

the Mississippi, however, the prairies again appear here and there, 

though the forests often descend to the very edge of the swamp lands. 

As the 100-foot contour is approached, the land becomes dissected by 

numerous small streams, and when cleared of its forest growth presents a decidedly rolling surface. East of the' Mississippi the plains 

lying near the level of the 20-foot contour are still in places thickly 

studed with graceful, palm-like "long-leaf" pines. Their years are 

numbered, though, as the many huge sawmill plants in their midst 

will attest.

The soil of the region or zone that lies nearly at the level of the 20- 

foot contour is decidedly clayey and "tight-bottomed," a feature of 

great economic importance to the rice planter. Farther up, toward 

the 100-foot contour, the soil is more sandy and is, therefore, more 

pervious to surface waters. This, too, as we shall see later on, is an 

extremely fortunate circumstance so far as the supply of underground 

water farther south is concerned.

HILL, LANDS.

As the low lake and swamp lands pass gradually into the prairies, so 

the upper undulating prairie and timber lands pass gradually into the 

more abrupt dissected area. The chief difference to be noted is that 

in this last subdivision the streams are so numerous and their valleys 

so deep that there is little left of the old sea-bottom plain out of which 

this rugged topography was carved. As the surface of the land in 

this area rises from 100 feet to over 400 in a distance usually less than 

from the sea margin to the 20-foot contour, it is no wonder that the 

effects of erosion are well marked. Here the soil is still more gravelly 

or sandy than in the belt below the 100-foot contour. This fact, too, 

has much to do with the rapid erosion that is apparent on every hand. 

A small exception to the general appearance of these "long-leaf pine 

hill lands" is to be seen in the calcareous prairies (Anacacho) near 

Leesville, Vernon Parish.

STRATIGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS.

So far as underground waters are concerned the stratigraphy of 

southern Louisiana is very simple, for nearly all of the wells discussed in this report are in very young or Quaternary deposits, 

IRE 101 04 2
18 UNDERGROUND WATEES OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

Here and there, to be sure, peaks and uplifts of the older

approach the surface, or even protrude above the general level

land, but such uplifts are generally of extremety local nature. The Five Islands,

for example, stretch along the coast for a

distance of over 35 miles, but the greatest

diameter of the largest one is only 2 miles.

beds 

of the

Mississippi River J 

New Orleans

Covington

2,000 feet.

Jennings

Oakdale

Alexandria 'i

2,500 feet.

Again, these Five Islands are separated by a stretch of 25 miles from 

the truncated cone at Anse la Butte, or by 75 or 80 miles from simi-
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. li

A

38

163 

828

60-t

13

649 "O

C

n) 

U

780 

866 

927

lexandria 1]

 

;r-;i^yS

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=:== =

=^^=

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li^=£H

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 _

-= =

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Soil and c/a» 20 

Rock

\

Blue olay

\ 220 

fi/ue joint c/aj/ \

sea348 

Clay, various

Green clay 

Sandstone

Clay 

Blue clay

>,

n) 

Soft sandstons "t! 

<D 

C/aj/ ISandstone 827 

Sandstone 

Sand 822

1200 

1288

arksvi]

----'----==-

^T^TTT^

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ESEF^EE

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le St.! 

Yellow eand

40

100

Gravel with 140 

claystone

White, watersands

Red tenacious 28°

\ c/ajf 

\ 

V 

\ 436

Clay appearing 

lignitic

\ 635

\

Sanrf tvifn 70" 

Sayer of lignitic

Bluish lignitic \ 

clay \ 835

\ 

\ 

\

\ 

\ 

\ 

\ 

Black clay, \

flartlDN

gsffle^

«?v«>»:

 !Sii:Hii

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ille

Clay and soil 

Fine sand 

Blue clay

Water-bearing ~~~~ -

340 

390

440

Gravel in 

tenacious clay 51Q

600 

665

Coarse sand 80°

Tenacious clay B08 

anrf gravsl

Coarse sand 

and gravel

1080 

"~>v^ 1145 

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1385 

1730

2000

2100

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Sanrf and gravel 

Sand and sandstone

Oil sand

Soft rock 

Coarse sand

Gravel and boulders 

Koch and shale

Blue tenacious clay 

Sand and boulders 

Oil sand

Sand

"Sulphur" clay 

and shells

2120

Fabacher's

37

167 

287

667

658

883

1033

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rt

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.........

.= :V;V;V£E

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 Lk^^

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----_-

we'll New Orleans Gymnasium well 

Canal street 

well 

i Blue clay i i , , Gulf level

White sand 43 = Clay 

witb-shells :_-_-_!-.-: 

Grn,j , * Clay, various

182 SH^F.

Gray sand lrrr.-r~-i~

B/ue c/aj/ l-JSivS-: Sand, water-bearing

with pockets f|?|gS|Vo/ sfte//s i-SSSVx-: Lignitic sand 

480 11^" '

 - C/ng

6/ue c/aj/ _^.^-- ====;-- Sand 

^_-~ ^ 630 =r=~-:-.-E->

Blue uiaterbsaring sand

Blue tenacious clay

White sand

Blus clay 

Fine shells 

Gray water-sand

1 

9

>-,

c5

c

CD

as 3 

0

Sand with 

shells

WELL SECTIONS FROM ALEXANDRIA TO NEW ORLEANS.

HAKKIS.] STRATIGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. 19

lar structures at Sulphur and Vinton. The Cretaceous limestone of 

Bayou Chicot is 60 miles north of the northernmost island. There 

are doubtless other and undiscovered irregularities in the underlying 

rocks in southern Louisiana, but they are so evenly blanketed over 

by Quaternary clays and sands that there is no evidence of their 

existence.

The two cross sections herewith given show the general stratigraphy 

of the water-bearing sands in southern Louisiana (see figs. 3 and 4). 

Other sections can be constructed by placing in juxtaposition well sections that have been taken along some one general trend. On PI. II is 

shown the stratigraphic relation of the beds encountered in well sec3 HJr'redericA's -~| Hernandez

i

r

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i ill * |g|

H rt nH 'D ULJL

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5

;

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)

:*

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=--

£

100 feet 

zoo

300 

400

500 

600

1200

FIG. 5. Correlation of water-bearing sands north and south of Lake Pontchartrain.

tions at Alexandria, Marksville, St. Martinville, Napoleonville, and 

New Orleans. Fig. 5 is a similar section, extending from a point 9 

miles northwest of Covington to New Orleans.

TERTIARY. 

OLIGOCENE.

In considering the Quaternary sands of this region, it seems proper 

to take some notice of the beds upon which they lie. Again, if the 

country around Alexandria, for example, be included in the region 

here called southern Louisiana, this discussion should embrace a consideration of the outcrops of Tertiary (Oligocene) rocks in that neighborhood, which are of considerable importance in connection with the 

supply of underground potable waters of the State. The well of the 

Alexandria Ice and Storage Company, recently put down, will give a 

fair idea of the character of the Oligocene (Grand Gulf) material in 

this part of the State. Its section is as follows:
20 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF SOUTHEEN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101. 

Section of well of Alexandria, Ice and Storage Company, Alexandria, La.

Thickness 

in feet.

Depth in

Surface ground clay ......................................... 21

Sand....................................................... 2

Clay ....................................................... 15

Rock....................................................... 27

Blue clay................................................... 88

Hard rock .................................................. 2

Blue clay................................................... 20

Rock........... ........................................... 8

Blue joint clay.............................................. 145

Limestone .................................................. 3

Clay ....................................................... 43

Hardpan ................................................... 90

Hard limestone ............................................. 2. 5

Green clay................................................. 12

Hard rock.................................................. 1.5

Blue clay ...... ............................................ 10

Sandstone ............................. ..................... 14

Clay ....................................................... 30

Sand ... ................................................... 3

Rock....................................................... 2

Clay ....................................................... 10

Sand ....................................................... 1

Clay ....................................................... 8

Sand....................................................... 2

Blue clay................................................... 89

Sand....................................................... 16

Clay ....................................................... 28

Sand....................................................... 10

Blue clay.......................................... ........ 24

Soft sandstone .............................................. 53

Clay ....................................................... 24

Sand....................................................... 5

Soft sandstone .............................................. 42

Clay ....................................................... 2

Sandstone .................................................. 44

Sand ....................................................... 30

This well is provided with a 70-foot strainer, and before it was 

cleaned had a flow of 125 gallons a minute, according to the report of 

a local paper.
HARRIS.] STRATIGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. 21

The somewhat misleading information received at Alexandria two 

years ago regarding the material passed through in sinking the waterworks well would ha ye inclined one to place the water-bearing sands 

here at a horizon that is manifestly far too low. The great thickness 

of the Grand Gulf beds here is surprising, but the description of the 

material penetrated certainly places it in this division of the Tertiary.

The several fine flowing wells at Boyce are evidently mainly if not 

wholly in this horizon, though perhaps the one 810 feet deep, which 

yields gas with the water, may have a somewhat lower origin than the 

shallower ones.

Similar water-bearing Grand Gulf .sands on the Ouachita River near 

Catahoula Shoals have already been described. 01

It is doubtful whether these beds have ever been encountered in 

drilling for water or oil farther south in Louisiana, except perhaps 

around some of the local upheavals or buried cones already referred 

to. The most probable exception is the Spring Hill oil well, not far 

east of Kinder, where, at a reported depth of 1,500 feet (probably 

about 1,200), the writer observed that the drill was passing through 

sharp quartz sand, mixed with flakes of green clay. It was reported 

that a soft sandstone, about 1-i feet thick, was penetrated by the drill 

just before the writer's visit.

MIOCENE.

There is little if anything in the stratigraphy of these rocks tnat 

concerns us here. Their position must be such (see figs. 3 and 4) that 

their water supply would be very uncertain, both as to quantity and 

quality. They probably contain salt water, and this has been found 

in them by many of the oil-well drillers. From samples of well borings already studied, it seems probable that where there are no local 

disturbances these beds in southern Louisiana, say along the thirtieth 

parallel, scarcely ever rise above a plane that lies 2,000 feet below sea 

level.

QUATERNARY. 

SUBDIVISIONS.

The longer the geology of southern Louisiana is studied the more 

futile appears the attempt to make satisfactory subdivisions in the 

Quaternary deposits subdivisions that have any definite time or 

structural limits. Differences in conditions of deposition during the 

same period of time have produced results that vary greatly in different localities. The same differences in conditions of deposition that 

we see to-day at different places in southern Louisiana, producing the 

sea-marsh clays with vegetable and brackish-water organic inclusions,

a Report Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, p. 214.
22 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

the yellow sand ridges with an abundance of purety marine life, tne 

purely fresh-water alluvium, and the alluvium intermingled with marine 

sands at the mouths of the larger rivers, all seem to have existed 

throughout Quaternary times. The mistake that has been made in 

assigning to the " Port Hudson group "a special place in geologic 

time may well be illustrated by the case of the casual theater-goer who 

drops in on a play on the last evening of the season and observes with 

care and interest the personse, costumes, etc., throughout the different 

acts and scenes of the performance and afterwards records the fact 

that this particular play was given at this place at this particular time. 

The inveterate theater-goer, on the other hand, may see nothing 

of special interest in these facts, for he may know that that pla}^ had 

been running at that place not only that particular night but during 

the whole season. The swamp condition of the "Port Hudson' 1 has 

been truly reproduced, with its clays, "black muck, 1 ' and logs, to a 

depth of over 800 feet in the wells of southwestern Louisiana; the 

estuarian clay condition (Pontchartrain clay) is accurately reproduced 

at depths of 80, 500, 1,200, and is best of all at 1,800 feet beneath the 

surface; the marine sands may be found at various depths. Thick 

beds of so-called Lafayette gravel are often interspersed with these 

" Port Hudson " elements.

It seems, therefore, that if there is anything to be gained by applying a name to clays that were evidently deposited in brackish-water 

bays, estuaries, and lakes along the Gulf border, some such term as 

" Pontchartrain clays" may be used, with the understanding, however, 

that the name shall denote a particular kind of deposit or phase of 

deposition having no special time value. So, too, the deposits, mainly 

alluvial, containing a large amount of vegetable matter, especially 

stumps and trunks of trees, ma}^, if necessar}T , be classed as Port Hudson 

clays; and marine sands may be referred to as Biloxi sands; but. in all 

cases the terms must be understood as denoting mere phases of deposition, not stratigraphic units.

But the names that may be applied to the different portions rf the 

Quaternary deposits of this State are of little importance so far as the 

present work is concerned. The important facts are these: Pervious 

material, such as sand (coarse and fine) and gravel, alternate with impervious clay beds of various thicknesses throughout the Quaternary 

deposits of southern Louisiana; these beds vary greatly as regards 

inclosed organic remains and products of decomposition and in different localities are inclined at different angles, the "dip" being, roughly 

speaking, in the same general direction as the slope of the surface 

of the land, though somewhat greater in amount; the character of the 

water is greatly modified by the medium through which it passes; the 

position or state of the water, i. e., whether " deep well" or artesian," 

is dependent largely on local topography.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. Ill

A. REMNANT OF GRAND CHENIER RIDGE AT THE FERRY LANDING ON 

MERMENTAU RIVER.

B. LOCATION OF SPRINGS AMONG THE LIVE OAKS ON THE BORDER BETWEEN 

THE SEA MARSH AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF GRAND CHENIER ISLAND 

ABOUT 2 MILES EAST OF THE VILLAGE.

HARRIS.] STEATIGEAPHY OF SOUTHEEN LOUISIANA. 23

In the generalized sections here given, running north and south 

across this portion of the State (see figs. 3 and 4), no attempt has been 

made to show the many and various clay, sand, and gravel beds that 

form the Quaternary series of this region. The fact has been indicated, however, that generally, where the land is flat and erosion has 

been slight, the latest (uppermost) layers consist of fine sand and clays.

GENESIS OF DEPOSITS.

The statistics upon which the above-mentioned general statements 

are based are mainly of two kinds first, well sections and the fossils 

and rock material accompanying them, and second, facts noted in a 

somewhat detailed study of present areas of deposition along the 

southern border of the State. Well statistics will form an important 

section of this report. Their interpretation, however, depends on an 

accurate knowledge of present conditions of sedimentation. The 

following remarks and illustrations will therefore serve to throw light 

on the general statements alread}^ made and give a meaning to the 

detailed well records which follow.

The shore line of southern Louisiana is generally sandy, and there 

are often sand and shell ridges extending for miles parallel to the 

shore, either in close proximity to the Gulf or some distance inland. 

Those more distant from the present southern border of the land often 

show axial directions not in accord with those nearer the Gulf, as may 

be seen by observing the direction of the ridges toward the eastern 

portion of Pecan "Island." These peculiar forms are not due to any 

considerable extent to erosion. Ridges of the same character are now 

being formed along the Gulf border, just above and just below mean 

tide. Off Cameron and Mud lakes, for example, one can see how, 

during storms, the waves have beaten up the sand and shells in ridges 

rising in some places to a height of 10 feet above mean tide. Out in 

the Gulf some distance from the land the same force is at work making 

the Sabine Shoals (see PI. I.) The curve of Point au Fer, off Atchafalaya Bay, gives a strong hint as to the formation of ridges with a 

trend somewhat at variance to the general direction of the shore line. 

Isle Derniere, Timbalier, Ship, and Cat islands, and the Chandeleurs 

will probably become inland ridges like Pecan and Grand Chenier, in 

southwest Louisiana, or like the less elevated and less conspicuous 

shell ridge encountered in sinking the foundation for pumping station 

No. 7 for the drainage of New Orleans.

The dimensions and general character of these ridges are well shown 

by fig. 6.4. PI. Ill, A, taken from the Louisiana report of 1902 

(op. cit., PI. IX), shows Mermentau River flowing in a westerly direction for some distance before it finally breaks through the ridge on its 

way to the Gulf. To the right the sea marsh stretches away to the
24 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

east and south, with its waters practical!}7 at Gulf level. At the border 

of the Gulf, another though less important ridge is being formed 

at the present day. This statement, however, is not meant to imply 

that the large ridge shown in PL III, A, is of any other than late 

Pleistocene origin. In fact, the white objects shown in the foreground 

of the view are remains of large molluscan species similar to those 

now living in the Gulf and along the Atlantic coast. Notice should 

be taken of the fact, however, that these shells are all of marine origin. 

The few Rangia, mixed with them show considerable river and wave 

erosion, and have evidently been washed into this marine assemblage 

by Gulfward flowing streams.

-GULF LEVEL

-GULF LEVEL

'/a mile

FIG. G. Sections across Grand Chenier Island; A, 3 miles west of village; B, one-halt mile west of

village.

The sands and shells forming these ridges absorb enough rain water 

to furnish a continuous supply to many springs that flow out at sea 

level on either flank. PI. Ill, B, shows the location of such springs 

along the line of and between the great live oaks that have given the 

name of Chenier to this island.

The abrupt transition from the firmer ridge material to the softer 

marsh ground to the south is well shown by the fact that the aged 

oaks nearly always incline toward and finally fall into the marsh (to the 

left in the plate). In drilling for water similar abrupt changes are 

often met with in wells but a short distance apart.

On the north or opposite side of the ridge, scarcely three-fourths of 

a mile away, the character of the vegetation and deposition is very 

diflerent (see PI. IV, A). The marshy land is less even or is slightly 

undulating, showing accordingly all stages of transition from moist to 

wet lands through occasionally inundated swamps to areas nearly al wa}7 s 

beneath the water. These areas are receiving sediment from the flood 

stages of the bayous and hence are gradually filling in and presumably 

rising, irrespective of any uplifting movement that may be affecting 

the coast as a whole.

Such areas explain the way that the deposits encountered in the 

various wells to the north were formed. The occurrence of decayed
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY NO. 101 PL. IV

A. NORTH SIDE OF GRAND CHENIER ISLAND. 

The Mermentau River in the background to the right, near the trees.

B SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE PORTCH ARTRAI N, U MILES WEST OF WEST END. 

Black clay soil with occasional heaps of white weathered Hang in shells.

HARKIS.] STRATIGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. 25

leaves, wood, fresh-water and land shells, together with fragments of 

marine shells in many borings, thus receives a natural explanation.

Equally interesting and important in the formation of this portion 

of the State are the shallow lakes, reference to which has been made 

in discussing fig. 2, such as Sabine, Calcasieu, Grand, White, Maurepas, Pontchartrain, and Borgne lakes, as well as the bodies of water 

called bays simply because they are not so completely surrounded by 

land. Of these bays Vermilion, Cote Blanche, Atchafalaya, Caillou, 

Terrebonne, Timbalier, as well as the still more open Chandeleur and 

Mississippi sounds, are good examples. In these there is a complete 

series of beds showing transition from purely marine to brackish or 

even fresh water. The fulgurs, naticas, areas, oysters, tellinas, and 

mactras in the open sounds give place in the more inclosed bays to 

oysters, mactras, and rangias, while in the still more inland lakes the 

rangias lose their fellowship with the salt-water forms and live in comfort and harmon\r with the purely fresh-water union. This condition 

may be seen in Lake Charles, a small swelling in Calcasieu River about 

60 miles from the coast.

Marks of wave action and heaps of brackish-water Rangia shells may 

be seen along the low shore of Lake Pontchartrain, shown in PL IV, 

S. The characteristics of this vast expanse of shallow brackish water 

deserve more than passing notice by one who would understand the 

general geological history of southern Louisiana. It would scarcely 

be an exaggeration to assert that during some period of Pleistocene 

time practically all of the land area of this part of the State passed 

through a Pontchartrain stage. By this it is not meant that the 

whole of this area was one great brackish, inland lake at the same 

time; far from it. There are now in this region open sounds, more 

inclosed bays, still more landlocked lakes, growing smaller, usually, 

the farther inland the body of water lies. North of Lake Charles 

there is an extensive swamp area that has the appearance of being an 

old lake bed from which the waters are nearly drained off. Little 

Lake Charles is a remnant of a corner of this former extensive body 

of water. Still farther up are The Bays, low, flat, level, hard, wetbottomed areas, embracing several thousand acres of land. The water 

and oil wells that have been drilled during recent years in southern 

Louisiana seldom fail to encounter masses of Rangia shells at some 

depth. Water wells, at Jennings for example, sometimes pass through 

a bed of such shells 10 feet thick, lying at depths ranging from 50 to 

100 feet below the surface. On the shores of Lake Charles, Lake 

Arthur, Grand Lake, Berwick Bay, Lake Pontchartrain, and elsewhere in countless localities the same recent Rangia can be seen 

heaped up in ridges. At Jennings again similar Pontchartrain clays, 

with the same Rangia, are generally encountered just above the oil in 

wells, at a depth of about 1,800 feet.
26 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101. 

EFFECT OF THE MISSISSIPPI ON STRATIGRAPHY OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA.

The Quaternary material of Louisiana was evidently brought to its 

present place by Mississippi River and other smaller streams emptying into the Gulf, as it then was, throughout a stretch of perhaps 250 

miles. In Tertiary as well as Quaternary times the Mississippi has 

had a marked influence on the character of deposition and the character of life to be found in this section. In several stages of the 

Eocene the deposits along the Mississippi axis are decidedly lignitic; 

farther to the east and west they are more marine. Certain stages 

in the Oligoeene show similar conditions and differences. It must 

not surprise us, then, to find that the greater part of the Quaternary 

deposits of southern Louisiana are composed of beds that bespeak 

clearly the proximity of brackish or fresh water or land conditions. 

We attribute the presence of tenacious clays in the wells of southern 

Louisiana, to a depth of 1,800 feet in places, indirectly to the rapid 

filling in of the Gulf border by the Mississippi sedimentation. In 

some places there has been a continual loading and consequent depression of the Gulf's border; this has given rise to uplifts in regions not 

far distant. The shifting of the mouth of the river and the conseo

quent change of loading point has caused a shifting of regions of 

depression and upheaval. If the region of uplift is some distance 

from the coast, then shallow sounds, bays, or lakes result, according 

to the extent of the uplifting. These, when finally filled with Pontchartrain clays derived from the sediment of inflowing rivers, pass 

through the sea-marsh stage into "crawfish" prairies, when the region 

in which they occur has been elevated a few feet.

Wave action, to be sure, performs a significant part in the formation of certain ridges that will eventually act as temporary borders to 

these landlocked bodies of water; but, after all, it is mainly the action 

of the Mississippi that causes the many changes of level that are so 

well recorded in the Quaternary deposits throughout south Louisiana.

In the immediate vicinity of the present course of the larger rivers, 

especially the Mississippi, Biloxi conditions can scarcely be expected 

to prevail. Here and there will be ridges of sand containing a purely 

marine fauna, but they will be notably local. Perhaps no better 

example of such a marine oasis in beds generally of a somewhat brackish water origin can be referred to than the sands containing beautifully 

preserved seashells at pumping station No. 7 of the New Orleans 

Drainage Works. This is evidently one of those ridges caused by 

wave action and slight upheaval that have served to cut off portions 

of the Gulf in the manner described above. The mouth of the Mississippi was at that time doubtless as far up as Bayou Sara, and its 

waters would not materially modify the life at a point then so far out 

at sea. So, too, at Napoleonville, the fauna at a depth of 2,100 feet
HARRIS.] UNDERGROUND WATER SUBDIVISIONS OF LOUISIANA. 27

seems purely marine. When this fauna lived doubtless the mouth of 

the Mississippi was as far north as the point named above, hence 

no.great modification was brought about by the fresh waters of that 

great stream. Later, however, the fauna became brackish, with a preponderance of Rangia at 1,200 feet, and the drillers brought out a 

large tooth, equine in appearance, from a depth of 800 feet. Large 

quantities of Rangia have been found in a well near Morgan City at a 

depth of about 500 feet, and specimens of the same species were 

obtained at 400 feet at the Istrouma Hotel well at Baton Rouge.

SUBDIVISIONS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA, BASED ON 

UNDERGROUND WATER CONDITIONS.

MODIFICATION OF KIND AND CONDITIONS OF WATER BROUGHT 

ABOUT BY LOCAL TOPOGRAPHY AND STRATIGRAPHY.

For a somewhat detailed exposition of the topographic features of 

the southern part of Louisiana the reader is referred to the map herewith published as PI. I, but a clearer and more general idea of the 

subject can be obtained more quickly by referring to fig. 1. Topography alone may have little bearing on the subject of underground 

water supplies, but when considered in connection with stratigraphy 

its significance may be great. Where the different formations or beds 

slope coastwise at an angle slightly greater than that of the surface of 

the land, where there are more or less extended beds of pervious 

material alternating with impervious, and where there is an abundant 

rainfall back in the country the conditions are favorable for an underground supply of water. The pressure head of this supply will 

depend largely upon the topography and stratigraphy, while the kind 

of water will depend upon the kinds of rock the water has to penetrate 

and the length of time consumed in its penetration. Kind of water is, 

therefore, indirectly more or less influenced by topography and stratigraphy. As a result of all these influences underground water occurs 

in southern Louisiana approximately as indicated by the accompanying fig. 7.

The influence of topography on pressure head will be evident to anyone who will study the outline cross section given in fig. 8 in connection with the topographic map, PI. I. The section extends from Pearl 

River to Oberlin, passing through Covington, Hammond, Baton 

Rouge, Opelousas, and the country lying westward, to Oberlin. The 

situation at Opelousas is interesting. Here the surface of the ground 

is 67 feet above the Gulf level, but water rises only 22 feet above 

that level. A glance at the topographic map will show the cause of 

this low pressure head. Northward, in the direction of the uprising 

strata or bedding planes, there is no higher ground than at Opelousas. 

The water there present must work sidewise along the pervious strata
28 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF SOUTHEEN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

from the somewhat distant hill land lying west and northwest. East 

of the Mississippi the conditions are different, for only a few miles

east of Baton Rouge the pressure head is considerably above the surface of the ground, the hill land to the north being close by. The
.HABRIS.] UNDERGROUND WATEE SUBDIVISIONS IN LOUISIANA, 29

On the small map (fig. 7) there is indicated ^ 

a small artesian area about Alexandria. The § 

extent of this area must of necessity be very | 

limited, for the Grand Gulf formation usually S 

dips rapidly Gulfward, so that the water- c 

bearing strata would soon be below practicable t 

depths so far as ordinary water supply and irrigation are concerned (see stratigraphy indicated by fig. 4).

To what extent water would flow close to the 

Gulf border from Sabine River to Atchafalaya 

Bay can scarcely be conjectured, though from the fact that in the 

neighborhood of Lake Charles, Gueydan, and places farther east

Opelcmsas

<marked decrease in pressure head shown at Baton Rouge is evidently 

due to the nearness of the Mississippi River Valley. Doubtless, too, 

this same valley has something to do with the 

low stand of the water at Opelousas. <= Si

T| W°

Lesser depressions than the Mississippi Val- r c£ 

ley have their influence on the head of subter- m ^5 

ranean waters, as may be seen by the section 

along the line of the Southern Pacific Railroad 

from Lafayette west, shown in fig. 9. Mermentau River, with its tributaries, has degraded 

this central portion of southwest Louisiana, and 

the pressure head of the deep-well waters responds to this topographic feature. Calcasieu 

River seems to have the opposite effect on the 

pressure head about Lake Charles. Here, however, we are dealing with a region that is immediately south of some of the highest land in 

the State, and it is doubtless this condition that 

counteracts any reverse influence the Calcasieu 

Valley might possess.

East of the Mississippi, in the neighborhood 

of New Orleans, the low pressure shown by the 

various water-bearing layers penetrated in wells 

less than 1,300 feet deep is probably due to the 

wide, low stretch just to the north i. e., the 

Lake Pontchartrain depression. On Ship Island good water flows freely, and with much 

more force than is exhibited by the New Orleans wells. The narrowness of Mississippi 

Sound, as compared to Lake Pontchartrain, 

offers a ready explanation of this fact.

REMARKS ON SPECIAL AREAS.

Mississippi. River 

\ Baton Rouge

Hammcmd

Covingtoli

I Pearl River
30 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF SOUTHEEJS" LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

fairly good water does flow from wells not over 200 feet deep, one 

may expect to find some kind of artesian water all along the coast in 

the region mentioned. a

North of the artesian area lying north of Lake Pontchartrain a belt 

of country has been marked on fig. 7 as a probable deep-well area. 

As water in this region will flow readily from wells situated at elevations between sea level and the 50-foot contour, or even above the 

latter in some instances, there seems to be no reason why it will not 

rise to the surface or to points between the surface and 50 feet below 

the surface at localities situated at elevations lying between the 50- 

and 100-foot contours.

u

$ B

,3 6 <j u

| « £ j

 S

(H

1

"00

g 'g

J8

«i

N

!H 

O

s.

1 fl

JUt- 

 R

g «

X X

i -^

 ^ n

50ft.

- 1 qii| r i FVEL

PIG. 9. Relation of land surface to pressure head of artesian and deep-well waters approximately along parallel 30° 12'.

Mammoth Spring, near Franklington, Washington Parish, would 

lead one to suppose that deep wells may eventually prove successful 

in some parts of these northern parishes where on the small map (fig. 7) 

no sign of the fact is indicated.

So far as the other areas are concerned, little need be said. The 

deep-well area in southwest Louisiana is well understood. Sand and 

gravel beds that seem saturated with water are encountered at various 

depths, ranging.from 150 to 500 feet. Near the coast the water overflows; farther northward as a rule it stands lower and lower below 

the surface, so that north of Oberlin the expense of lifting water to 

the surface would more than equal the profits of irrigated crops. The 

map (fig. 7) does not indicate that no deep-well water can be found 

in much of the northern region. It implies rather that such waters 

would generally stand say 30 or more feet beneath the surface of 

the soil; and hence their value for irrigation and general purposes 

would be materially lessened, owing to the increased cost of pumping.

WELL STATISTICS.

ARTESIAN WELLS IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, FROM BILOXI

WESTWARD.

This part of Mississippi is justly famous for its fine artesian wells. 

Not only does the water seem good and wholesome, but the pressure 

is strong- and the supply is ample.

As will be seen from the statistics given below, there are shallow 

sands from which pumping water may be had, and deeper ones from

"Good water has recently been obtained in this region. G, I>. II., April, 1904,
HARRIS.1 ARTESIAN WELLS IN MISSISSIPPI. 31

which a fair quantity of flowing water may be obtained, but as a rule 

the best wells are sunk to a much greater depth here than in southern 

Louisiana.

HARRI8ON COUNTY.

BILOXI.

Section of well one-half mile east of railroad station. 

[Section by Brown.]

Soil.

Sand, bearing good pumping water ...........................

Whitish clay ...............................................

Sand, extremely fine at first, becoming coarser below, coarse

Thickness 

in feet.

4

61

35

390

428

Depth in 

feet.

4

65

100

490

918

Pipe, 6 and 4 inches; flow, at surface of the ground, 1,000 gallons 

per minute; 500 gallons at elevation of 35 feet, 250 gallons at elevation 

of 55 feet. This indicates that the pressure head is not far from 75 

feet above tide.

City waterworks wells. No notes were obtained regarding the 

depths of these wells. It was observed, however, that the large 6-inch 

pipes carried the water up rapidly and filled the elevated tanks to a 

height of 40 feet above the general surface of the ground.

Ice-factory wells. At these wells the difference in temperature of 

the shallow and deep well was specially noted, viz: Water (flowing) 

from 500-foot stratum, 79.5° F.; from 900-foot stratum, 82.5° F.

SHIP ISLAND.

Quarantine station well. Depth, 730 feet; mouth of well about 10 

feet above tide.

Section of well at Quarantine station, Ship Island. 

[Section by Dr. P. C. Kallock.]

Soil.

White sand .................................................

Hard blue clay. .............................................

White sand .................................................

Blue clay ...................................................

Sandstone .......................................... -. .......

Blue clay ...................................................

Thickness.

Feet. In. 

45 0

155 0

100 0

5 0

60 0

5

156 0

9 0

Depth.

Feet. In. 

45 0

200 0

300 0

305 0

565 0

565 5

721 5

730 5
UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

Light-house well. Mouth of well perhaps JO feet above tide; flow, 

vigorous; estimated at 50 gallons per minute from a 2-inch pipe; depth, 

750 feet.

Section of well at light-home on Ship Island.

[Section by Dr. Murdock.]

Soil.

Yellow clay .....-..-.......---......._..........-....-.....

Blackish mud. .............................................. i 

Fine sand, with shells .......................................

Blue clay ...................................................

Thickness 

in feet.

250

100

50

50

250

50

Depth in 

feet.

25(

35(

40(

45(

70(

75(

MISSISSIPPI CITY.

C. Clemenskaufs well. Depth, 925 feet; mouth of the well about 18 

feet above tide. Regarding the well Mr. Clemenshaw remarks:

Passed through no hard rock, 110 quicksand, hut clay and blue sand, the latter 

often highly micaceous. A 60-gallon per minute flow was found at a depth of 600 

feet, a 200-gallon flow at 925 feet.

E. P. Ellis's well. Depth, 850 feet; 3-inch pipe; flow, 80 gallons 

per minute; 55 feet above tide.

Court-house well. Pipe, 2^ inches; reduced to li inches; flow, 20 

gallons per minute; 28 feet above ground, or about 50 feet above tide.

GENERAL SECTION FROM PASS CHRISTIAN TO BILOXI.

According to Mr. A. Dixon, who has accompanied a well-drilling 

outfit for several years in this part of the State, the majority of the 

wells show approximately the following section:

General section of wells between Pass Christian and Biloxi.

Soil.

Sand.......................................................

Clay .......................................................

Light-gray fine sand. ........................................

Clay .......... ............................................

Thickness 

in feet.

80

Depth in 

feet.

80

125

425

500

600

685
HARRIS.] WELLS LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 33

BAY ST. LOUIS.

Mr. N. H. Darton a gives the following data for this locality:

Many wells; temperature of deeper, 78°; depth, 400 to 600 feet; size, from 2 to 4J 

inches;* yield per minute, 100 to 105 gallons.

ARTESIAN AND DEEP WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE

MISSISSIPPI.

ST. TAMMANY PARISH.

COVINGTON AND VICINITY.

Cow't-house well. In yard in front of the court-house; April, 1901, 

flow, 2i gallons per minute; temperature, 73° F.; June 26, 1903, flow, 

1 gallon per minute; temperature, 72.4° F. Elevation of ground, 32 

feet; of flow, 35.6 feet above tide.

Dlxon Academy well. One-half mile west of Covington; pipe, 2i 

inches; flow, 25 gallons per minute, 1901; temperature, 72.6° F., June 

26, 1903; elevation of flow, 26.7 feet above tide.

Dummetwell. On Holmesville road; depth, 572 feet; pipe, about 

2 inches; flow, according to driller, Robert Wallbillick, 1901, when 

first put down, 2 feet from ground, 21 gallons per minute. Record by 

G. D. Harris, 1903,15 gallons per minute, about 3 feet above ground; 

temperature, 74° F.

Section of Dummet well, St. Tammany Parish. 

[Section furnished by Mr. Wallbillick.]

White clay .................................................

Yellow clav ......--...........-.........-....---...--.-.....

White clay .................................................

Fine gravel .................................................

Coarse white sand. ..........................................

Red clay ...................................................

Thickness 

In feet.

15

6

35

25

12

6

14

6

8

10

1

10

2

10

Depth in

feet.

15

21

58

81

93

99

113

119

127

137

138

148

150

160

« Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 57,1902, United States Geological Survey. 

not 101 04 3
34 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101. 

Section of Dummet well, fit. Tammany Parish Continued.

 *

4

Red sand and gravel .........................................

Gravel. .....................................................

Red ,sand ...................................................

Coarse gravel ...............................................

Coarse white sand ...........................................

Blue clay ...................................................

Thickness 

in feet.

20

32

38

25

4

18

183

7

71

6

8

Depth in 

feet.

180

212

250

275

279

297

480

487

558

564

572

John Dutches well. In north-central part of Covington; depth, 

600 feet; flow, 20 gallons per minute; temperature, 74° F., April 17, 

1901; elevation of flow, 35.6 feet above tide.

Mrs. Flowers wells. These records were furnished by Mr. Wallbill ick, and show that here, as elsewhere, there are sandy strata bearing water at far lesp depths than the beds furnishing the water that 

will flow above the surface of the ground. Such wells are termed 

shallow or pumping wells.

Sections of Mrs. Flower's wells, fit. Tammany Parish.

Well No. 1: 

White clav .............................................

Blue clay ...............................................

White sand. ............................................

Shells mixed with blue clay. .............................

Well No. 2: 

White clay. .............................................

White clay .............................................

Shells mixed with black clay .............................

Dark clay ...............................................

"\Vhite s^nd

Thickness.

Ft. in. 

30 6

' 18 6

2 0

17 0

1 6

27 6

6 0

40 0

2 0

21 0

0 6

9 6

21 0

Depth.

Ft. in. 

30 6

49 0

51 0

68 0

69 6

97 0

103 0

40 0

42 0

63 0

63 6

73 0

94 0

These wells are but 300 feet apart.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. V

A WELL IN BARN LOT OF THE HERNANDEZ PLACE, 2J MILES NORTH OF 

COVINGTON, LA.

I>. vVEL_ L IN MR. ANDERSON'S BARNYARD, THREE-FOURTHS OF A MILE NORTHWEST OF HAMMOND STATION, LA.

HARRIS.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 35

H. Holler's well. Southwestern part of Covington; depth, 520 

feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow, 30 gallons per minute; temperature, 72° F., 

June, 1903.

Hernandezplace, well by liov^e.-^About 2 miles north of Covington; 

depth, 610 feet; pipe, 2.5 inches; flow from 1-inch pipe, January, 

1901, 38^ gallons per minute; April, 1901 (from whole pipe?), 60 

gallons per minute; temperature, 1901, 73° F.; elevation of ground, 

46.1 feet above tide; top of basin, 47.3 feet; of pipe, 48.5 feet.

Hernandez well., by barn. About 2^ miles north of Covington; 

depth approximately as in last well; pipe, 2i inches; flow, January, 

1901, 35^ gallons per minute; March, 1902, 54^ gallons per minute; 

June, 27, 1903, 40 gallons per minute; temperature, 72.25°; elevation 

of ground, 47.4 feet; of pipe, 52; pressure head considerably above 60 

above tide.

This is the well shown in PI. V, A, and is usually considered one of 

the best in this part of the State, but it has not the capacity of the well 

by the house, which is so piped that satisfactory measurements of its 

flow are hard to obtain. This beautiful summer residence is now the 

property of Louis P. Rice, of Covington and New Orleans.

Ice factory wells. Three wells of the "shallow" type before mentioned, two 2 inch and one 2i inch, furnish, when pumped, sufficient 

water for the ice factory. The water rises to within about 8 feet of 

the surface.

Lyon well. At Claiborne, 1 mile east of Covington; depth, 630 feet; 

pipe, 2 inches; flow, 30 gallons per minute; temperature, 73°, April, 

1901; flow, 26 gallons per minute; temperature, 74°, June 26, 1903; 

elevation, 26.6 feet above tide.

Maisoti Blanche. Depth, 480 feet; pipe, 2 inches, reduced to 1 inch; 

flow per minute, April, 1901, 20^ gallons; March, 1902, 23| gallons; 

June 26, 1903, 16i gallons; temperature, 72.25°; elevation of ground, 

31 feet 6 inches of top of basin, 33.6 feet of flow, 35.5 feet above tide. 

Other wells. There are many other flowing wells about Covington, 

but the data presented above will give a fair idea of their general 

character. It will be seen that as the depth increases the temperature 

also increases, as might well be expected. For a 600-foot well a temperature of 74° is about normal here. Compare these in this respect 

with the Hammond and Ponchatoula wells.

There is a flow about Covington at present, within a radius of 3 

miles, of about 300 gallons per minute; and as is generally the case the 

water is mainly wasted, i. e., allowed to flow to no purpose.

ABITA SPRINGS.

Abita Hotel and Cottage Company well. Half mile east of Abita 

Springs Station (elevation of station 38.3 feet above tide); depth, given 

by some as 545, by others, 525 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow through stop-
36 UNDEEGEOUJSTD WATERS OF SOUTHEEN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

cock, 54 gallons per minute; temperature, 73°; no screen. This is a 

new well, put down this season (1903). When allowed to flow freely 

it reduces the pressure of neighboring wells materially, especially 

those to the west and south.

Aiibert Hotel, well. About one-third mile southeast of station; depth, 

585 feet; pipe, li inches; flow from a faucet, 2£ feet above the ground; 

38.3 feet above tide January, 1901; 12i gallons per minute through a 

network of pipes 60 feet long; June 26,1903, 22 gallons per minute, 

direct from well at a height of about 38 feet above tide.

See analysis given on p. 78. Pressure head at least 50 feet above 

tide.

Frank Sr inker's well. One-fourth mile northwest of the station; 

pipe, 2 inches; depth, 574 feet; flow through stopcock about 2 feet 

above the surface of the ground, 27 gallons per minute; no screen; 

temperature, 73° F.

Lcibat Hotel well. One-fourth mile north of the station; depth, 526 

feet; pipe, 1£ inches; original flow, seven or eight years ago, said to 

be 45 gallons per minute; flow, January, 1901, from faucet, 45.2 feet 

above tide, 37 gallons; flow from pipe with stopcock but without faucet, 

June 26, 1903, 56 gallons per minute; temperature, 74°. When the 

size of the pipe is taken into consideration this is the most freely 

flowing well in St. Tammany Parish.

Chas. W. Schmidtfs well. A few yards south of the station; depth 

supposed to be 800 feet; pipe, 1| inches; flow through a one-half inch 

faucet, in 1901 and 1903, 4 gallons per minute; temperature, 72°; elevation of ground, 35.6 feet; of faucet, 36.6 feet above tide. This was 

perhaps the earliest artesian well in this vicinity. It was not decidedly 

successful, doubtless on account of the novelty of the undertaking. 

The temperature indicates that its flow of water conies from a depth 

much short of 800 feet.

Simony's Hotel well. Just east of the station; hotel building burned; 

pipe, 1^ inches; flow through two elbows and a horizontal pipe 2 feet 

in length, January, 1901, 12 gallons per minute; April, 1901, 11 gallons; June, 1903,10 gallons; temperature, 1901, 72°; 1903,73°; elevation of ground, 38.3 feet of top of basin, 41.7 feet of top of pipe, 43.6 

feet above tide.

Limit of supply. The present flow of water from artesian wells 

about Abita Springs is not far from 200 gallons per minute. The 

sensitiveness, especially on the part of the smaller wells, to the flow 

from the new, large well would seem to indicate that the supply, 

though ample for all legitimate uses, should not be unduly drawn 

upon, else pumping in some instances will have to be resorted to.

PEARL RIVER JUNCTION.

When compared with most of the wells in this part of the State the 

well at Pearl River Junction appears remarkable for the great amount
HARRIS.] WELLS IT* LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 37

of water it furnishes at a shallow depth. The water is not regarded 

as suitable for boiler and drinking purposes, though for common 

household uses it serves excellently. Depth, 350 feet; pipe, 2i inches; 

flow through a stopcock at the rate of 72 gallons per minute; flow 

from open 2^-inch pipe said to be 90 gallons per minute; pressure 

head, 54 feet above tide. The elevation of station is 31 feet above tide.

MANDEVILLE JUNCTION.

At Mandeville Junction there is an excellent well that furnishes the 

railroad tank with water, flowing up freely 27 feet above the ground. 

Since no levels have ever been run over this road it is not possible to 

state the exact height of the well above tide.

MANDEVILLE.

The elevation of station at Mandeville is 6.8 feet above tide.

Dessome well. Northeastern part of the village, in flower garden; 

depth, 217 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow per minute, March, 1901, 28.1 gallons; March, 1902, 26 gallons; June 27, 1903, 28 gallons; temperature 

in 1902, 69.5°; in June, 1903, 69.8° F. Flows from pipe 9 feet above 

tide; pressure head, 14i feet above tide.

Mrs. John Hawkins's well. Western part of the village; pipe, 2 

inches, reduced to 1| inches; flow per minute, 1902, 40 gallons; in 1903, 

13 gallons; temperature in 1902, 68.5°; in 1903, 70° F. Flow from a 

pipe 7.35 feet above tide.

O. If. Jackson?s well. Depth, 135 feet; pipe, li inches, reduced to 

1 inch; flow, 0.97 gallon per minute; height of flow, 13.8 feet above 

tide.

Dr. Paine*s well. Flow, open 2-inch pipe, 10.6 gallons per minute; 

reduced to 1 inch, 10^ gallons per minute; through inch pipe with 

stopcock attached, 9.1 gallons per minute. Elevation of ground, 

3.85 feet; of flow, 6.80 feet above tide.

Ribava well, Depth, 247 feet; flow, from open 1| inch pipe, 12 gallons per minute, 1901; through stopcock, 9i gallons per minute in 

1902; through stopcock, 1903. 7 gallons per minute; temperature, 71°, 

February, 1902; 72°, June, 1903; elevation of ground, 3.42 feet; of 

flow, 4.9 feet above tide.

Rush well. North of station, perhaps one-third mile; depth, 252 

feet; pipe, 2 inches, reduced to 1 inch; flow, 7 gallons per minute; 4 

feet above the general level of the ground.

Depths. As in several other regions already described, there are 

here to be found beds yielding water at a depth considerably less than 

that attained by most of the artesian wells. The water in the shallower 

wells usually stands, in the vicinity of Covington, as well as about 

Hammond, from 2 to 10 feet below the surface. Here such shallow 

wells, about 90 feet deep, actually flow, though not vigorously.
38 UNDERGROUND WATEES OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO.IOI.

It will be noticed that the wells about Mandeville are very much 

shallower than at Covington, 9 miles to the north. They are about 

3° cooler, and have a less ferruginous taste and appearance. The 

wells about Slidell have not been examined, but Mr. Blakemore, of 

New Orleans, says that there the Mandeville water (300 feet), and a 

decidedly bad "yellow'" water (perhaps 700 feet down), are met with. 

The latter is described as the same water that is found at the same 

depth in the city of New Orleans.

CHINCHUBA.

Depth, 325 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow reduced to one-third inch 

pipe, hence with pressure head of but 7.3 feet; temperature, 72° F.; 

elevation of ground, 19 feet above tide.

Other wells at a brickyard to the north, and at a locality 4 miles 

to the northwest, are reported to have satisfactory artesian wells, but 

they were not visited.

TANGIPAHOA PARISH.

SINGLETKY'S STILL.

This well is about 9 miles northwest of Covington, or in the SW. 

i NW. i sec. 31, 5 S., 10 E. It is so distant from any other flowing 

well that the following statistics and section, though imperfect, will 

be of considerable interest to landowners and well men in this section 

of the State.

Section of well at Singletry's still. 

[Section given by E. P. Singletry.J

Sand and clay ..............................................

Quicksand ..................................................

Pipe clay ...................................................

Blue sand ..................................................

Thickness 

in feet.

100

120

170

160

10

Depth in 

feet.

100

220

390

550

560

Depth, 560 feet; pipe, about 2 inches; flow, 18 gallons per minute, 

with several small leaks; height of pipe where measured, 78 feet above 

tide. (See analysis, p. 78.) The elevation was determined in 1901 by 

J. Pacheco and G. D. Harris, who ran a spirit-level line out from 

Covington.

HAMMOND.

The elevation of the railroad station at Hammond is 43.3 feet above 

tide.

Captain Andersorfs well. For general appearance of the well see
HARBIS.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 39

PL V, B; depth, 272 feet; size, 2 inches; flow, 20 gallons per minute; 

temperature of water, 70.5°; strainer or point, 10 feet.

Section: Sand to 40 feet, a thick bed of blue clay, then sand and 

gravel to the bottom.

Well sunk and cased with galvanized pipe for 55 cents per foot; 

hence total cost of well, approximately, $150.

Baltzell & Thomas livery stable well. Depth, 330 feet; size, 2 

inches; temperature, 71.5°; flow, 24 gallons per minute, June 23,1903; 

screen, 7 feet long.

B. F. BauerWs well. One and one-half miles sjDuth-southwest of 

Hammond; depth, 212 feet; size, 2 inches; temperature, 69°; flow, 

June 23, 1903, 8f gallons per minute.

Durlc.ee well. Depth, 297 feet; size, 2 inches reduced to li inches; 

flow in March, 1901, 24 gallons per minute, besides two small distributing pipes that could not be closed; flow, same conditions, June 23, 

1903, 24 gallons per minute.

Eastman well. One and one-half miles south of Hammond; depth, 

309 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow, 30 gallons per minute, in 1901; pressure, 

5^ pounds per square inch; temperature, 72° F.

Forbes well. One mile east of Hammond, NE. i NW. i, section 30; 

depth, 250 feet; flow, June 23, 1903, 7£ gallons per minute; size, 1£ 

inches; pressure head, 17 feet above surface of ground; age, 8 years.

Three water-bearing beds were encountered in sinking this well: 

(1) Depth, 52 feet, water coming to within 2 feet of surface; (2) 150 

feet, coming to within 8 feet of surface; (3) 250 feet, with head of 17 

feet.

Hermann well. TWTO miles south-southwest of Hammond. Impossible to obtain accurate data, except pressure, 8£ pounds per square 

inch.

Hammond Ice Company's well. Depth, 340 feet; pipe, 2 inches; 

flow in 1901, about 50 feet above tide, 15 gallons per minute; same 

conditions, June, 1903, 11 gallons per minute; temperature, both 

years, 72° F.

Hammond Mineral Water Company (Limited). Well, 460 feet deep; 

pipe, 3 inches; flow, about 46 feet above tide, 65 gallons per minute.

C. II. IIommeT1 s welL One-half mile southeast of Hammond; depth, 

318 feet; flow, impossible to measure now; said to have been, when 

well was first put down, 45 gallons per minute; temperature, 70.5° F.

Alfred Jackson1 s well. Depth, 265 feet; pipe, \\ inches; flow,'3 

feet above surface of the ground, June, 1903, 61 gallons per minute; 

temperature, 71° F.

June Brothers'* sawmill well. Depth, 377 feet; pipe, 2 inches; 

flow, at a point 5 feet above the ground, open pipe with one elbow, 

June 22, 1903, 24 gallons per minute; temperature, 71° F.

Kate well. In western part of the village, on Morris -avenue; size
40 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO.IOI.

of pipe, 2 inches; free flow, perhaps 3 feet above the general surface 

of the ground, 30 gallons per minute, June 23, 1903; temperature, 

70.6° F. A new well, just finished.

FredKarltori''s well. One-half mile southeast of Hammond; depth, 

302 feet; pipe, 2 inches below, reduced to \\ above surface of ground; 

screen, 10 feet; flow, June, 1903, 24 gallons per minute; cost, $150; 

temperature, 70.5° F.

Kem/p well. Three-fourths mile southeast of Hammond; pipe, li 

inches; flow, June, 1903, 5 gallons per minute; temperature, 70° F.

Merritt Millers .well. Depth, 265 feet; pipe, 2 inches, reduced 

to li; flow in 1901, 28J gallons per minute; elevation of flow, 44 

feet above tide; pressure head, 56.6 feet above tide; temperature, 

71° F.

Morrison well. Pipe, 2 inches; flow, 46 feet above tide, 1901, 20 

gallons per minute; June, 1903, same flow; pressure head, 51.7 feet 

above tide; temperature, 72° F.

Oaks Hotel well. Depth, 300 feet; pipe, 2 inches; flow, 25 gallons 

per minute; age, ten years; temperature, 71° F. See analysis, 

p. 78.

Oil well. The following section was obtained from samples in 

1901:

Section of oil well at Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish.

Depth in feet.

Clay................................................................ 45-55

Sand and gravel..................................................... 85-100

Yellow loam ........................................................ 173

Water-bearing sand.................................................. 294

Coarse sand......................................................... 368

Coarse sand and gravel............................................... 475

The same, more sandy ............................................... 500-512

5-foot bed of hard blue clay, about ................................... 570

"Pepper and salt sand " .................................. .......... 570+

The new well, June, 1903, was over 760 feet deep. It was generally understood that its section tallied with the old one fairly closely 

so far as the latter went down. The " 5-foot bed of clay " of the old 

well showed only 3 feet in the new. From approximately 570 feet in 

the new, gravel was abundant to 760. Below, a hard bed of clay had 

been encountered, light colored above, but growing much darker 

below.

Pushee well. One mile south of Hammond; west of the railroad; 

depth, 380 feet; 340 feet of li-inch pipe, 40 feet of 1^-inch pipe; no 

screen; flow recorded by Mr. Pacheco March, 1901, 14i gallons per 

minute; April, 1901, 15i gallons; by G. D. Harris, June 23, 1903, 11 

gallons per minute; temperature, 70.6° F.
HABBIS.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 41

Robinson well. Northwest quarter of the town (see analysis, p. 78); 

depth, 356 feet; size of pipe, 2 inches; flow not ascertained because it 

is piped to various places quite inaccessible.

Rogers^ s (Ben) well. West of Hammond, £ mile; depth, 284: feet; 

2-inch pipe reduced to 1 inch; flow, 17 gallons per minute; temperature, 70.5° F.; cost, $142.

Section of Rogers's well, Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish.

Clay.

Quicksand to 75 feet.

Clay.

Sand, last 50 feet.

Lower end of screen (10 feet) stuck hi clay bed.

Erastus Rogers'swell. Depth, 225 feet; pipe, li inches; flow, 5 feet 

from ground, 2i gallons per minute; temperature, 70°; strainer 

(screen), 8 feet.

J. T. SmitKs well. One mile east of Hammond; depth, 235 feet; 

temperature, 69° F.; pipe, li inches; flow, 6.5 feet above ground, 7i 

gallons per minute; age, one year; cost, $108.

W. B. Smith"1 s well. One-half mile southeast of Hammond; depth 

said by some to be 260, by others 305, feet; pipe, 2 inches reduced to 

li; temperature, 70.5°; flow, Hi gallons per minute; age, eight 

years.

Tigner well. Two miles southeast of Hammond; flow, 20 gallons 

per minute; pipe, 2 inches; temperature, 70° F.

W. J. Wilmofs well. Depth, about 370 feet; pipe, 2 inches reduced 

to 1 inch; flo.w, said to be 40 gallons per minute; pressure, 2 feet 

above the ground, 7.7 pounds per square inch; flows readily 14 feet 

above ground, with small leaks in pipe; would doubtless flow 20 feet 

above ground.

H. Walstis well. One and one-half miles south-southeast of Hammond, in section 31; depth, 298 feet; pipe, li inches reduced to 1 inch; 

flows through 30 feet horizontal pipe, with stopcock, 5£ gallons per 

minute; temperature, 70.75° F.; age, five years.

Way well. One and one-half miles south-southwest of Hammond; 

depth, 140 feet; flow, 3 gallons per minute; temperature, 69° F.

/Summary of wells about Hammond. Water may be had by pumping, from wells ranging in depth from 30 to 100 feet; a sand, or quicksand, furnishes a slight flow generally at 140 to 150 feet, flow or not 

depending on topography; temperature, 69° F.; after passing more 

clay, to depths ranging from 230 to 380 feet, coarser sand or gravel is 

encountered, furnishing an artesian flow above the ground of from 10 

to 20 feet, according to topography; temperature, 69° to 72° F.

The well of the Mineral Water Company, with 3-inch pipe, and a 

depth of about 460 feet, with a flow of 65 gallons per minute, as well
42 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. pro. 101.

as the log of the oil well, shows conclusively that better and larger 

wells may be expected in this vicinity. The Morrison and Durkee 

wells, some distance apart, in the central portion of the town, have 

shown no change whatever in flow for the past two years. Since they 

are of the normal size and depth, it is evident that the available 

supply is as yet far greater than the demand.

In a radius of two miles of Hammond there are already about 50 

flowing wells, yielding about 1,000 gallons of water per minute, or 

half a billion gallons annually, nearly all of which is wasted.

Decrease in the flow of certain wells in this neighborhood is due 

solely to increased obstruction in the lower end of the pipe.

The cost of these wells is not far from 50 cents a foot, labor, 

casing, etc., being furnished by the driller. The usual size pipe is 2 

inches in diameter; in case smaller pipe is used the cost of the well is 

somewhat less. See notes on J. T. Smith's well, above.

Age of the wells examined, from two months to ten years. When 

properly screened, or put down into coarse gravel, these wells seem 

to flow as freely now as when first put down.

Local well drillers: Bacon and Gamble, Edwin Way, John Blumquist.

PONCHATOULA.

The elevation of the railroad station at-Ponchatoula is 29 feet above 

tide.

Alber well. Two hundred feet from the town well; depth, 413 feet; 

pipe, 2 inches; flow, 25 gallons per minute; head about 30 feet above 

the surface of the ground. Bacon and Gamble, drillers.

G. H. BiegeTs well At Pelican Hotel; depth, 232 feet; flow, 4f 

gallons per minute, 1901; 2f gallons per minute, 1903; temperature, 

71° in 1901; 69.5° in 1903; pipe, li inches; height of flow about 31 

feet above tide.

Mrs. Bishop's well. Old, deserted place, 3 miles north of Ponchatoula, 2 miles south of Hammond; depth, 170 feet; pipe, \\ inches; 

temperature, 69.5° F.; flow, 10 gallons per minute; age, about nine 

years.

The section of this well, according to John Blumquist, who drilled 

it, is as follows:

Section of Bishop well, Ponchatoula.

Clay .......................................................

Sand, with some water ......................................

Blue clay. ..................................................

Coarse sand. ................................................

Thickness 

in feet.

50

20

94

6

Depth in 

feet.

50

70

164

170
HAEEIS.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 43

C. A. McKinney's well. About i mile southwest of Ponchatoula; 

depth, 199f feet; flow said to be variable, caving in evidently taking 

place below; on June 24, 1903, 12 gallons per minute; pipe, 1^ inches; 

age, four years.

Moon well. Same general vicinity as preceding; depth, 200 feet; 

pipe, li inches; flow, 12 gallons per minute; age, seven years. Near 

by this is the Fisher well with a flow of 10 gallons per minute.

Railroad well. At Chester, 100 feet north of fiftieth milepost from 

New Orleans, west of track and 5 feet below the level of rails; flow, 

3f gallons per minute; pipe, li inches; temperature, 70° F.

Town well. In public square; flow, 1901, 2i gallons; in 1903, 2| 

gallons per minute; temperature, 71°, 1901; 70°, 1903. See table of 

analyses for further information regarding this and the Biegel well.

Sawmill well. Depth, 332 feet; flow, 5 gallons per minute.

Section of sawmill well, Ponchatoula.. 

[Section given by Bacon and Gamble.]

Blue clay, about. ....__.-.......--_...._-.._-_. ---..........

Sand a little coarser, weak flow of water. .....................

Thickness 

in feet.

75

15

35

105

30

40

32

Depth in 

feet.

75

90

125

230

260

300

332

ORLEANS PARISH.

The fact that there are two well-defined water-bearing strata a under 

New Orleans has already been mentioned. A number of additional 

facts can now be presented.

The old Canal street well of 1854, so often referred to in geological 

literature, both on account of its great depth, as borings then went, 

and, more especially, on account of the careful record kept by Mr. 

Blanchard of the beds passed through, including many fossils, still 

remains the type section for this general region of the country down 

to a depth of 630 feet. No recent boring has been recorded with 

the interest and painstaking care that was displayed in this well. 

This is most seriously to be regretted, as the number of wells sunk 

has been very large, and their records, if carefully kept, would furnish 

material for an interesting chapter in the geological history of the

a Rept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, p. 221.
44 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

southern Mississippi Valley. The records of the deeper wells, ranging 

from 1,200 to 1,400 feet, have been wanting- altogether. The record 

of the Fabacher well, given below, will therefore be of unusual interest 

to those who are interested in the geology of New Orleans, either from 

a purely economic or scientific point of view. Fortunate, too, from a 

geological standpoint, is the collapsing of the screen at the base of the 

casing in the Young Men^ Gymnasium well, at a depth of about 1,300 

feet, allowing the sand and fine shells to enter the pipe and be brought 

to the surface by the force of the flowing water.

DEEP SALT-WATER WELLS.

Young Meris Gymnasium Club well. Depth supposed to be 1,356 

feet, though some claim that 1,250 is nearer the truth; natural flow, 

40 gallons per minute; forced, 125 gallons; gas escapes at the rate of 

830 cubic feet in twenty-four hours; specific gravity, 1.016.

Analysis of water of well at Young Men's Gymnasium Club. 

[Ordway and Kirchoff, analysts.]

Chloride sodium ..........................................

Chloride calcium ..........................................

Chloride magnesium. ......................................

Chloride ammonia ........................................

Chloride potash ...........................................

Carbonate calcium ........................................

Oxides of Fe and Al ........ ...............................

Phosphate ................................................

Parts in 

100,000.

2, 115. 9

138.2

75.7

1.3

Trace.

86.8

4.7

Trace.

Grains per 

gallon.

« 2. 82

81.2

44.9

.8

Trace.

40.8

2.8

Trace.

a Ounces.

Fdbacher's well. AtFabacher's "Casino,"corner Nashville avenue 

and St. Charles street; depth, 1,229 feet; pipe, 4 inches; flow 1 foot 

above ground, 55 gallons per minute; flow, reduced to 2 inches and 

raised 10 feet above the ground, 6 gallons per minute; flow stops at 

12 feet above ground; temperature, 81.5° F.
HAERIS.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 45

Section of Fabacher's well, New Orleans. 

[Furnished by Mr. Blakemore.]

Character of material. Thickness 

in feet.

Depth 

in feet.

Blue clay................................................... 37

White sand with shells ...................................... 20

Yellowish-white clay. ....................................... 5

Gray sand.. ................................................ 105

Bhie clay ................................................... 20

Reddish sand ............................................... 20

Gray sand .................................................. 80

Blue clay, with pockets of shells. ............................. 280

Gray sand.................................................. 2

Blue clay ................................................... 40

Hard white clay ............................................ 19

Hard blue clay . . ............................................ 30

Blue water sand (fresh water) ................................ 225

Blue tenacious clay. ......................................... 150

Wbite sand (resembling white sugar) ......................... 40

Blue clay ................................................... 85

Fine shells. ................................................. 6

Gray water sand ............................................ 65

37

57

62

167

187

207

287

567

569

609

628

658

883

1, 033

1, 073

1, 1 58

1, 164

1 , 229

A forthcoming report will deal with the fossil remains saved from 

this well by Mr. Fabacher, and similar ones preserved by Mr. John 

Kracke, from the gymnasium well. They appear to be of Pleistocene 

or Quaternary age.

THE COMMON "YELLOW-WATER" WELLS.

These include the 600 to 900 foot wells bored at frequent intervals 

over the city. One of the earliest wells of this class sunk in New 

Orleans was in the neutral grounds on Canal street, between Carondalet and Baronne streets, in the year 1854. A colored section of this 

well, as originally kept by A. G. Blanchard, C. E., of New Orleans, 

appears .in the report of the board of health of Louisiana for 1890-91. a 

From this it will be observed that the strata penetrated to a depth of 

630 feet consist of light yellowish and bluish sands and clays with 

some light greenish layers and occasional shell sands. 6

One of the most recent wells of this class is that at the Marine 

Hospital, Audubon Park. This is 765 feet deep. The first 600 feet 

are reported as sand, silt, and clay beds; a bed of yellow sand, perhaps

« Biennial Kept. Board of Health to the general assembly of the State of Louisiana for 1890-91, plate 

opposite p. 148. Baton Rouge, 1892. 

bRept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1903, p. 221.
46 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

40 feet thick, was encountered some distance below, and continued to 

705 feet. From there on for 60 feet the material consists of white 

sand. The water rises to within about 3 feet of the surface at present. 

This 6-inch well is capable of furnishing 300 gallons per minute. The 

water is classed as excellent for washing purposes, requiring but half 

as much soap as the river water. It is also excellent for boiler purposes, but is impotable.

The flow from this shallower class of wells has always been weak, 

and the large number of such wells has still further weakened the flow. 

There is a tendency now, when more water is required, to seek the 

lower level. This water is excellent for bathing purposes, containing, 

as the above analysis shows, a large amount of common salt.

The great range in depth here given really includes two or more 

water-bearing horizons, though at various localities but one may be 

represented.

THE 400-FOOT SANDS.

In the old well on the neutral grounds, just referred to, a sand bed 

was passed through from 335 to 480 feet below the surface that furnished artesian water at the rate of 350 gallons an hour.

SHALLOW WELLS.

Very close by Mr. Fabacher's deep well, above described, is a well 

but ISO feet in depth, fitted with a 3-inch casing, that flows 12 gallons 

per minute 1 foot above the surface of the ground. It is brackish. 

Temperature, 70° F.

Small driven wells in the city limits, at varying shallow depths, 

reach &,andy, coarse material that bears water, evidently closely connected with the river.

BONNABEL WELL.

One of the most interesting wells that has ever been put down in 

the vicinity of New Orleans is that on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain, about 1 mile west of West End. An attempt was here made to 

start a summer resort under the name of Lake City, and this well was 

sunk for a supply of fresh water. According to Mr. Bonnabel, the 

well is 1,200 feet deep, but a letter from the driller indicates that it is 

not over 900 feet deep. It now flows from a 2f-inch pipe, standing 

about 8 feet above tide, 12 gallons per minute, with a temperature of 

79° (measured July $, 1903).

Mr. Bonnabel makes the following remarks regarding the well 

section:.

Five-inch casing to 600 feet, hitting rock; 3-iiicli casing to 700 feet; then liinch casing to 1,200 feet. Compact, ferruginous conglomerate, 60 feet thick, was 

passed through about 700 feet down; then a hlack, hard clay was encountered, giving 

way to bluish sand; water in pale blue clay.
HAREIS.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 47

The analysis of the water by Mr. Joseph Albrecht, as given in a 

handbook regarding "Lake City," is as follows:

Analysis of water from Bonnabel well.

Grains per gallon. 

Sodium chloride ......................................................... 27. 74

Sodium carbonate ........................................................ 34. 39

Potassium carbonate...................................................... 4. 49

Silica carbonate .......................................................... 1. 69

Organic matter free of nitrogen............................................ 0. 46

Carbonic acid combined as bicarbonates.................................... 13. 33

Total.............................................................. 82. 10

The features of the section outlined by Mr. Bonnabel are in some 

ways remarkable, and if it were certain that there is no error in the 

matter there might be grounds for supposing that there had been 

some orogenic movement in this region that brought up rocks belonging to a horizon beneath the Pleistocene to an elevation of but 600 

feet below tide level. It is probable that the water comes from the 

same stratum that is found at a depth of 500 to 600 feet about Covington and Abita Springs, and that it is the same as the 600 to 900 foot 

sand beds penetrated and so largely drawn from throughout the city of 

New Orleans. The fact that the water may be potable at Covington, 

barely so at Lake City, and quite impotable in New Orleans, is readily 

explained by the very slight slope of the water-bearing stratum, and 

hence the very slow movement of the underground waters. A slope 

of perhaps 150 feet in 35 or 36 miles can scarcely give an appreciable 

daily motion through sand that is generally very fine. When we 

consider also the rapid formation of this coastal region of Louisiana, 

and the great amount of organic matter that was brought Gulf ward 

then as well as now and deposited along in the sand and clay beds of 

Pliocene times, it is no wonder that the slowly moving waters should 

become strongly impregnated with various salts and so-called impurities as they pass Gulf ward (see fig. i).

Since such is the condition of affairs in and about New Orleans, 

there seems to be no valid reason for supposing that the city will ever 

be supplied with potable artesian water derived from local wells.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PAKISH.

KUDDOCK.

Mr. John Blumquist, of Hammond, says that the well at this place 

opposite the railroad station is 338 feet deep. It flows strongly, but 

the water stains everything red, even glass.
48 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

EAST BATON KOUGE PAEISH. 

BATON ROUGE AND VICINITY.

Waterworks, two wells. Old well put down in 1892; depth, 758 feet; 

water rises to within 6 feet of surface, i. e., approximately 30 feet 

above tide; capacity given as 500,000 gallons daily.

Analysis of water of waterworks well at Baton Rouge.

[B. B. Boss, analyst.]

Grains per gallon.

Total solid matter..................................................... 14.3175

Mineral matter........................................................ 12.1597

Organic and volatile matter ............................................ 2.1578

Silica................................................................. 1. 3413

Potash ............................................................... . 2251

Soda ................................................................. 5.9929

Lime...:............................................................. . 5009

Magnesia ............................................................. . 2939

Oxides of Fe and Al................................................... . 5056

Phosphoric acid....................................................... . 03196

Sulphuric acid ........................................................ 1.8819

Chlorine.............................................................. . 4655

Oxygen oxidizing organic matter....................................... . 04228

Nitrogen, albuminoid ammonia.............................. ^.......... . 00676

Nitrogen as free ammonia.. ............................................. . 00519

Nitrogen as nitrates....... ............................................. . 00192

Sulphuric acid and chlorine combined as 

Potassium sulphate................................................ . 4171

Sodium sulphate ................................................... 3. 0022

Sodium chloride................................................... . 7494

This well has an 8-inch pipe for 386 feet; 6-inch pipe for 304 feet; 

4i-inch pipe for 68 feet. New well starts with 10-inch pipe, and is 

6 inches the rest of the way down; depth, 800 feet; flow at surface 

about 35 feet above tide.

The two wells are said to have a capacity oi 1,000,000 gallons a day. 

Pumped with compressed air.

Istrowna Hotel well. Depth, according to the Blakemore Well 

Company, of New Orleans, 770 feet; water stands 18 feet below the 

surface of the ground. It is of the same quality as the water obtained 

at the waterworks, and pumps with a suction pump at the surface 

about 80 gallons per minute.

Well 4- miles east of Baton Rouge. Pipe 4-inch, flow from 2-inch 

hole 4^ feet above ground, 5 gallons per minute; from 2-inch hole 

li feet above ground, 30 gallons per minute; temperature 71° F. 

Pressure head about 50 feet above tide.

Well at old mill, one-fourth mile south of station. Depth, 850 feet; 

2-inch pipe; has flowed freely 16 feet above present faucet. It now 

furnishes large quantities of water.
HARRIS.] WELLS IK LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 49

Elevation of pressure head, about 100 feet above tide. (Elevation 

of Baker station given by Gannett as 82 feet above tide.)

Driven wells, 150 feet deep, furnish fair water. Bored wells, 25 to 

40 feet deep, yield very impure water.

Wells here, some as deep as 200 feet, have to be pumped. Most of 

the water used is from shallow bored wells.

WEST FELICIANA PARISH.

BAYOU SARA.

Well just southeast of railroad station, 240 feet deep; passed through 

gravel at 100 feet. It is pumped. Darton gives the following data 

from one well at this place: Depth, 736 feet; pipe 4-inch; yield, 347 

gallons; height of water [above mouth of well?] +2 feet; temperature 

63°. For another he gives simply depth 450 feet and "height" 

+1 foot.

ARTESIAN AND DEEP WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE

MISSISSIPPI.

LA FOURCHE PARISH.

THIBODAUX.

Ice factory well. Depth, 225 feet; passes through moderately fine 

bluish sand all the way down; water impotable on account of various 

salts; stands 13 feet below the surface of the ground; used for condensing.

ASSUMPTION PARISH.

NAPOLEONVILLE.

City waterworks. Two wells, an 8-inch, 190 feet deep; a 6-inch, 

210 feet deep. Both said to furnish 25,000 gallons per hour; the 

smaller, and deeper, with 9-foot strainer, furnishes more water than 

the larger, with 20-foot strainer.

Several such wells around the town furnish a similar water, i. e., 

very ferruginous, staining bath tubs and connections an orange 

37 ellow.

ST. JAMES PARISH.

8t. James well. Mr. Weasel, contractor for well drilling on the 

Texas and Pacific Railroad, says that at St. James he found good water 

at a depth of 285 feet, passing through a bed of shells (probably Bangia 

shells).

IRK 101 04 4
50 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN" LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

Convent welL ^Ax. C. Oley, of the Blakemore Well Drilling Company, states that here he put a well down to the depth of 190 feet 

and procured good water. It rises and falls with the Mississippi.

ST. MARY PARISH.

MORGAN CITY.

Well penetrated a very coarse gravel bed at a depth of 500 feet.

GLENCOE.

Clendenin a gives a section of an artesian well at this place furnished 

by Doctor Simmons. It shows coarse sand and water at a depth of 

615 feet.

faction of u'fll at Cilencoe, St. Mar;/ Parish.

Soil ...... .................................................

Yellow clav .................................................

Shale. ......................................................

Coarse sand and gravel and water at. .........................

Thickness 

in feet.

1

11

12

100

f mined.

Depth in 

feet.

1

12

24

124

I.......

615

IBERIA PARISH.

JEANERETTE AND VICINITY.

Mores r s Ixirnyard well. b Depth, 140 feet; pipe, li-inch; flow, February 16, 1901, 7i gallons per minute; temperature, TO0 . See table 

of analyses given on page 78.

Elevation of station, 18 feet above tide; well, 13.2 feet below station; hence flow is about 5 feet above tide.

Mores rs foundry well. Depth, 700 feet. See table of analyses 

given on page 78. Section given as follows:

faction of Mores?x foundry u'ell at Jeanerette, Iberia Parisli.

Clay .......................................................

Sand and gravel. ............................................

Gravel .....................................................

Thickness 

in feet.

. 40

160

460

40

Depth in 

feet.

40

200

660

700

nPart III, Geol. and Agric. State Exp. Bta., 1896, p, 213, 

?>Bept, Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, p. 232.
HARRIS.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 51

Elevation, 5.5 feet below railroad station; water stands within 5 or 

6 feet of the surface; hence water is about 8 feet above tide.

Ice factoi^y well. Pipe, 8-inch. Clendenin gives this well section as 

follows:

Section of well at ice factory, Jeanerette.

Yellow clay. ................................................

Thickness 

in feet.

15

80

10

70

175

Depth in 

feet.

15

95

105

175

350

Flow from base of cap, 7.69 feet below railroad station or about 10.5 

feet above tide.

Old Moresi plantation. One mile southeast of Jeanerette; depth, 

180 feet; flows freely about 8 feet above tide; stains pipes and connections bright reddish yellow.

S. I>. Roands well. Three miles south of Jeanerette; depth, 420 

feet; pipe, 10-inch; water flows over the top of pipes perhaps 10 

feet above tide when wells are not pumped for a time; water seems 

good for general family use; potable; wells pumped for rice irrigation. 

This is known as the Kilgore plantation. The section is as follows:

Section of Roane's veil at Kilgore plantation, near Jeanerette, Iberia Parish.

Clay .......................................................

Clay, full of shells. ..........................'................

Gravel and sand. ............................................

Thickness 

in feet.

80

6

150

184

Depth in 

feet.

80

86

236

420

NEW IBERIA.

Ice ^vorks wells. Depth, about 230 feet; quality and quantity not as 

desired for general use; pipes soon cake and clog up.

John JEmms's well. Depth, about 260 feet; extremely ferruginous; 

not potable; rises 5 feet above the bayou at mid-stage.

Oil well. North of New Iberia; depth, said to be about 500 feet, 

with pockets of oil, and one "rock" 2 feet thick; good water also 

reported at a depth of about 400 feet.

The quality of the water at the Koane well, mentioned above, is such 

as to seem to bear out ex-Mayor Moresi's statement that good water is 

to be found only at the usual depths some distance back from the
52 UNDEKGKOUND WATEES OF 8OOTHEEN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

bayou. It is probable that the problem of furnishing New Iberia with 

good water will be solved by pumping it from a station a few miles to 

the west. Mr. Caldwell, the machinist, vouches for the statement that 

good water was found in the " Oil" well.

ST. MARTIN PARISH.

ST. MARTINVILLE AND VICINITY.

Oil well. About 1^ miles northwest of St. Martinville.

Section of oil well near St. Martinville, St. Martin Parish. 

[According to Mr. William Kennedy.]

Fine sand ...-.-..-..-..._........__.__.....................

Blue clay -.--__.-...._-..._-.._.._........._.._.......-_.___

Water-bearing sand and gravel. . .............................

Tenacious clay, with gravel ..................................

Coarse sand .................................................

Coarse sand and gravel ......................................

Thickness 

in feet.

40

60

40

150

25

120

200

200

150

150

Depth in 

feet.

40

100

140

290

315

435

635

835

985

1,135

It will be observed that two beds of water-bearing sand and gravel 

are mentioned. Doubtless other sand and gravel beds,, like the lowest 

penetrated, would furnish an ample supply of water, though very 

likely to be salty.

The Southern Pacific Eailroad station is marked 25 feet above tide; 

a spirit-level line to the well shows that the floor of the derrick is 16.3 

feet above tide. For diagram of this well see PI. II.

In an irrigation well close by the water surface stood at a height of 

11.6 feet above tide January 13, 1903.

Lobbed well. Four miles south of St. Martinville; spirit-level line 

from St. Martinville showed surface of water to be 11.13 feet above 

tide; surface of the land 17.8 feet above tide January 14, 1903.

BREAUX BRIDGE.

Gilbeaux place. Three-fourths mile west of station, on Gilbeaux 

plantation; elevation of railroad station 27.5 feet above tide; well pipe 

12 feet above tide; water said to have flowed over the top of this pipe 

when well was first put down.
HAKKIS.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 53

LAFAYETTE PARISH.

LAFAYETTE AND VICINITY.

Waterworks wells. We have here an instance of lack of care in 

leaving the orifice of the wells accessible, so that the wells may at any 

time be cleaned, or rather flushed, when clogged with sand. Three 

wells have been put down here in succession, because, after a few 

years, they became clogged up. The depth of the new and consequently best well was given as 226 feet. Its casing is 6 inches; screen, 

35.5 feet long. This well supplies Lafayette, besides 220,000 gallons 

to the Southern Pacific Railroad daily; height of surface of ground, 

reckoning Lafayette station as 4:0 feet, about 34.6 feet; water said to 

be between 20 to 25 feet below, hence about 10 or 15 feet above tide; 

when cleaned occasionally it is as good as when first put down; screen 

in very coarse gravel; C. H. Melchert, engineer in charge.

Lafayette Compress and Storage Company's well. Depth, 125 feet; 

water surface about 25 feet below surface of the ground, i. e., about 

10 feet above tide.

ST. LANDRY PARISH.

OPELOUSAS.

Waterworks well. Depth, 184 feet; pipe, 10 inches; screen, 64 feet; 

has been pumped to the extent of 300 gallons per minute, guaranteed 

600; elevation of water in well, 22.28 feet above tide, i. e., considering 

the station as 67.5 feet, as given by the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Section of waterworks wdl at Opelousas, St. Landry Parish.

Clay ..............._................................_..-..-

Fine sand ..-........................._......_....-.-........ v 

Gravel t< > bottom of well ............................ ........

Thickness 

in feet.

83

37

64

Depth in 

feet.

83

120

184

Oil Mill well. Depth, 208 feet; pipe, 8 inches, with 40 feet of screen.

WASHINGTON.

Washington well. The following section was given for the well at 

Washington:

Section of well at Washington, St. Landry Parish.

Quicksand. .................................................

Sand .......................................................

Gravel .....................................................

Thickness 

in feet.

18

52

124

Depth in 

teet.

18

70

194

Water said to rise to within 11 feet of surface of ground, or about 

30 feet above tide.
54 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

BATON ROUGE JUNCTION.

Mr. Weasel says he found good water here at 160 feet.

LOBDELL.

The same authority just quoted says that good water is found here 

at a depth of 150 feet. The surface of the water is 21 feet below the 

general level of the ground.

POINTE COUPEE PARISH.

NEW ROADS.

Mr. Weasel reports poor water at 120 feet.

BATOHELOR.

The same condition exists here as at New Roads.

AVOYELLES PARISH.

Railroad wells. One 90, the other 14:2 feet deep; the water from 

both impotable. Water stands in both about 13,feet below station.

W. D. Hems''s well. One 4-inch well, 180 feet deep, furnishes enough 

water to run four large boilers in Haas's cotton compress works; 

water stands about 10 feet below surface of ground or about 11.5 feet 

below the station.

Gannett gives Bunkie an elevation of 66 feet. Hence water stands 

in these wells about 52 or 54- feet above tide.

MARKSVILLE.

Court-house well. This well is reported to have a depth of 800 feet, 

encountering salt water. At a depth of 230 feet a 5-foot stratum of 

lignite was penetrated. Mouth of well 0.3 foot above railroad station, 

hence approximately 82 feet above tide.

VERMILION PARISH.

ABBEVILLE AND VICINITY.

Court-house well. Well about 16.6 feet above tide with section as 

follows:

Section of well at court-house, AbbeviHe, Vermilion Parish.

Clay .......................................................

Fine sand. ..................................................

Clay .......................................................

Hard layers of clay alternating with sand .....................

Coarse white sand with white pebbles ........................

Reddish clay and "rock" ....................................

Thickness 

in feet.

15

65

2

57

21

60

Depth 

in feet.

15

80

82

139

160

220
HARRIS.] WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 55

The upper bed here alone furnishes water. Exact height of water 

could not be told; certainly it lacks several feet of overflowing.

Well 9 miles west of Ahbeville. On Mr. John Waltham's place W. 

i SE. i sec. 32, 12 S., R. 3 E., are several wells. The land is here 10 

feet above tide and the general well section, according to Mr. Moresi, 

is about as follows:

Section of well on Waltham's place, 9 miles west of Abbeville, Vermilion Parish.

Clay .......................................................

Gray sand ..................................................

Clay .......................................................

Thickness 

in feet.

30

10

5

30+

Depth 

in feet.

30

40

45

75+

Even at this low level the water does not overflow.

SHELL BEACH.

Wells that have a feeble flow above the surface of the ground were 

heard of at this place, but were not visited.

GUEYDAN.

WilJcinsorfs ^vell, 3 miles southwest of Gueydan. Depth, 190 feet; 

pipe, 8-inch; flow, 8+ gallons per minute: temperature, 73°. Elevation of flow, 6.9 feet above tide, determined by spirit-level line from 

Gueydan; bench mark on station; according to Southern Pacific Railroad, 9.07 feet above tide.

Donnellyplace, 6 or 7 miles east of Gueydan. Two 8-inch and two 

6-inch wells. Water said to rise 8 inches above the surface.

ACAI>IA PARISH.

RAYNE AND VICINITY.

Chapuis^s well. Depth, 210 feet, with 10-foot strainer; water stands 

16 feet below surface. Elevation of station, according to Southern 

Pacific Railroad, 37.5 feet above tide, well about 2 feet below; hence, 

water in well about 19.5 feet above tide.

Hippolite Richard?8 well. This is 3 miles east-northeast of Rayne. 

Depth, 200 feet; water stands within 17.5 feet of surface. Elevation 

of surface of water in well about 20 feet above tide, based on spiritlevel line run from Rayne to mouth of well.

CROWLEY AND VICINITY.

Railroad well. Depth, 173 feet. Water usually rises to within 5 

or 6 feet of surface. Elevation of water, about 19 feet above tide.
56 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF SOUTHEBN" LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

Ice factory well. Depth, 600 feet; water unsatisfactory; pipe withdrawn to the usual depth, 170-180 feet.

Long Point, 15 miles northeast of Crowley. One 8-inch and three 

6-inch wells. Water at 180 feet; rises to within 26 feet of the surface.

Three miles east of Crowley. -Two wells pass through logs at depth 

of 168 and 202 feet. In the first, beneath the 168-foot log, 7 feet of 

water-bearing sand was encountered, water rising to within 7 feet of 

surface.

Sol Wrighfs well. About 3 miles southwest of Crowley, or in 

center of sec. 19, T. 10 S., R. 1 E.; depth, 293 feet; surface of ground, 

19.37 feet above tide; of water. 0.37 feet above tide January 29, 1903. 

Strainer, 70 feet long.

L. J. Bowe.rfs well. Middle of NE. i sec. 19; depth, 196.6 feet; 

top of pipe, 21.39 feet above tide; of water, 9.49 feet above tide.

Water stands in this well, February 5, 1903, 10.5 feet below station; 

hence 7.5 feet above tide.

OEIZA AND VICINITY.

John Wendling's well, 1 mile southwest of Oriza. Pipe, 6-inch; 

flow, 1.2 feet above surface; 20 gallons per minute. Elevation of 

Oriza (Southern Pacific Railroad), 24 feet above tide. By spirit-level 

line, top well is 11.4 feet above tide.

D. J. Scanlins well, <2 miles southwest of Oriza. Elevation of surface of water, 12.2 feet above tide; line from Oriza.

F. Scanliiius well, 2 'miles south-southwest of Oriza. Elevation of 

surface of water, 12 feet above tide; leveled from Oriza.

CALCASIEU PARISH.

It is in the eastern half of this parish that perhaps two-thirds of all 

the large irrigation wells of southwestern Louisiana are located. Not 

that this particular area is better adapted to the growing of rice than 

man}7 other sections of southern Louisiana, but by a glance at any 

map of this part of the State it will be seen that east Calcasieu has 

comparatively few large rivers, creeks, or bayous from which water 

may be had for irrigation purposes. The result is that here are found 

the most advanced methods of sinking wells and lifting the water 

from them.

It is entirely out of the question to refer to even a tenth part of the 

wells now in operation in this section; of late years their number has 

gone up into the hundreds, and will soon reach a thousand or more. 

A few statistics regarding some of these wells will show the general 

characters of all of them. Welsh may be taken as the central point 

of interest in deep-well activity.
WELLS IN LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

WELSH AND VICINITY.

57

E. L. Bower's well. About one-half mile northeast of Welsh, center of sec. 30, called in the last report of the Geological Survey of 

Louisiana (1902) "E. L. Brown's well;' 1 depth, 130 feet; pipe, 8 inches; 

strainer, 38 feet; surface of water above tide February 26,1901, 16.68 

feet; March 21, 1903, 13.92; July 13, 1.18 feet. The section shows 

clay to 65 feet and sand, growing coarser below, to 130 feet.

Mr. Bower has recently put down another well 92 feet north of 

this well; it has a 10-inch casing, is 175 feet deep, and has a 56-foot 

strainer. From top of pipe to water surface, March 21, 1903, 6.73 

feet of the water stood 13.26 above tide; July 13, 1903, 0.5 foot 

above tide.

Cooper's well, \ mile east of Welsh. The section shows clay to 90 

feet, coarse sand, clay, sand, and finally blue sand at a depth of 

140-145 feet.

Field? s well, f 'mile east of station. The section shows clay to 90 

feet; sand, clay, coarse below, to 164 feet.

Welsh planing mill well. Pipe, 3 inches; top of pipe, 20.33 feet; 

surface of water, March 19, 13.86 feet; March 21, 13.93 feet above

tide.

Section of well at Welsh plaiting mill, Welsh, Calcasieu Parish.

Clay .......................................................

Sand .......................................................

Clay .......................................................

Coarse, light sand ...........................................

Thickness 

in feet.

12

4

182

40

Depth in 

feet.

12

16

198

238

/S. It, May 1 s well, i mile north of station. Top of flume 20.3 feet 

above tide, of water; March 19, 1903, 14.3 feet; March 21, 15.16 feet; 

July 12, 1903, 0.8 foot above tide; July 13, after pump had' been 

working 1 hour, but had stopped 5 minutes before the measurement 

was taken, 1.7 foot above tide; same conditions except pump had been 

stopped for about 20 minutes, 1.1 foot above tide; lowest level in 1902 

said to be 8 feet; depth, 190 feet; pipe, 8 inches; temperature 

of water, 71.5° F.; supplies 1,200 gallons per minute when pumped 

by a 20-horsepower Erie engine.

Abbot's well, 2 miles southeast of Welsh. Elevation of water surface, 

February 26, 1901, 16.42 feet above tide; that is, 7.08 feet below the 

railroad station.

Herald"1* well, perhaps 1\ miles, east-southeast of the station. Elevation of water, February 26, 1901, 16.6 feet above tide, or 6.9 feet 

below the railroad station.
58 UNDEEGKROUKD WATEES OF SODTHEEJST LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

Well 9 miles north-northwest of Welsh. The section shows clay to 

192 feet and sand to 235 feet.

LAKE ARTHUR.

Wells at mills reported as flowing 5 feet above tide.

R. E. Camp's well, 1% miles northwest of Lake Arthur. Southeast i 

sec. 8, 11 S, 3 W.; depth, 215.7 feet, water-bearing sand 40 feet thick; 

elevation of top of pipe as determined by a spirit-level line from the 

lake, 17.5 feet above tide; elevation of water surface, 8 feet above tide.

JENNINGS AND VICINITY.

A.ndersoii's wells, about 1 mile west-southwest of Jennings. Three 10- 

inch wells, connected to a 14-inch main and pumped with a 50 horsepower engine. Depth, approximately, 300 feet; wells about 20 feet 

apart, furnishing, with engine running at perhaps half-rated power, 

1,800 gallons per minute.

These wells are furnishing now (1903) about half as much water as 

they did last year owing to clogging of the strainer with fine sand. 

The fireman at the plant says the 150-foot well, about 50 feet north 

of the three, is capable of furnishing nearly as much as these three 

are furnishing now. Though so various in depth, when the deeper 

wells are pumped, the amount obtainable from the shallower one is 

materially diminished.

Caret/s ^vetts. In this same vicinity are the three Carey wells, a 

general log of which is herewith given:

General section of three wells near Jennings, La.

Clay, with shells at about 50 feet, and with vegetable matter

Quicksand above, gravelly below. ___._..._..__....-..-..--..-

Gravel ........................................ ................

Thickness 

in feet.

,15

45

20

50

30

Depth in 

feet.

115

160

180

230

260

City waterworks well. When measured, March 19, 1903, the waterin this new well stood 18 feet below the mouth of the pipe or, perhaps, 

12 feet above tide. The capacity of the tank is 65,000 gallons. The 

engineer informed us that the well seemed to lower none while the 

tank was being filled, the operation lasting about ,three hours.

Well 3 miles east-southeast of Jennings. This well was being sunk 

on February 24, 1900, by the Brechner outfit. The beds penetrated 

showed reddish, yellow, and gray mottled clay for 30 feet, becoming
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. VI

A. ARTESIAN WELL OF BRADLEY AND RAMSAY LUMBER COMPANY, 1 MILE 

NORTH OF LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA.

Flow in March, 1901, 210 gallons a minute.

B. SCREEN WOUND AT THE MORESI BROTHtRS' SHOP, JEANERETTE, LA.

HARRIS.] WELLS IK LOUISIANA WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 59

less tenacious, with fossil fragments, Rangia, Helix, Balanus, etc., 

until a depth of 90 feet was reached, when blue sand, with thickness 

undetermined, was struck.

KINDER AND VICINITY.

well, 1 mile north of Kinder. Depth, 150 feet; elevation 

of water surface as determined by leveling, from Kinder Station, 

March 8, 1902, 27.1 feet above tide, assuming that the station is 49.3 

feet above tide.

Tillotson's well. Depth, 138 feet; depth of water from top of pipe, 

21 feet, 10 inches; temperature, 68° F.; elevation of water surface 

March 7, 1902, 25.4 feet above tide.

McBirn.ey's wells. A number of wells in this vicinity, ranging in 

depth from 140 to 175 feet and in size from 6 inches to 8 inches, in 

which water rises to within 14 to 23 feet of surface, depending on local 

topography.

OBERLIN.

Mr. Dennis Moore says that the railroad tank well is 190 feet in 

depth, and that water rises to within 10 feet of the surface, or about 

60 feet above tide.

In general the water level would probably be somewhat lower than 

this. No hopes can be entertained of obtaining a flowing well at this 

comparatively shallow depth.

LAKE CHARLES.

Well 1 mile north of lake. The Bradley and Ramsay Lumber 

Company's well, about 500 feet deep, has the greatest flow of any 

well measured in the State, 210 gallons per minute; pipe, 6 inches. 

See analysis given below. (See PL VI, A, for view at well.) Elevation, 10.5 feet above tide. Based on tide gage reading at Lake 

Charles, by G. D. Harris.

Heise^s machine-shop well. The following is a section of the well:

Section at well at Reiser's machine shop, near Lake Charles.

Thickness 

in feet.

96

6

98

Depth in 

feet.

96

102

200
60 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

Water with iron taste. See analysis given below. Elevation of 

well about 13 feet; known to flow to 17 feet and said to have flowed 

to 27 feet above tide.

Judge Miller's well. Pressure of 5.25 pounds per square inch; flows 

12 gallons per minute. Elevation of present flow, 12.72 feet above 

tide; would flow at 24.79 feet above tide.

WEST LAKE.

Perkins and Miller Lumber Company's well. Pipe, 4 inches; elevation of flow, 10 feet above tide, and would doubtless flow to 16 feet or 

more above tide.

Well 3 miles northwest of lake. Pipe, 8 inches. Following is a 

partial section of this well:

Partial section of well at Yiest Lake, Calcasieu Parish.

Feet.

Hard clay between..................................................... 250-350

Shells ................................................................. 300

Gravel................................................................. 360

This is a very strong flowing well.

RAPIDES PARISH.

BLOWING WELLS.

It would doubtless be an unpardonable omission, if in enumerating 

the various classes of wells in southern Louisiana, with their depths, 

kinds of water, and other characteristics, no mention were made of 

the "blowing" wells of Rapides Parish, that have attracted much 

attention, at least locally.

Judge Blackman, of Alexandria, has frequently called attention to 

a certain well of this character, and has recently sent, through Mr. 

Kennedy, of the Southern Pacific geological survey, a clipping from 

the Alexandria Town Talk, of September 19, 1903, relating to this 

subject.

Though Judge Blackrnan knows of two other wells having similar 

characteristics, the one best known is located on the farm of Mr. 

Frank Melder, Melder post-office, between Spring Creek and Calcasieu River, 2 miles east of the river, and 3 miles east of Strothers 

Crossing, on the Calcasieu.

It was in 1892 that Mr. Frank Melder started to bore a 12-inch well, but had to 

give it up after reaching a depth of 80 feet. The air would come rushing from the 

well, sometimes for a period of three or four days, and again at shorter periods. 

When the air was not rushing from the well, it would turn the other way and be 

sucked into the well with great force * * * The force of the air coming from the 

well would keep a man's hat suspended over it.

In boring the well a stratum of about 1 foot of pipe clay was penetrated, and for 

the remainder of the distance, over 75 feet, a bed of yellow sand was penetrated.
HABEIS.] VARIATIONS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA WELLS. 61

While boring it was discovered that every foot deeper the well was sunk, the harder 

the air would blow from it. When the well was first completed, it would Wow a 

day.and then air would be sucked in for a day. No water ever appeared in the well 

at any period. ,-

The subject of "blowing wells" has been discussed in Water-Supply 

and Irrigation Paper No. 29, by Mr. Barbour." He attributes such 

phenomena, doubtless correctly, to changes of atmospheric pressure 

at the surface of the earth. Those interested in this subject will find, 

without doubt, that when the wells are "blowing," the barometer 

reading as recorded by the nearest weather station is low; when the 

wells are "sucking in," the barometer is rising.

It seems from the above statement regarding the section of the 

Melder well that its great capabilities as a "blowing" well are due 

to the absence of water between the grains of sand.

When such interstices are mainly filled with water, as is usually the 

case, the phenomenon of "blowing" is much less noticeable.

VARIATION IN FLOW AND PRESSURE HEAD SHOWN BY 

WELLS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA.

WELLS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

Asa result of investigations already carried on, it is safe to say that 

the total amount of water obtained from deep and artesian wells in 

this part of the State north of Lake Pontchartrain does not exceed 

3,000 gallons per minute. South of the lake, in the city of New 

Orleans, there are a number of 6-inch wells, but they are pumped so 

irregularly, both as to time and amount, and are so "connected up," 

that no safe estimate can be given as to their total yield. The waterbearing sands, ranging from 600 to 900 feet below the surface throughout the city, have been penetrated in so many places that the water 

rarely overflows from these wells. All admit that the head has been 

gradually lowered somewhat in proportion to the number of new wells 

put down. (For a record of the present stand of the waters in these 

wells, see pp. 44-47.)

There seems to have been a slight decline in the waters of the 

Mandeville region, if we may trust occasional measurements, yet by 

referring to the data presented under Mandeville (p. 37), it will be 

seen that some of the important wells are flowing now almost as much 

as two years ago. Some have become practically clogged up and of 

little or no value. The presumption is that, were new wells put 

down or were those now in existence occasionally flushed, the supply 

would be as great as ever from each well. Very few new wells have 

been put down in this vicinity during recent years.

aBarbour, E. H., Wells and windmills in Nebraska: Water-Sup, and Irr. Paper No. 29, U. 8. Geol. 

Survey, 1899, pp. 78-82.
62 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

About Covington the new wells seem to show the same head as those 

put down two or more years showed at that time. Here, too, there is 

a suspicion that the marked falling off of head in several of the wells 

is to be accounted for by the clogging of the pipes.

At Abita Springs it has been noticed that the flowing of the last new 

large well put down decreases to a marked extent the head in the wells 

close by, especially to the south and west. Some of the better wells, 

however, have shown an increase rather than a decrease, so that with 

care in properly spacing the wells and judgment in using the water 

no one need expect to be obliged to resort to pumping for a long time 

to come.

At Hanunond the better wells have shown no decrease of flow or 

pressure head for the last two years, even though their number has 

greatly increased during this interval.

When the extent of catchment area is taken into account, reaching, 

as it must, northward as far as Crystal Springs, Miss., and when the 

total amount of waters obtained from deep sources in this section of 

the State is considered, it is no wonder that there seems to be no 

general variation in flow or pressure head thus far recorded. Two 

moderate-sized rice plantations in southwest Louisiana would call for 

more water during the summer months than flows from all these wells 

combined. Until irrigation is practiced far more generally in this 

section of the country there will probably be no marked decline in the 

flow of the carefully constructed artesian and deep wells.

WELLS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

The statement is often made that the wells along the Mississippi 

and in the alluvial or delta region to the west vaiy as to head according to the different stages of the river. In the lowest regions, close 

to the river channel, this probably means that when the river is very 

high, held far above the wells by the great levee system, some of the 

river water gradually seeps through the intervening soils and enters 

the wells. Many instances are on record of the pressure of the river 

water becoming so great as to cause a spring to burst forth from the 

ground several hundred yards from the river's border. When such 

waters are welled up to a height corresponding to that of the surface 

of the river, they cease to flow.

However, if it is assumed that the motion of most underground 

waters is but a few feet a day, or only a mile or two a year, it is 

evident that the underground transmission of water from the Mississippi eastward, westward, or Gulfward is not sufficiently rapid to be 

detected and correlated with stages of the river except for a distance 

of a few hundreds yards from the channel.

It is obvious, however, that there may be a transmission of pressure, 

affecting the flow of wells more promptly and at a greater distance
HARRIS.] VARIATIONS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA WELLS. 63

than would the actual translation of the water itself. Data touching 

upon this interesting question are in the delta region unfortunately 

lacking, and this for two reasons: (1) Since the water there obtained 

from wells is usually of poor qualit}r, their number is not great, and 

(2) when they are put down they are nearly always on the bank of 

some navigable bayou where the villages and sugarhouses are to be 

found. The fluctuations of such wells may be due, as explained 

above, mainly to the lateral transmission of river or bayou water, and 

not to the simple transmission of pressure.

Wells farther west, some. distance from the Mississippi and its 

distributaries, show, as will be seen below, no appreciable effect of 

transmission of either water or pressure from the Mississippi.

No observations continuing throughout the whole year have been 

made, so far as the writer is aware, of the height of water in the various deep wells in the southwest part of the State. As explained in the 

prefatory notice to this paper, the facts upon which this report is based 

were collected by the writer during the winter months, while engaged 

in general work of the State geological survey. However, several 

short series of observations have been made, covering intervals in three 

successive years. In 1901 Mr. Pacheco, of the State survey, was kept 

in the field nearly two months for the sole purpose of making such 

observations. The results of his observations, as published by the 

State survey, are as follows:

Yarlation of height of water in Hammill's veil, %\ miles south of station, Jennings, La.

1901.

Fel). 21

Apr. 20

21

22

24

25

26

27

28

Hour.

a. m.

p. m.

9 a. m.

11 a. m.

12 m.

2 p. m.

3 p. m.

5 'p. m.

a. m.

p.m.

10 a. m.

11 a. m.

............

Feet.

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

iq

13

13

13

13

Inches.

4.0

9.5

9.0

8.5

7.25

7.0

6.9

6.87

6.75

6.75

8.75

8.0

8.33

8.25

8.5

8.4

7.0

1901.

Apr. 29

30

May 1

5

6

14

15

16

17

18

20

Hour.

a. m.

p.m.

2 p.m.

4 p. m.

5 p. m.

( a. m.

I p. m.

Feet.

13

 13

13

13

13

13

13

13

}13

13

13

13

14

14

14

Inches.

7.2

7.0

7.16

7.12

7.0

6.9

6.8

7.75

7.75

10. 25

11.0

11.75

0.125

2.0

2.0

Water dropped below pump.
64 UNDEKGKOtnSTD WATEES OF 8OUTHEEN" LOUISIANA. [NO. 101. 

Variation ofhtight of water in Latvson's well, 1 mile east of station, Jeimings, La.

1901.

Apr. 21

22 

23

24

25

26

27

28 

29

30

May 1

2

Hour.

10 a. m. 

6 p. m. 

8 a. m. 

6 p. m. 

8-11 a.m.

p. m.

7 a. m.

a. m.

p. m.

f 9 a. m.- 

\ 4 p. m.

8 a. m.

6 p. m.

9 a. m.

11 a. m.

Feet.

6 

6 

6 

6 

6

6

6

6

6

6

}«

6

6

6

6

6

6

6

Inches.

5.75 

4.12 

4.0 

3.9 

4.0

4.37

4.2

4.37

4.33

4.75

5. 33

5.8

5.66

6.0

6.12

6.12

6.12

1901.

May 2

5

6

18

19

20

22

24

1902. 

Feb. 22

23

25

26

27

Mar. 11

13

Hour.

10 a. m. 

3 p. 111. 

3.30p.m. 

6 p. m.

Feet.

6 

6 

6 

6 

6

7

8

8

7

7

Inches.

6.25 

7.25 

7.0 

6.8 

6.83

5.25

3.5

2.87

10. 25

10. 25

9.75

8.5

8.25

9.25

9. 125

Variation of height of water in Bower's well, Welsh, La.

1901.

Feb. 26

Mar. 21

Apr. 20

23

24

May 3

5

6

8

q

-10

11

Hour.

10 a. m.

12 m.

Feet.

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

Inches.

6.0

3.0

1.25

1.5

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.75

1.75

2.0

2.0

1.75

2.12

9 12

9 12

2.25

1901.

May 12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

25

26

28

30

Hour. Feet.

4

4

4

4

j.

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

5

5

Inches.

2.5

2.75

2.75

3.5

3.75

3.75

4.0

4.25

4.5

5.0

5.0

7.0

9.0

5.0

9.0
HARRIS.] VARIATIONS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA WELLS.

Variation of heighth of water in Hawkeye rice mill u'ell, Fenton, La.

65

1901.

Mar. 31

May 5

Hour. Feet

14

15

Inches.

10

1902.

Mar. 7

8

Hour. Feet.

18

18

Inches.

3

2

It will be observed that in these measurements the numbers under 

feet and inches indicate distances downward from some datum plane, 

generally the top of the casing or the floor of the discharge trough. 

As the season advances, the surface of the water in the wells gradually 

lowers. The rate of lowering is not constant, but the total result of 

the various fluctuations is to materially lower the water surface as 

summer approaches. The noticeable acceleration in the rate of lowering after May 15 is due to the beginning of pumping for rice irrigation. Perhaps there is nothing new or unexpected in these results 

thus far. The variations shown throughout different hours of the day 

are much more difficult of explanation. Very possibly, though, carefully kept barometric readings would give a clew to their meaning.

By far the most interesting and unexpected variations are those of 

about April 22, 1901, and February 25 to 27, 1902. Instead of the 

gradual downward course, there is indicated for these dates a noticeable rise. The Weather Bureau reports show that heavy showers 

were abundant on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of April, 1901, in this part 

of the State, and from the 19th to the 26th of February, 1902.

Again, these same tendencies toward a lowering in summer and a 

quick response to local showers has been observed this year (1903), as 

is shown by the following table:

Date.

Mar. 19....

21....

25.... 

July 12.... 

13....

Mav 

well.

Feet. 

6. CO

5.14

5.85 

19.5 

10.2

Rice 

mill.

Feet.

6.70

18 8

Planing 

mill.

Feet. 

6.4

6.33 

6.50

Ecnver's wells.

North.

Fett.

6.73

6.87 

19.5

South.

Feet.

6.26 

6.63

Over 2 inches of rain fell on the 19th and 20th of March in this 

vicinity, and from the changes in level noted in the foregoing tables 

for previous years it is only to be expected that these wells would 

show a similar change for a similar cause. Observe especially in the 

May well how the water level rose on the 21st, but went back again on

IRR 101 04 5
66 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

the 25th. Notice, too, the effect of the summer with its pumping season, under July 12.

The marked effect of copiou3 showers on the water level in the 

deep wells of southwestern Louisiana has not escaped the general 

observation of planters/'

The extent to which very local heav^ showers affect the territory 

just without their limits is an interesting topic that thus far has not 

been investigated, nor have time and circumstances permitted the 

observation of effects produced by local or extensive rainfall in different directions from any given well or group of wells, though the 

importance of such observations, when a full explanation of the occurrence and conditions of the underground waters of this part of the 

State is attempted, can not be too much emphasized.

From what has already been said, it is evident that in some respects 

the waters of this section behave like the common "ground water" of 

this or any other well-watered land; but that, ordinarily, there is no 

very direct connection between the water of these deep wells and the 

ordinary soil supply is evident from the fact that at a number of places 

the deep waters flow several feet above the surface of the soil for miles 

around; and, again, the water in the casing of the deep wells never, so 

far as observed, stands at the same level as the water in the pit outside. Again, the supply of deep water is not obtained until one 01% 

more generally, several, thick, impervious* layers of clay have been 

penetrated.

Since the. thickness and character of the sand and clay beds encountered in sinking we! Is but a short distance from one another may vary 

greatly, and since the position of a clay bed in one well may be taken by 

a sand bed in another it is very evident that, in southern Louisiana, the 

artesian and deep-well conditions are somewhat different from those 

encountered in regions where there is one great extensive underlying 

formation, sharply denned from overlying and underlying beds, and 

alone transmitting the deep underground flow. Yet Some typical or 

ideal artesian features are represented in this part of the State. The 

first hundred or two hundred feet passed through in sinking deep 

wells contains comparatively few very porous layers; below, the sand 

usually becomes coarser, and sometimes thick beds of gravel are 

found. Gravel deposits are by no means uncommon to a depth of 

1,000 feet, as will be seen by inspecting the logs of the wells put down 

in search for oil or deep artesian water and. published herewith as 

PI. II. Very coarse gravel is reported in the bottom of many of the 

best water wells throughout the Gulf border. As will be seen by 

referring to the record of a well just completed in Biloxi, Miss., the 

casing, over 900 feet down, is in extremely coarse gravel (see p. 31).

"For remarks on this point, see Kept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, p. 246.
HARRIS.] VARIATIONS DST SOUTH LOUISIANA WELLS, 67

Water naturally flows much more readily through coarse thari 

through tine material. The best flowing or deep wells of southwest 

Louisiana obtain their waters from very coarse sand or gravel beds. 

Such beds are generally below 150 or 200 feet from the surface. 

Ground-water features or characteristics decrease in this region downward, according as those more typically artesian increase.

There is one more somewhat interesting fact connected with variation in pressure head as noticed in the May well at Welsh, though 

probably it is common to all others in this part of the State. On the 

12th of July no pumping was done, and from all appearances none 

had been done for several days. At 5 o'clock in the evening the water 

stood 19.5 feet below the top of the mouth of the casing. Next morning the pump had run but an hour when, at the writer's request, it 

was stopped in order that the stage of the water might be measured. 

The surface of the water, after dropping suddenly, balanced up and 

down for a moment and then appeared to have come to rest. Five 

minutes after the pump had ceased working, the water stood 18.6 feet 

below the mouth of the casing. After the pump had been stopped for 

twent}T minutes the water stood at 19.2 below the same datum plane. 

It thus appears that the pumping, which was equivalent to a flow of 

1,200 gallons per minute, or 72,000 gallons per hour, had not in one 

hour's time materially lowered the water level in fact, had actually 

raised it temporarily.

That long-continued pumping does lower the level of the water in 

wells is understood by all who are connected with deep-water supplies. 

For example, in July, 1903, Mr. Roanes's place was visited, and, 

although under ordinary circumstances his wells are flowing, at that 

time, owing to several hours of intermittent pumping, continuing for 

a period of several days, the water stood just below the tops of the 

pipes.

The Fabacher well in New Orleans (see p. 44), which ordinarily flows 

continuously from a 4-inch pip3 but 2 feet or less above the general 

level of the ground, will, if suddenly turned into a smaller pipe, rise up 

and overflow for a few minutes to a height of 11 or 11.5 feet above 

the ground. Then the water gradually descends to a permanent head 

of about 10 feet above the ground. The cause of the temporary, 

unusually high head in the above-mentioned cases is doubtless attributable to the momentum of the water in the porous sand or gravel bed 

below. What seems worthy of special note is the length of time 

required for the water to descend to its normal head, especially in the 

case of wells that have just been pumped.
68 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [uo.ioi.

WELL DRILLING AND PUMPING.

METHODS OF DRILLING.

In southern Louisiana practically but one method is used in sinking 

wells, either for water or oil. This consists primarily of loosening 

the earth with a hollow revolving bit and bringing it to the surface 

by the upward current of water obtained by forcing water down 

through the hollow bit.. There are. to be sure, many different devices 

for producing the necessary rotating motion, many differently shaped 

bits, and many different sized and shaped derricks used; but the fundamental principle of drilling is the same with all.

Preferences as to kind and size of well desired differ considerably in 

different localities. East of the Mississippi and north of Lake Pontchartrain most of the wells are furnished with a 2-inch casing, and 

the water is expected to flow at the surface of the ground or even 

some feet above. The wells are used for dairy or ordinary household 

purposes. West of the delta region the wells are usually 6, 8, 10, or 

12 inches in diameter, the water is not expected to rise to the surface, 

and irrigation is the main object for which the wells are put down. 

As a result of the number, kind, and size of wells required in different 

sections of the State, methods of drilling varying somewhat in detail 

are resorted to by local drillers.

JETTING.

Fig. 10 shows what is usually called the jetting process. The traction engine furnishes steam to run the small force pump (A), which 

obtains water from a local source and pumps it through a strong hose 

(B) to the drill pipe (C). The rotating of the pipe with bit attached 

is here accomplished by the simple method of temporarily attaching a 

Stilson wrench (H) and moving it to and fro. The pipe carrying the 

downward current of water with the bit is held up by a block (D) and 

ropes (E) and is moved up and down every few seconds by power from 

the engine transmitted by a rope and the force of gravity. The 

rope going to the engine in this case simply passed over a drum or 

large spool about 6 inches in diameter, on the outer end of the flywheel shaft. Two or three turns only were made around this drum, 

and when no work was required of the rope the engine continued 

turning, but the coils were allowed to slip loosely on the drum. By 

tightening the coils the drill pipe was immediately raised. The drill 

pipe in this instance is about li inches in diameter, while the casing 

is about 2i inches. The casing is sunk nearly as far as the drill has 

penetrated, and the return water, laden with drillings, comes up between the pipes. Its exit is shown at F.
HARRIS.] WELL DRILLING AND PUMPING. 69

By turning back and forth on the long-handled wrench at K the 

casing is loosened from the outside sand and clay and ordinarily readily 

descends by its own weight about as rapidly as the jet clears the way, 

but in some instances is forced down by driving.

FIG. 10. Portion of well-drilling outfit of Eaeon and Gamble, sinking a well at Ponchatoula by

the jetting process.

As the drill descends and the swivel coupling (G) approaches the top 

of the casing, the coupling is unscrewed and another length of drill 

pipe, 12 to 20 feet long, is put in, and the drilling is continued.

ROTARY PROCESS.

Where many wells of large diameter are to be put down, as in the 

southwestern part of the State, much of the manual labor required by 

the above-described process is done away with by the use of a mechan-
70 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

ism for rotating the pipe by steam power. This method is substantially as follows: 0

A long pit, perhaps 10 feet wide by 20 long, is dug or scraped for a temporary reservoir. This is divided into two compartments, connected, however, in one or two 

places.

The derrick having been erected and engine placed, a 3-inch pipe with a broad 

bit attached to one end is hoisted up by rope and drum, and the water hose, of ecmal 

size, is attached to the upper end. By a simple device, this pipe is rotated by power 

from the engine while water is pumped from the pit jnst described through the hose, 

down the pipe into the ground. As the pipe descends, the matter disengaged by the 

bit is washed out and brought to the surface by the jet. When the pipe, say 12 feet 

long, is sunk into the ground nearly its whole length, another section from 12 to 20 

feet long is attached and the rotating and pumping is continued till it too is sunk 

almost to the surface of the ground. And so the 3-inch pipe is put down till, by the 

appearance of the sand or the feeling of the pipe when rotated, there is an indication 

that the water-bearing sand is reached.

Mention should be made here of the care shown in one of the compartments of 

the pit or pool referred to above, to eee that plenty of earth or clay is mixed with 

the water just before it is pumped through the hose into the pipe. The pressure 

from the engine pumps is sufficient to force this muddy water into the sandy layers 

and cause them to stand firmly and not cave as they would be sure to do if only clear 

water was used. It usually occupies the attention of one man to keep the ingoing 

waters well stirred up and turbid. The other compartment of the pit coritains that 

portion of the water that has just come out from the well, hence contains the drillings, if such they may be called, derived from the well. The same water as it flows 

into the first compartment is again used after being properly roiled or mixed with 

soil.

After the desired depth has been attained, the 3-inch pipe is removed, section by 

section, and the 6-inch, 10-inch, or 12-inch casing is hoisted up and sunk into the 

hole made by the 3-inch pipe and its arrow-head bit. The hole is often nearly 14 

inches in diameter.

The first one, two, or three sections of this large pipe or "casing" are perforated 

and form the strainer, near the bottom of the completed well. If the strainer is to 

be three lengths long, say 60 feet, care is taken to insert in the casing three lengths of 

3-inch pipe and to fill the space between this inner and the outside pipe with shavings so that it can not fill with earthy matter while descending. Length after length 

of casing is screwed on and lowered until the desired amount is sunk into the ground. 

In case it does not descend readily of its own accord, resort is had to rotating the 

casing by machinery precisely as the 3-inch pipe was rotated in the beginning. The 

lower margin of the casing is cut with points like saw teeth, so that it answers fairly 

well as" a drill or auger. & The upper end of the 3-inch pipe within carries a conical 

sleeve, so that it can be caught readily by the thread end of other lengths that are 

lowered afterwards and coupled up with the three lengths already spoken of as being 

in the strainer part of the casing. The shavings can now be jettied out, the interior 

pipe withdrawn, and the well-"pumped" to withdraw all the muddy impurities 

forced down while drilling, as well as fine sand that might eventually fill up the 

strainer.

One of the most satisfactoiy methods of drilling is by portable outfits, in which the derrick, traction and dummy engines, pumps, etc.,

aHarris, G. D., and Pacheco, J., The subterranean waters of Louisiana: Kept. Geol. Survey Louisiana 

for 1902, pt. 6, Special Report No. 6, pp. 236-238. 

6Bond, Frank, Irrigation of rice in the United States: U. S. I)ept. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. No. 113, p. 47.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. Vll

A. MAY PUMPING PLANT, WELSH, LA. 

S'nows general appearance of small stations throughout the rice district of southwestern Louisiana.

B. PUMPING FROM A 12-INCH WELL ON THE FARM OF A. E. LEE, 8 MILES 

NORTHWEST OF CROWLEY, LA.

HARKIS.] WELL DRILLING AND PUMPING. 71

are loaded on special carriages. The lightness of this rig and the 

consequent facility with which it can be moved from place to place 

tend to make it popular in regions where depths no greater than 300 

feet are to be drilled. For various styles of light derricks see the State 

survey report already referred to (Pis. XLII and XLIII).

If it is expected that drilling will be carried to a depth of 500 or 

1,000 feet, larger, stronger outfits are called for. The great advantage 

of the taller form of derrick is that in hoisting the drill pipe or casing, 

whenever necessary, it can be uncoupled two lengths at a time instead 

of length by length, so that nearly half the labor required to remove 

or replace the pipe is thus avoided.

Oil wells that reach depths of 1,000, 2,000, or even 3,000 feet are put 

down by similar but heavier outfits. The derrick1 is sufficiently high 

to allow the pipes and casing to be removed three lengths at a time.

SCREENS.

Nearly every driller has his own ideas as to the proper manner of 

treating or placing the lower end of the casing so that a well may have 

a f ree inflow of water and at the same time may not be liable to clog 

up. Many assert that all ordinary screens are liable to give out and 

ruin the wells they are in. No screen at all is most satisfactory if the 

lower end of the pipe is set in very coarse gravel with no mixture of 

clay or fine sand. Some advocate the pumping out of several tons of 

finer material from around the bottom of the pipe and the forcing 

down, in its stead, of several wagonloads of gravel, so as to make a 

pebble screen.

As a rule, however, some kind of metallic screen is used. Mr. 

Bond, in the bulletin referred to above, thus describes a common type 

in use in southwestern Louisiana:

In the screens now generally used perforations in the well casing are three-fourths 

to seven-eighths of an inch in diameter, and the distance between centers averages 

about 1J inch, the perforated portion being carefully wound with galvanized-iron 

wire. On 10-inch pipe No. 14 wire is wound nine wires to the inch; on 18-inch 

pipe No. 16 wire is wound eleven wires to the inch; on 6-inch pipe No. 17 wire is 

wound fourteen wires to the inch. A common machine-shop lathe is used for winding the wire upon the casing, and the wire is not only wound on tightly, but is 

soldered in place to prevent its sliding, so as to close openings between strands. 

Seven rows of solder are placed upon a 10-inch pipe, the number increasing with 

larger pipe and decreasing with smaller pipe.

Fig. 11 is taken from Bond's work, and represents the casing, holes, 

wire, rows of solder ats he has just described them.

PI. VI, B, shows a different method of constructing a screen. The 

wires are wound much farther apart than in the type above described. 

Over the wires is placed fine brass gauze. The pipe is then wound
72 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

again over the gauze in the opposite oblique direction. The outside 

coarse wire is mainly to protect the brass gauze, while the inner coarse 

wire is to hold the same from fitting down tight 

upon the exterior of the pipe, thus shutting out 

all ingress of water except immediately over the 

bored holes.

Machinists very quickly find it to their advantage to have three to five strands winding at once, 

side by side, not simply one at a time, as represented in Bond's figure.

The lower end of these pipes is generally closed 

by a ball valve that is so constructed as to allow 

the jet of water to pass down and out, but immediately closes against any pressure from below. 

This is to prevent the entrance of fine sand or 

other foreign substance.

PUMPING.

As would naturally be supposed, water is 

pumped from deep wells of southwestern Louisiana by steam power. Formerly the fuel used 

FIG. 11. A common method f or generating steam was wood from the nearby 

of constructing a screen, lowlands or banks of the bayous or coal brought 

from Alabama or Kansas City by" rail. Since the discovery of oil in 

such quantities at Beaumont, Tex., nearly all the pumping plants have

II

IL

r

i

i

i

i

 -*J

 

:lr

ti

 i

 i

 i

 i

 i

it

FIG. 12. Common form of rotary pump. Van Wie model. -

erected tanks at an elevation of from 8 to 10 feet above the boiler 

furnace, and so are able to store and use oil in a very easy and econoni-
HARRIS.] WELL DRILLING AND PUMPING. 73

ical manner. However, as the price of oil gradually rises above 80 

cents per barrel there is a tendency to return to the old methods 

and materials for making steam. PI. VII, A. shows a typical small 

pumping plant of to-day, with its fuel tank and cheap board structure 

with engine inside.

PL VII, S, shows the rear of a similar plant. A centrifugal pump 

(see fig. 12) is on the lower end of the same shaft that carries the band 

wheel. It is placed in a wooden-curbed well sufficiently low to be 

beneath the surface of the water at the driest season of the year. 

When it is not so placed resort must be had to priming every time the 

pump is started. Around Kinder and China, where the usual head of 

the water is 25 feet below the surface of the ground, the pumps are 

depressed to a depth of 25 or 30 feet.
WATER SUPPLIES FROM WELLS IN SOUTHERN LOUISIANA.

By M. L. FULLER.

INCREASED USE OF UNDERGROUND WATER.

The past decade has witnessed a great impetus to well drilling in 

southern Louisiana, and as the advantages of underground water supplies become better understood, more and more attention will be given 

to such sources. The use of underground waters for the irrigation of 

rice has led to the sinking of an unusually large number of wells, 

especially in the region along the coast, where values in some localities have increased five to ten fold within the last ten years through 

the reclamation of the land by irrigation. The use of water for this 

purpose will be considered in detail in the section on '' Rice irrigation in southern Louisiana," the present discussion being limited to 

town, domestic, farm, railroad, and manufacturing supplies.

TOWN AND DOMESTIC SUPPLIES.

Increasing attention is always given to the quality of water supplies as a country becomes older. In the early stages of development 

the settlements are of small size, and are more or less remote from one 

another. Even within the villages themselves the houses are generally scattering. Under such conditions a sufficient water supply can 

usually be had near at hand, either from surface streams, or from 

springs, or shallow wells, though in some instances a deep supply 

must be sought from the start. As the country develops and the villages and towns become more crowded the original sources of supply 

are frequently either exhausted or become too contaminated for use.

Contamination of the shallow wells, where arising from local 

sources, can frequently be prevented by proper sj^stenis of drainage 

or sewage disposal, but in small communities such s3T stems are often 

more expensive than a new and deeper system of water supply. 

Moreover, shallow wells of the open type are not only liable to pollution by the entrance of surface water or of ground water of the 

surface zone, both of which are often charged with matter derived 

from stables, privies, cesspools, etc., but receive more or less refuse 

blown in by the wind from the adjoining yards or streets, while small 

74
PULLER.] WATER SUPPLIES FEOM WELLS. 75

animals not uncommonly fall into such wells and the water is cotataminated by their decaying bodies. The odor and taste of the water in 

some instances, and the odorous masses of muck removed in cleaning 

in others, attest the occurrence of large amounts of decaying organic 

matter. In fact, an open well can seldom be so guarded as to entirely 

prevent pollution, and although often not especially deleterious to 

health, the water is rarely equal to that of a driven well of the same 

depth, from which it is possible to shut out all waters from or near 

the surface.

In the case of streams, the contamination may not, and in fact usually does not, rest with the community using the water, but with 

other villages or cities farther up the stream, perhaps in another 

State. Little can be done in such cases toward removing the sources 

of pollution, and to secure even a moderately pure supply resort must 

be had to filtration or other processes of purification, or to deep wells.

In many parts of the country little water can be obtained from deep 

wells, but in southern Louisiana the conditions are exceptionally 

favorable for obtaining satisfactory supplies in this manner. Fig. 7, 

page 28, shows graphically the subdivisions of this portion of the 

State as regards the occurrence of underground water. It will be 

noted that there are three definite east-west belts, each of which is 

bisected by the northwest-southeast belt along Mississippi River. 

The latter belt, which in area is the largest of them all, is made up of 

lands consisting mainly of materials deposited by the river in recent 

geological times, though older deposits sometimes show at the surface. 

In general it consists of alternations of sands and mucks, all of which 

carry more or less organic matter. In this area water can be obtained 

at almost any depth, but it carries a large amount of iron and organic 

matter, and although used for drinking purposes and for watering 

stock, has a decidedly deleterious action on health and is a great hindrance to the proper development of the region, especially as the 

available surface supplies except along Mississippi, Red, and Atchafalaya rivers, Bayou Lafourche, Ba}^ou Teche, etc., are mainly from 

sluggish streams and bayous (PI. VIII), which are generally equally 

bad. Certain of the waters of this belt are, however, sometimes 

placed on the market as mineral waters, and are used for bathing at 

several resorts.

The most southerly of the three east-west belts affords the best underground supplies. In this area the water can be obtained at a moderate 

depth, flows without pumping, and is of good quality. Most of the 

towns depending for their public supplies on wells (see table on p. 77) 

are located in this belt. In the middle east-west belt pure supplies are 

also obtained at no great depths, but in general the wells do not flow. 

The towns listed in the table mentioned and not situated in the southern belt occur in the middle belt. In the northern belt the land is
76 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

hilly and abounds in surface streams and springs. Water can be obtained almost everywhere by shallow wells, but does not occur in definite and persistent beds, and is not found in as large quantities as in 

the more southern belts. It does not often rise to the surface.

The great advantage of the deeper underground supplies is their 

general freedom from pollution from human sources. A great majority 

of the cases of typhoid fever, one of the great scourges of this country, appears to be due to impure drinking water. In some instances 

the number of cases has decreased 75 per cent on the substitution of 

a pure supply. Malaria, so prevalent in its various formsi&broughout 

the South, is believed by many to.be largely due to the unsatisfactory 

quality of the domestic water supplies, although it is prdbable that 

poor food and the general unsanitary surroundings have much to do 

with its prevalence. Whether due to the direct transmission of germs 

or to a general injurious effect on the constitution, the use of many of 

the relatively stagnant surface waters certainly adversely affects the 

health. The substitution of pure underground supplies almost always 

results in an immediate and marked improvement in health.

To secure a pure underground water supply it is necessary to sink 

the well to a depth sufficiently great to prevent the possibility of contamination by seepage from the surface zone of the groundwater. 

The depth will depend largely on local conditions. In general, water 

obtained from beneath a bed of clay of sufficient thickness to form a 

barrier to the passage of surface waters, will be entire!}7 satisfactory 

as far as freedom from contamination is concerned. In flat areas a 

source of supply 20 to 30 feet below the nearest source of pollution 

would probably be safe to use if all access to surface waters were cut 

off by proper casing.

Among the disadvantages of underground supplies are (1) their 

uncertain distribution and depth,,(2) their uncertain quality, (3) the 

cost of deep wells, (4) the cost of pumping nonflowing wells, and (5) 

the insufficienc}^ of supply in certain crowded communities and in some 

irrigable areas. The first two objections are of great importance. 

The conditions of the occurrence of waters are, however, well understood by those who have investigated them, and valuable information 

can usually be obtained from the numerous State or national bureaus 

engaged in the study of the subject. The cost of drilling and pumping deep wells is nearly always greater than the cost of obtaining surface supplies where the latter are at hand, but this is offset in many 

parts of southern Louisiana by the greater purity and the consequent 

greater number of uses to which well water can be put, and by the 

greater number of points at which it can be obtained. Good wells 

can frequently be obtained at localities far removed from surface 

sources and in such instairees afford the only means of development of 

the country. The fifth objection is one that is less readily met, but
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. VIM

A CHARACTERISTIC BAYOU OF THE MORE SLUGGISH TYPE IN THE GULF COASTAL REGION.

FULLER.^ WATEK SUPPLIES FROM WELLS.

surface supplies are often subject to the same drawbacks and fail 

where wells succeed.

In the following table is given a list of the towns and cities in 

southern Louisiana depending in whole or in part on deep wells for 

their supplies. Doubtless all of the inhabitants of a given community 

do not draw upon the public supply; but, on the other hand, the 

waters are frequently piped beyond the corporate limits. The total 

number of persons using water from the deep wells in the localities 

mentioned is, therefore, probably not far from the number indicated 

by the figures of population, aggregating about 45,000. To these 

must be added the large but unknown number living in the smaller 

towns, or scattered throughout the country, who draw their supplies 

from deep private wells. Many of the more important hotels possess 

such wells. When it is borne in mind that the amount of sickness 

and number of deaths is much lower among those using deep waters, 

and that the productiveness of the State is thereby increased by 

hundreds of thousands of dollars, the importance of pure water 

supplies will be appreciated.

Cities and towns depending on deep wells for public water supplies. 

[Compiled from Insurance Maps of Sanborn Map Company and other sources.]

Town.

Baton Rouge ......

Rayne«............

Parish.

East Baton Rouge.

Acadia ...........

Date of 

information.

1903 

1902

1899

1898

1903

1903

Population, 

1900.

5, 640

11,269 

4,214

1, 905

1,539

3,314

6,680

2,951

1,007

Numberof 

wells.

9

2

9

2

1

1

3

1

Depth of 

wells.

560, 760

758, 800 

170,270

.............

240

150, 150, 226

(?),184

250

Method of storage.

Do. 

Do.

Do.

Tanks 60 feet deep.

Steel tank on trestle.

« System proposed.

The interest exhibited in the problems of pure water supplies is made 

manifest by a constantly increasing number of analyses, especially 

those of a sanitary character. A number of analyses, in part sanitary 

and in part purely chemical, made by the State experiment station a 

are given in the following table:

« Rept. Geol. Survey Louisiana for 1902, pt. 6, special report No. 6, pp. 251-252.
78 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. INO.IOI.

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A
FULLER.] WATER SUPPLIES F^OM WELLS. 79

H H

3 C

t> 1>

5 CC 

^ C-5

s

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80 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

In the above analyses the total amount of solid matter held by the 

water is indicated in the third column. This solid matter is the 

residue which is left after the water has been evaporated to dr}T ness, 

and includes both the suspended matter noted in the last column and 

matter held in solution. The waters of the table show less foreign 

matter than is generally found in ground waters, except in the New 

England States. Iowa ground waters, for example, usually contain 

from 1,000 to 12,500^parts of residue per million; Illinois waters run 

from 300 to 1,200, while those of Kansas vary from 1,000 to 7,000 

parts. The '' ash " column indicates the amount of residue left after 

the solid matter of the previous column has been heated to a red heat. 

In the table the difference between the amounts of the ash and the 

solid matter is given in the third column as organic matter. In reality 

this is not all organic matter, but includes the volatile parts of carbonates, nitrates, etc., the amounts being, therefore, considerably too 

large. The figures in the sixth or albuminoid column indicate the 

amount of ammonia in actual organic combination, while the figures 

in the free ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate columns represent the 

amounts in each of the progressive stages through which organic 

matter passes during its oxidation to mineral matter. No single 

determination is an absolute indication of the quality of the water, but 

in general an association of high ammonia and nitrites, especially 

when associated with high chlorine, indicates pollution by sewage. 

Most of the waters of the table seem to be of excellent quality, but it 

is apparent that in a few cases the oxidation of the organic matter 

has been arrested, while in the case of the 100-foot well in Ponchatoula 

there are certain evidences pointing to recent pollution. The amounts 

of calcium oxide do not indicate that the waters are especially hard, 

and they would probably give rise to only a small amount of scale if 

used in boilers, even if all of the calcium were in the form of sulphate. 01

FARM SUPPLIES.

A considerable number of cattle are pastured on the prairies or in 

the more or less open pine lands throughout southern Louisiana, 

where they feed on the rich grass which abounds in such places, 

especially where recently burned over. These cattle find the necessaiy drinking water in the streams and bayous, artificial provision 

seldom being necessary. For horses and such cattle, sheep, hogs, etc., 

as are confined within narrow limits on the scattered farms, however, 

an artificial supply must often be provided. In a large part of the 

area this is a simple matter, good water, either flowing or nonflowing, 

being obtained within a moderate distance of the surface. PI. V 

shows typical examples of flowing wells, such as are obtained in the 

southern portion of the State.

a Acknowledgments are due to Mr. M. O. Leighton for portions of the discussion of analyses.
FULLER.] ? WATEE SUPPLIES FROM WELLS. 81 

RAILROAD SUPPLIES.

One of the most common and important uses of underground water 

is for the locomotive supplies of railroads. On every line, usually 

but a few miles apart, are located the familiar water tanks, each of 

some hundreds or thousands of barrels capacity. For these, pure supplies must be had. The waters of the bayous and streams are in many 

instances unsatisfactory for locomotive use, and wells are commonly 

resorted to. Relatively little difficulty is encountered in southern 

Louisiana in obtaining water in this way. Except in the Mississippi 

lowlands, water of a satisfactory quality may usually be obtained in 

ample amounts at moderate depths. In general, the waters give only 

slight amounts of boiler scale.

MANUFACTURING SUPPLIES.

Under this head are included both the boiler supplies of manufacturing establishments and the supplies used directly in manufacturing 

processes. The statements in regard to waters required for railroad 

locomotives apply equally to boiler waters in other lines. Taken as a 

whole, such supplies are of great importance, the very existence of 

the industries of certain localities being largely dependent upon them. 

The lumber business, with its numerous saw and planing mills, 

demands supplies of pure water at a great number of points. This 

water is generally obtained from deep wells. Well waters are also of 

great importance in many other industries, and as these increase in 

number, variety, size, and output the economic value of water will 

proportionally increase.

Of the processes in which water plays a direct and leading part the 

manufacture of ice is the most important. Many of the cities and 

towns, including Baton Rouge, Crowley, Covington, Hammond, 

Jeanerette, and New Iberia, employ well water for this purpose. 

IER 101 04 6
BICE IRRIGATION IN SOUTHERN LOUISIANA.

Compiled by M. L. FULLER.

DEVELOPMENT OF RICE IRRIGATION.

One of the newest and most successful applications of irrigation is 

its use in the cultivation of rice. In 1888 lowlands near the bayous 

suitable for growing sugar cane, corn, and cotton could be purchased 

for $3.50 per acre, while the prairie lands back from the bayous could 

be bought for $1 per acre. With almost the first crop under irrigation the values showed a marked rise, and have continued to increase 

to the present time. In the first five years the value of the best rice 

lands rose to $10 per acre, while in 1901 the values reached $30 to $50 

per acre.

The productiveness of the crops and the increased values of the 

land have led to a rapid development, which is still in its earlier stages. 

Rice land at a distance from railroads and not under canals may still 

be had for about $15 an acre, and will doubtless yield fair profits if 

carefully developed. It is with a view of calling attention to the 

possibilities of rice irrigation that the present description has been 

prepared. Many of the main facts here presented are taken from the 

descriptions of Mr. Frank Bond, who investigated the subject for the 

Office of Experiment Stations, United States Department of Agriculture, and published a report of his investigations as Bulletin 113 

of that Bureau. The statistics of the use of wells for rice irrigation, which are brought up to the end of 1902, are presented through 

the kindness of the Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce 

and Labor.

The first people to plant rice in southern Louisiana were the Acadians, 

who, after their expulsion from Nova Scotia by the English in 1755, 

settled in considerable numbers in Louisiana and planted small areas to 

rice. The cultivation, primitive in its methods, was confined to the 

lowlands along the bayous, the prairies affording pasturage for their 

herds of cattle. The lowland areas seldom admitted of satisfactory 

drainage and were too small for profitable cultivation. The crops 

frequently failed in years of deficient rainfall. Attempts were made 

to create additional water supplies by building levees across low sags 

82
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. IX

A. PUMPING STATION ON ONE OF THE LARGER STREAMS OF THE GULF 

COASTAL REGION.

S DISCHARGE OF A HEAVY PUMP SYSTEM

FULLER.] RICE IRRIGATION. 83

or coulees at points higher than the cultivated areas, but in most cases 

either the rainfall proved deficient or the capacity of the reservoirs too 

limited.

Little advance was made over the Acadian methods until a very 

recent date. Experiments in unusually wet years had served to show 

that the soils of the prairies were adapted to the growth of rice if sufficient water was at hand. This led to the trial of pumps as a means 

of raising water from the bayous to the rice fields. So successful was 

the test that pumps were at once installed at many points, and in a few 

years tens of thousands of acres of previously nearly worthless land 

lying from 10 to 70 feet above the bayous were put under cultivation.

The first important pump was installed in 1894. It was a vacuum 

pump of the pattern used in the mining camps of the Northwest, and 

was established on the Bayou Plaquemine, in Acadia Parish, near 

Crowley. Although its failure at a critical time involved the partial 

loss of the crop, it showed the possibilities of pumping methods. In 

the following year a centrifugal pump was introduced, but was too 

small to meet the demands made upon it, and was succeeded in 1896 

by a pump having a capacity of 5,000 gallons per minute, which by its 

success opened a new era in rice cultivation. Still larger pumps have 

since been introduced, both of the centrifugal and rotary types. These 

have discharge pipes ranging from 12 to 60 inches in diameter, and 

raise 20 to 100 cubic feet of water per second through a distance of 

several feet. In the larger plants batteries of pumps operated by 

compound Corliss engines of 400 to 800 horsepower are in common 

use. PI. IX, A, shows the surroundings of a typical pumping plant 

drawing its supply from a stream or bayou, while B of the same plate 

gives a good idea of the volume of discharge from a powerful battery 

of pumps.

SOURCES OF WATER.

Bayous. In the early stages of rice irrigation practically all the 

water was drawn from the bayous. In the portion of Louisiana 

devoted to the cultivation of rice these are the channels of the sluggish streams draining the prairies or marshes and not the abandoned 

or distributary channels of a river, such as those near the Mississippi. 

In physical aspect, however, they are very similar. The current, 

though fairly strong at certain seasons, is very weak at others; the 

slow moving waters resting in channels sunk below the prairies are 

more or less clogged in many instances by snags of waterlogged 

stumps, logs, trees, etc., and bordered by dense vegetation, including 

the constantly encroaching cypress. Notwithstanding the sluggishness of the currents throughout the greater part of the year, however, 

the bayous maintain deep channels, the bottoms of which, in the region 

near the coast, are often many feet below the level of the sea.
84 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

Wells. The bayous for a number of years furnished an adequate 

supply of water for the areas under cultivation, but the increase of 

acreage, combined with a deficiency of rainfall, as in 1901, brought to 

the attention of everyone the inadequacy of the supply under such 

conditions. In that year considerable areas planted to rice had to 

be abandoned, as the water supply failed, and in many localities the 

bayous were so lowered that salt water entered and by rendering the 

supply brackish still further reduced the production. Emphasis was 

added to the fact already predicted that in dry years considerable areas 

remote from the bayous would either have to be abandoned or a new 

supply obtained. Deep wells, however, had already yielded abundant 

supplies at several points and were now regarded as the key to the 

situation. A number of the early wells are indicated on a map issued 

by" the Office of Experiment Stations of the department of Agriculture, and in part reproduced as PI. XI. To these have been added a 

number of new wells. a The wells shown, however, should be regarded 

as indicating the locations rather than the exact number, as at the 

close of 1903 several hundred wells existed where only a few are shown 

on the map.

IRRIGATION-SYSTEMS IN OPERATION.

The following tables give an idea of the extent and importance of 

the use of well and combined well and bayou systems for the irrigation 

of rice in Louisiana:

Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902.

[As reported to the Bureau of the Census.]

ACADIA PARISH.

Owner of well system.

Alien, Robie...........................

Black, R. J. ............................

Hoag, Philip H. ......... .............

Lee, Alonzo E .........................

Post-office.

Abbott ...............

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.... do ................

.....do................

Jennings, Calcasieu 

Parish.

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

f(n

a Information furnished by Mr. A

Acres 

irrigated 

in 1902.

160 

225 

200 

200 

100 

40 

200 

550 

450 

450 

300 

170 

150

130 

120 

200 

120 

80 

430 

520 

C. VeatclFarms 

irrigated.

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

2

1 

2

1 

2 

1

1 

1

1 

1 

1. 

2 

2

L.

Length 

of main 

canal in 

miles.

i 

1 

1

i

2

i

i 

1

1

Total 

cost.

$25. 00 

26.00 

24.30 

60.00 

26.00 

18.00 

42.00 

50.00 

67.63 

32.00 

25.00 

19.48 

23.20

10.00 

18.00 

27.01 

20.00 

30.00 

42.00 

25.25
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. X

PUMPING PLANT, BAYOU DES CANNES.

FULLER.] EICE IEEIGATION. 85

.Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1903 Continued. 

ACADIA PARISH Continued.

Owner of well system.

Portis.J.E. ............................

Waugh,Wm.E. .......................

Farming Co.) .

Nordyke, Harley J ....................

Bailey, J. F............................

Duponl, Z. N ..........................

Deboral, Emil ............. ...........

Langdoc, S. N .........................

Porter, Leroy ..........................

Zambeecher, N. J .....................

Bradford, Geo. K.. ....................

Snyder, V. (W. K. Andrews, tenant)..

Girerd & Mouton ......................

Kramer, K ........................ 1 ...

McNeil, M. W .........................

Gow; David. ...... ^. ............ '. ......

McCormack, Robert ...................

Bernard & Chappius ..................

Heinen, D .............................

Post-office.

.....do................

...:.do. ...............

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do....!...........

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do........... ....

.....do................

.....do........... . .

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do....'............

.....do................

Star ..........

.....do................

.....do................

ish.

.....do................

Rayne ................ 

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

Acres 

irrigated 

in 1902.

550

140

200

200

90

500

300

480

300

218

150

160

130

275

80

100

200

150

515

300

450

275

100

152

300

475

60

100

200

300

30

150

150

140

-tf)K

100

400

200

OAA

1,000

500

700

480

200

200

Farms 

irrigated.

3

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

5

4

4

1

1

3

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

3

4

1 

1

4

1

4

1

1

Length 

of main 

canal in 

miles.

2i

1

2

i

2

1

1

1

1

1

2

i

1

li

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

t

li

2*

3

4

2

3

li

1

1

Total 

cost.

$52. 00

26.50

45.00

33.00

21.88

40.00

30.00

58.50

44.00

35.00

7.75

24.00

25.00

6.00

53.00

24.45

36.75

24.00

1.15

47.00

26.00

25.20

25. 00

35.00

24.00

21. 00

20.50

' 8.22

30.68

31.80

48.00

50.00

68.25

32.00

37.00

27.00

25.50

31.00

24.00

55.00

82.00

34.00

18.00

45.00 

26.00

19.00

70.00

.35. 00

5.00

5.00
86 UNDEBGKOUND WATEKS OF SOUTHEKST LOUISIANA. [No.101.

Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902 Continued.

CALCASIEU PARISH.

Owner of well system.

Boiler, E. L ...........................

Hebert M A

Bucklin, S. C..........................

Nutt, J. M .............................

Miles, C. K. ...... .....................

Porr A d

Cooper, E.W.. ........................

Eastman ^V ^^

Garlick Geo W

Harris, W. E. ..........................

Jone** Perry B

Marsh, Martin V. - .....................

Remage Dr G W

Twitchell V M

White, H ..............................

Garlick, G. W ..........................

Winn,T.H ............................

Bilker 1SI S

WU ' D

Raymond. Charles. ....................

Post-office.

China ................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

El ton .................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

Glen..................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

Raymond ............

Acres 

irrigated 

in 1902.

320

200

50

50

200

100

250

307

220

140

200

250

150

100

120

158

800

75

100

340

220

220

360

65

200

300

830

175

320

600

50

150

120

375

140

120

130

300

600

600

240

300

200

150

850

120

200

122

240

200

90

100

Farms 

irrigated.

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

1

1

1

2

1

2

1

1

1

o

i

i

i

i

3

5.

1

1

2

3

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Length 

of main 

canal in 

miles.

j

1

1

I

1

li

1

i

l

i

1

a.

i

2

Is

1

1

4

i

i

3

11

Total 

cost.

127. 52

17.46

21.27

2.00

15.00

22.50

17.00

24.00

51.00

29.00

19.15

30.00

28.00

39.50

26. C3

7.00

15.50

85.00

24.50

21.00

48.00

45.00

24.69

20.00

25.00

36.50

37.00

85.00

25.50

40.50

39.00

25.00

26.00

22.30

82.00

29.00

20.00

20.00

30.50

59.00

103.50

27.00

55.60

23.56

20.36

150.00

20.50

15.00

33.93

43.00

23.00

20.05

19.00
FULLER.] RICE IRRIGATION. 87

Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902 Continued. 

CALCASIEU PARISH Continued.

Owner of well system.

rtaVkhjort W R

Miller & Sanders Plantation (W. H.

Smith, manager) .

Zwick & Son, C. H .....................

Abbott, E. S. ...........................

Field, C.M..... ........................

Gravel & Sons, M ......................

Kelly, N.L......... ....................

Kelley & Prentice .....................

Moore, F. H ............................

Seharff, Edward .......................

Winterton, S. A ........................

Pox.E.P ..............................

Post-office.

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do........:.......

.....do ................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

Welsh

.....do....... ........

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

Acres 

irrigated 

in 1902.

300

300

100,

300

150

145

100

155

80

110

200

130

125

850

500

740

450

250

90

200

160

110

100

30

80

100

200

300

320

900

450

180

500

65

200

9flft

3,300

Farms 

irrigated.

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

2

2

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

1

1

3

10

Length 

of main 

canal in 

miles.

i

1

'l

H

1?

i

1

A

2

i

2i

1

1

i

Total 

cost.

829.00

75.00

20.00

25.00

27.00

30.00

17.45

31.00

33.00

18.00

25.00

12.00

35.00

22.25

135.00

57.00

95.00

65.00

37.00

19.90

25.00

16.70

18.00

47.25

28.00

10.00

21.00

47.18

25.55

42.00

31.00

26.00

29.40

18.50

36.02

25.00

47.00

'24.00

24.28

22.00

80.00

42.00

VERMILION PARISH.

Rushmere Planting and Milling Co. 

(Limited).

Abbeville ............

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

150

300

207

225

1,200

1

2

3

1

1

1

4

$22. 9;

33. 0(

16. 2f

41. OC

21. 3E

100. OC
88 UNDEEGBOUND WATEES OF SOUTHEEN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902 Continued. 

VERMILION PARISH Continued.

Owner of well system.

Yantis, W. M ...........................

Gueydan, manager).

Post-office.

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

Acres 

irrigated 

in 1902.

125

4%

300

150

200

600

1,200

240

500

800

200

70

100

sn

700

225

150

200

250

240

100

815

900

100

600

100

700

Farms 

irrigated.

1

4

1

1

1

2

4

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

5

1

1

1

2

1

4

3

1

3

1

5

Length 

of main 

canal in 

miles.

3

1

2

H

2

1

li

i

I

9 1

i

3i

Total 

cost.

16.95

49.87

40.00

26.50

31.80

50.00

98.00

30.00

64.00

120.00

25.00

12.00

27.00

oq fin

57.00

22.50

9.00

32.00

30.00

40.50

20.00

39.00

51.50

25.50

45.00

28.50

60.00

Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902.

[As reported to the Bureau of Census.]

MISCELLANEOUS PARISHES.

Parish.

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Owner of system.

Witzel, Mrs. Chas...... ......

Post-office.

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

New Orleans

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Acreage.

60

200

100

800

3,000

150

400

200

50

3

4

6

3

Farms.

1

1

1

2

12

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Length of 

main 

canal.

Miles.

5

12

*

U

!

Total 

cost.

$12.00

24.00

28.00

104.53

420. 00

29.10

54.40

41.05

21.90

3.00

1.00

2.70

.25

2.00
FULLER.] K1CE IEEIGATION. 89

Owners, acreage, and cost of rice irrigation from wells in 1902 Continued. 

MISCELLANEOUS PARISHES Continued.

Parish.

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Owner of system.

Miller, Durel ................

Post-office.

.....do............

.....do............

Cades.............

.....do............

Acreage.

405

1

j 60

200

100

160

150

130

160

100

80

12

Farms.

3

;

i

i

i

i

i

i

i

Length of 

main 

canal.

IfiZes.

4

i

Total 

cost.

52. 50

20.00

40.00

20.00

26.00

25.00

21.00

27.55

. 16. 00

3.50

1.85

Number of rice irrigation systems. 

[As reported to the Bureau of the Census.]

Number of irrigation systems 

Parish.

Plaquemines ............

Lafayette ...............

St. Landry ..............

St. Martin ..............

Total.............

Supplied with water from 

Streams.

37 

37 

16 

413 

13

95

611

Wells.

59 

93 

3

27 

1 

1 

5 

6 

3 

1 

1

200

Streams and 

wells.

11 

2

6 

4

1

24

Total.

107 

132 

19 

413 

46

118

835
90 UNDERGROUND WATEES OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101. 

Cost of rice irrigation systems.

Parish.

Acadia .................

Vermilion ..............

St. Landry. . ............

St. Martin ..............

Total.............

Supplied with water from 

Streams.

$1, 148, 630 

1,482,778 

89, 917 

97, 077 

981, 000

143, 199

3, 942, 601

Wells.

$182, 600 

318, 880 

12, 455

105, 965 

1, 200 

2,190 

895 

15, 200 

4,705 

185

644,275

Streams and

wells.

$39, 400 

12, 200

24, 950 

57, 653

5,250

139, 453

Total.

$1, 370, 630 

1, 813, 858 

102, 372 

97, 077 

1, 111, 915

- 229,457

4, 725, 309

Average per 

acre irrigated, 1902.

$12. 93 

13.12 

10.11 

6.93 

16.76

4.35

12.20

Farms under irrigation for rice. 

[As reported to the Bureau of the Census.]

Parish.

Acadia, ..............................

Calcasieu ............................

Vermilion ...........................

Cameron ................ u ...........

Lafayette ............................

St. Landry. ..........................

St. Martin ...........................

Total. .........................

Streams.

543

419

54

432

450

186

2,084

Wells.

86

116

3

43

( 1

1

5

8

3

1

11

278

Streams and 

wells.

22

11

17

16

6

72

Total.

651

546

57

432

510

237

2,433
FULLER.] KICE IEBIGATION.

Acreage under irrigation for rice.

91

Parish.

Calcasieu .............................

"PI si mi Am i n PQS

Orleans. .............................

St. Martin ...........................

Total.... ......................

Streams.

87, 666

111, 636

9,376

14, 015

53, 875

 46,191

322, 759

Wells.

13, 460

23, 117

750

9,248

( 60

50

17

800

340

12

794

48, 648

Streams and 

wells.

4,880

3,450

3,215

4,100

405

16, 050

Total.

106, 006

138, 203

10, 126

14, 015

66, 338

- 52, 769

387, 457

Lengths of rice canals and ditches in 1902, 

[As reported to the Bureau of the Census.]

Parish.

Acadia ...............................................

All other parishes .....................................

Total ...........................................

Total length 

in miles of 

main canals 

from well and 

well and 

streamsystems.

53

47

3

25

17

4

149

Total length 

in miles 

of ditches of 

all systems.

239

291

12

8

108

50

708

PUMPING.

The different types of pumps in common use have already been 

mentioned. The centrifugal, which is the prevailing type, is lighter, 

simpler, more readily established, and cheaper than the rotary pumps, 

although the latter are more efficient when carefully installed. The 

total lift of such pumps in raising waters from the bayous to the 

canals varies from 7 to 35 feet, 20 feet being an average lift. Higher
92 UNDEEGKOUND WATEES OF SOUTHEEN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

levels require supplementary lifts. PL X shows a typical pumping 

plant on the Bayou des Cannes, Louisiana.

In the case of some of the flowing wells the water can be turned 

directly into the canals for distribution, but where applied at a higher 

level than the wellhead, pumps are used for lifting the supply. Where 

the water rises within a few feet of the surface an excavation is made 

to such depth that the pump is submerged by the water. In the case 

of wells of small bore the pumping' is generally conducted on batteries 

of wells located 12 to 20 feet apart, though single wells are sometimes 

pumped. Great numbers of such batteries have been installed in 

Calcasieu Parish, where their success has been very marked. Much 

trouble is caused by sand entering the wells, but this can be largely 

remedied by screening devices, such as are described on pages 71-72.

The fuel used in pumping is of three kinds: Coal, wood, and oil. 

In 1901 bituminous coal cost as high as $4.75 per ton; wood, $1.50 to 

$3 per cord, and oil from 48 to 62^ cents per barrel. The cost of oil 

was at that time said to be about $1 per acre for the season, while that 

of coal and wood was from $2 to $3 per acre. Oil now commands a 

much higher price and there is much less money saved through its use. 

Coal will doubtless continue to be extensively used in the plants near 

the railroads, but in localities remote from transportation facilities 

wood will probably afford the most available supply. PL X shows 

the process of unloading wood from a flatboat by means of a moving 

belt.

APPLICATION OF THE WATER.

CANALS.

The water received from the pumps or directly from the flowing 

wells is conducted to the rice fields by canals. These consist of 

two parallel levees constructed of wet, impervious clays, or clayey 

loams, free from roots and twigs, between which the water is conducted. Fig. 13 is a cross section of the type of canal which has

SUR FACE

FIG. 13. Cross section of rice canal.

been found to yield the best results. Care should be taken to remove 

stumps and to keep out all growth of weeds or other sources of 

obstruction to the flow of the water. PL XI shows the distributary 

system in the leading rice district of Louisiana.

FIELD LEVEES.

The best form of field levees are low swells, from 15 to 20 feet in 

width, having the shape shown in fig. 14. They are used to regu-
U.S.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 101 PL. XI

JULIUS BICN & CO.N.Y

Rice canals Rice wells

CANAL AND WELL SYSTEMS IN SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA I I . 

Marshlands l^mliered Open prairies 1903

Compiled from Plate I, Bulletin 113.Depart.ment of Agriculture flood plains
FULLEE.] EICE IRRIGATION. 93

late the application of water in irrigation. The advantages of levees 

of this type over the old high and narrow variety are: (1) They 

are easily crossed, and without damage, by farm machinery; (2) no 

land is withdrawn from cultivation by them; (3) the growth of the 

worthless red rice and of undesirable grasses and plants is largely prevented because of the cultivation of the entire area; (4) they are 

adapted to the varying slopes of the different types of rice fields.

This kind, of levee is more difficult to construct, and before its introduction the, .fields developed under the old system must be releveled. 

More levees are also required on sloping ground. In the end, however, its use will probably prove the most economical of the various

METHODS OF FARMING.

The type of soil best adapted for the growing of rice is a medium 

loam, the materials of which are clayey enough to form resistant levees 

and to support heavy harvesting machinery. Organic matter tends to 

render the material more "porous, and is undesirable where it is to be 

used for levees.

The land is plowed with gang plows in the fall or spring, sometimes 

both, then disked and harrowed thoroughly. Planting is done with 

the broadcast machine attached to an ordinary farm wagon, or the

18 FT.

FIG. 14. Cross section of correct form of field levee.

seed is drilled in rows from 7 to 8 inches apart, the latter method 

insuring a better crop. During the planting season, which extends 

from April 1 to June 15, or later, no water is put upon the land, 

dependence being placed upon rainfall to sprout the seed and promote 

the growth of the plant for a period varying between one and two 

months, depending .upon the season and water supply. Flooding 

usually begins when the rice reaches a height varying between 6 and 

10 inches, and from this time on until the grain is in the milk and well 

formed a period of about seventy days the fields are kept flooded. 

In other cases much less water is used. The accompanying diagram 

(fig. 15) shows the depths of water and dates of flooding of such a field 

at Crowley.

About ten da}^s before harvest the levees are cut and the fields are 

drained. The grain rapidly hardens and matures, and by the time it 

is ready to cut the field is sufficiently dry to permit the use of the 

reaper and binder. This machine is identical with that used in the 

grain fields elsewhere in the United States. The sheaves of rice are
94 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. [NO. 101.

shocked in the field immediately after the binder, ten sheaves to a 

shock being the rule, in order that there may be a free circulation of 

air to dry the straw. When harvesting- begins the stalks and leaves of 

the rice are still green, in the main, but the head is golden yellow on 

the terminal two-thirds. The green straw properly cured is a valuable 

substitute for haj7 , and is baled and fed to live stock, including the 

work horses and mules, which become accustomed to it, often preferring it to prairie hay. Harvesting begins in September and continues 

through October and part of November, often until the 1st of Decem1X34 » 6 7 B 9 10 II g 13 14 15 16 17 16 »ana 22232425262728283031

FIG. 15. Diagram showing depths of water used on rice field at Crowley and dates of Irrigation.

ber, and thrashing the rice from the shock begins after it has been 

allowed to cure and dry for a period of two weeks at least. The 

machines used are the modern styles of wheat thrashers using steam 

power, revolving knives for cutting the binding twine, and a blower 

to remove and stack the straw. The rough rice as it comes from the 

thrasher is put in large gunny sacks, weighing, when filled, an average 

of 185 pounds each. The sacked rice is hauled either to the warehouses 

or directly to the mills.
INDEX.

Abbeville, wells at and near, descriptions

and sections of .._............. 54-55

Abbot, H. L., and Humphreys, A. A., 

cited on discharge of Mississippi 

River ............................ 14

Abbot well, elevation of water in -.--...- 57 

Abita Hotel, well at, description of ...... 85

Abita Springs, pressure near, variations

in................................. 62

wells at, descriptions of............... 35-36

Acadia Parish, rice-irrigation systems

in........................ 84-85,89,90,91

wells in ................................ 55-56

Alber well, description of................. 42

Albrecht, Joseph, analysis furnished by.. 47 

Alexandria, artesian area near........... 39

rainfall at.............................. 12

sections at -..------...--------.--..-... 30

section from New Orleans to -..---... 18 

Amite, rainfall at ......................... 12

Analyses of artesian water ...... 44,47,48,78-79

Anderson well, Hammond, description of. 38 

view of.------...-_._-----.-...-_--.- 34

Anderson well, Jennings, description of.. 58 

Artesian water, advantages and disadvantagesof -.....-...--..-.-.....---. 76

analyses of.................... 44,47,48,78-79

area of .............................. 29-30,75

citiesand towns using...-..-.----.---. 77

flow of, variations in.................. 61-67

origin of............................... 12-14

Artesian wells, drilling, method of....... 68-71

flow of, variations in....---...-.....-. 61-67

pumping, methods of -------.----.---. 72-73

statistics of............................ 30-60

views of.................. --........-.-. 58

See also Artesian water; "Water;

Wells. 

Assumption Parish, wells in ---.... _.... 49

Aubert Hotel, well at, description of..... 36

Audubon Park, well at, description of... 45-46 

Avoyelles Parish, wells in __--_-....---. 54

Baker, wells at, description of......... _ 48-49

Baltzell and Thomas well, description of. 39 

Batchelor, depth to water at.............. 54

Baton Rouge, wells at and near, descriptions of, and analysis of water 

from ...............__.......... 48

Baton Rouge Junction, depth to water at. 54 

Bauerle, B. P., well of, description of.... 39

Bay St. Louis, Miss., wells at.....-------. 33

Bayou des Cannes, pumping plant at..... 84

Bayou Sar.i, well at, description of....... 49

Bayou, view of__----....._....-............ 76

Bayous, use of, in rice irrigation..... __ 83

Page.

Biegel, G. H., well of, description of ..... 42 

Biloxi, Miss., section from Pass Christian

tD................-.-..... 32

wells at, sections and descriptions of. 31 

Biloxi sands, definition of.---------------- 22

Bishop well, description and section of .. 42 

Blakemore, section furnished by..----_ 45

Blanchard, A. G., section kept by........ 45

Blowing wells, occurrence of_.__ 60-61 

Blumquist, John, information furnished

by....... . ... 47

Bond, Prank, acknowledgments to....... 82

quoted on screens..__. ... - _. 71 

Bonnabel, ., information furnished by. 46 

Bonnabel well, description of and analysis of water from....__-.- -..-. 43-47

Bo wen, L. J., well of, description of...... 56

Bower, E. L., well of, description of...... 57

Bower well, height of water in, variation

in.. . .-- 64 

Boyce,strata penetrated at.......--...--- 21

Bradley & Ramsay Lumber Co., well of,-

description of -.-.....-...---.... 59

well of, view of........................ 58

Breaux Bridge, well near, description of. 52 

Blinker, Prank, well of, description of _.. 36 

Brown, , section furnished by ---------- 31

Bunkie, wells at, descriptions of...-..--.. 54 

Calcasieu Parish, rice irrigation systems

in........................ 86-87,89,90,91

wells in ................................ 53-60

Cameron Parish, rice irrigation systems

in........................... 88,89,90,91

section through........................ 16

Canal systems, map showing ............. 92

Canals, description of.--. ----.._--_-.--_... 92

Carey wells, section of .................... 58

Chapins well, description of ... ........ 55

Cheneyville, rainfall at _----_---.-_---.--- 13

China, wells near, description of ------_- . 59

Chinchuba, well at, description of -------- 38

Clemenshaw, C., well of ..------.------... 32

Clendenin, W. W., section furnished by. 50 

Clinton, rainfall at........................ 12

Contamination, causes of.................. 74-75

Cooper well, section of-------------------- 57

Covington, pressure near, variation in._ 62

section through........................ 18

well near, view of--------------------- 34

wells at and near, descriptions and

. sectionsof................ .... 33-35

Crowley, wells at and near, descriptions

of.......-....-.....-.. - - 55-56

Barton, N. H., cited on wells at Bay St.

Louis, Miss -------------------- 33

\ 95
96 INDEX.

Page.

Deep wells, advantages and disadvancities and towns obtaining water from 77 

occurrence of--.-.....-......-.....- 29-30,75

See also Artesian wells; Artesian

water. 

Delta region, topography of.............. 16

Dessome well, description of.............. 37

Dixon Academy well, description of-.--- 33 

Domestic purposes, water supply for

towns and--....--..--.......-.-. 74-80

Donnelly wells, flow of....... ......... 55

Dremmet well, section and description of 33-34 

Drilling wells, methods of-.-.-.-...----.. 68-71

Durkee well, description of..--.....-- _ 39

Dutch, John, well of, description of ------ 34

East Baton Rouge Parish, wells in ....... 48-49

Eastman well, description of............. 39

Bills, E. P., well of ........................ 32

Emms, John, well of, description of---... 51

Fabacher well, description and section of. 44-45

height of water in, variation in....... 67

Farming rice, methods of. ---....--....--. 93-94

Farms, water supply of....--.--....--._ 80

Fenton, well at, variation in height of

water in.-...-............---.... 65

Field levee, cross section of..........----. 93-94

description of-......................... 92-93

Fields well, section of-..---...--..-_...- 57 

Five Islands, relief of--....--...-....-..... 15

Flow, variations in-..-..--..........--.... 61-67

Flower wells, section of................... 34

Forbes well, description of................ 39

Fuel, kind used in pumping............... 92

Gilbeaux well, description of............. 52

Glencoe, well at, section of ............... 50

Grand Chenier Island, north side of, view

of................................. 24

sections across......................... 24

springs on, view of.................... 22

Grand Chenier Ridge, remnant of, view

of..-.....--...-.. ..--.....-.... 22

Grand Gulf group, occurrence and character of ..--.--.-...............-. 19-21

Grand Lake, section through............. 18

Gueydan, wells near, descriptions of..... 55

Gulf of Mexico, relation of wells to...... 13

Haas, "W. D., well of, description of...... 54

Haller, H., well of, description of ........ .35

Hammill well, height of water in, variations in............_............ 63

Hammond, flow at ........................ 62

rainfall at.............................. 12

well near, view of..................... 34

wells at, descriptions and sections of. 38-42 

Hammond Ice Company, well of, description of--...._............--- 39

Hammond Mineral Water Company, well

of, description of--....-.__,__ 39

Harris, G. D., and Pacheco, J., quoted on

rotary process..___.......... 70

Harrison County, Miss., wells in ......... 31-33

Hawkeye well, height of water in, variations in....................._-,... 65

Hawkins, Mrs. John, well of, description

of................................. 37

Page. 

Herald well, elevation of water in........ 57

Hermann well, description of ............ 39

Hernandez well, description of.-..-.--... 35

view of......-.---.--...._.---..--.... 34

Hilllands, topography of................. 17

Hommel, C. H., well of, description of... 39 

Humphreys, A. A., and Abbot, H. L., 

cited on discharge of Mississippi 

River ............................ 14

Iberia Parish, rice-irrigation systems

in-........................... 88,89,90,91

wells in ._............................ 50-52

Irrigation. See Rice irrigation. 

Istrouma Hotel, well at, description of... 48 

Jackson, A., well of, description of.. __ 39 

Jackson, C. H., well of, description of.... 37

Jeanerette, wells at and near, descriptions and sections of--.._,-.--- 50-52 

Jennings,section through ._.. ...--- 18

wells at and near, descriptions and sections of.----------------_------ 58

wells near, variations in height of

water in ......................... 63,64

Jetting process,description of............ 68,69

figure showing ........._..._...... 69

June Brothers, well of, description of.... 39

Kallock, , section furnished by...-...- 31 

Karlton, F., well of, description of -------- 40

Kate well,description of--.... _.._.... 40

Kemp well, description of ................ 40

Kennedy, William, well section furnished

by.-. -... .....-..--......-. 53

Kinder, strata penetrated near.-.-..--.- 21

wells ne»v, descriptions of -. _....'.. 59

Labat Hotel, well at, description of....... 36

Labbe well, description of .--....__ - 52

Lafayette,rainfall at ........ ... 12

wells at, descriptions of............... 53

Lafayette Parish, wells in ................ 53

Lafourche Parish, well in, description of. 49 

Lake Arthur, well near, description of. - - 58 

Lake Charles, rainfall at... --....--. 12

well near, view of .._..._ -..--. . 58

wells near, description and section of. 59-60 

Lake Pontchartrain,artesian area near.- 29

characteristics of....... -- ..- . 25

Section showing correlation of waterbearing sands north and south of 19

south shore of, view of.___........ 24

Lakes,formation of.---...-.....--...-...- 25

Lawson well, height of water in, variation

in................................. 64

Lee, A. E., pumping plant of, view of..... 70

Leighton, M. O., acknowledgments to __ 80 

Levee,cross section of ..._ .-_ .-_-. 93

description of.......................... 92-93

Lobdell, depth to water at.. - ...... 54

Long Point, wells at, depth of water in.. 56 

Louisiana, southern, rainfall in --..--.... 12

rice irrigation in.......--..-..-.-..... 82-94

stratigraphy of........................ 17-27

subdivision of, based on underground

water conditions--..-.--....---- 27-30

topographic map of -........-... 14

topographic subdivisions of .......... 15-17

map showing ......... ...... 16
INDEX. 97

Louisiana, southern, underground waters 

in, origin of......................

wells in, statistics of ..................

water supplies from...............

Louisiana, southwestern, canal and well 

systems in, map showing .......

Lyon well, description of.---.-.--....-.-.

McBirney wells, desc ription of...........

McKinney, C. A., well of, description of. 

McEill well, description of........--.-....

Maison Blanche well, description of-.-_-. 

Mandeville, flow near, variations in......

wells at, descriptions ot...............

Mandeville Junction, well at, description

Of.................................

Manufacturing, water supply for........

Marksville, well at, description of........

May, S. B., well of, description of--------

May pumping plant, view of -------------

May well, height of water in, variation in.

Melder, Prank, well of, description of ...

Mermentau River, Grand Chenier Ridge 

on, view of remnant of-.....-.-.

Midland, well at, depth to water in ......

Miller, E. D., well of, description of ......

Miller, Merritt, well of, description of...

Miocene rocks, occurrence and character 

of.................................

Mississippi, artesian wells in.----.. ....

Mississippi City, wells at........._......

Mississippi River, discharge of ...........

effect of, on stratigraphy of Louisiana -----------------___-,-.----_--

on water in wells..................

Moon well, description of.................

Moresi wells, descriptions and sections of.

Morgan City, well at, depth of ------------

Morrison well, description of.............

Murdock, , section furnished by....

Napoleonville, wells at, descriptions of ..

New Iberia, wells at, descriptions of.....

New Orleans,section through.-....--....

sections from Alexandria to....... _

wells at --.--_-....---..--...-..--.-....

New Roads, depth to water at............

Oakdale, section through -...-.-....---...

Oaks Hotel well, description of...........

Oberlin, well at, height of water in ......

Oligocene rocks, occurrence and character Of-.-....---.-....-...----.-...

Opelousas, rainfall at.....................

well at, description and section of.... 

Oriza, wells at and near, descriptions of. 

Orleans Parish, rice irrigation systems

wells in.--.--....--....-..-....-.......

Pacheco, J., and Harris, G. D., quoted on

rotary process...................

Paine well, description of........_......

Pass Christian, Miss., section from Biloxi

to.................................

Pearl River Junction, well at, description

of.................................

Perkins & Miller Lumber Company, well

of, description of-......-..--....

IRR 101 04 7

12-14 

33-60 

74-81

92

35

59

43

59

a5

61

37 

81 

54 

57 

70 

67 

60-61

22" 

5o 

60 

40

21

30-33 

32 

14

26-27 

14 

43 

50 

50 

40 

31 

49 

51 

18 

18

43-47 

54 

18 

40 

59

19-21

. 12

53

56

90,91. 

43-47

70

37

32

36

60

 -Page.

Pointe Coupee Parish, wells in. __... _ 54 

Pontchartrain clay, definition of......... 22

Ponchatoula, wells near, descriptions and

sections of-.-.....--..-.----..... 42-43

Port Hudson clays, definition of.......... 22

Port Hudson group, discussion of -------- 22

Prairie region, topography of ............ 16-17

Precipitation. See Rainfall.

Pressure, effect of topography on -------- 27-29

variations in............................ 61-67

Pump, rotary, figure showing............ 72

Pumping, method of ---------------------- 72-73

use of, in rice irrigation............... 91-92

Pumping plants, views of -_'-..-_-_--__- 70,82,84 

Pushee well, description of.-...-..------- 40

Quaternary deposits, genesis of ---------- 23-25

occurrence and character of --_...--.- 21-23 

Railroads, water supply for .............. 81

Rainfall, amount of _-.___.--_-.._____----- 12

effect of, on pressure of wells. -------- 66

Rangia, occurrence of _-.-_.....-----.-... 25,27

Rapides Parish, wells in ____ '.._.._____._ 60-61

Rayne, wells at and near, descriptions of. 55 

Reiser well, description and section of-.. 59 

Ribara well, description of _--_.__--_.-_-- 37 

Rice farming, methods of -..-........---. 93-94

Rice irrigation, development of.......... 82-83

discussion of......-.-....---...----.-.. 82-94

sources of water for ..-.--..,-.--..- 83-84

Rice-irrigation systems, acreage under.. 91

canals and ditches in, length of ------ 91

cost of..*,.......-....... ---..------- 90

farms under.......--..------.-..-.---- 90

number of---......._........---..--- 89

owners, acreage, and cost of, from

wells....................... 84-89,90,91

Richard, Hippolite, well of, description

of -_..........- --.------ ---- 55

Rivers, relation of water in wells to... 13-14 

Roane, S. B., well of, description and section of ........................... 51

Robinson well, description of .-..- --.. 41 

Rogers, Erastas, well of, description of. - 41 

Rogers, Ben., well of, description of ------ 41

Rotary process of well drilling, description of ........................... 69-71

Rotary pump, figure showing__..*______. 72

Ruddock, well of, description of --------- 47

Rush well, description of----------------- 37

Sabine Lake, section through ............ 16

St. James Parish, wells in ................ 49-50

St. John the Baptist Parish, well in ------ 47

St. Landry Parish, rice-irrigation systems in..................... 88,89,90,91

wells in -..--.......-.--.........----... 53

St. Martin Parish, rice-irrigation systems

in........................... 88,89,90,91

wells in-----.--.--------------------- - 52

St. Martinville, wells at and near, descriptions and section of ........ 52

St. Mary Parish, wells in ----------------- 50

St. Tammany Parish, wells in ............ 33-38

Scanlin, D. J., well of, elevation of water

in._-..-..--.---------. ------- 56

Scanlin, P., well of, elevation of water in. 56
98

Page.

Schmidt, C. W., well of, description of... 36 

Screen, description of.. . - ___._ 71-72 

method of constructing, figure showing ............................... 72

plate showing .. -.-_.._._ 58

Shallow wells, disadvantages of.......... 74-75

Shell Beach, wells at...--..--.--._-...-... 55 

Ship Island, Mi-s., wells at, sections and

descriptions of.............^..... 31-32

Shore line, description of................. 23

Singletry's still, well at, description and

section of ....'.-.......-...--.-... 38

Simon's Hotel, well at, description of .... 36

Smith, J. T., well of, description of _..... 41

Smith, W. B., well of, description of ..... 41

Springs, view of ........................... 22

Stratigraphy, discussion of ............... 17-27

effect of Mississippi River on ......... 26-27

Stratigraphy and topography, effect of, on

underground water conditions . 27-29 

Streams, contamination of................ 75

Sugartown, rainfall at .................... 13

Swamp-lake area, topography of......... 15-17

Tangipahoa Parish, rice-irrigation systems in.--..------..--.-...- 88,89,90,91

wells in .._..__...___._.__ _._,...___. 38-43 

Tertiary rocks, occurrence and character

of..-....-..-......--.. ........ 19-21

Thibodaux, well at, description of ....... 49

Thomassy, R., cited on relation of rivers

to well waters..--.-------------. 13

Tigner well, description of................ 41

Tillotson well, description of ............. 59

Topography, description of-.............. 15-17

Topography and stratigraphy, effect of, 

on underground water conditions ............................. 27-29

Towns, water supplies for domestic purposes and -.........-.- ......... 74-80

Underground water, advantages and disa dvan tages of.................... 76

analyses of-----..---.....-.... 44,47,48,78-79

area of ......r ....................... 29-30,75

cities and towns using-................ 77

flow of, variation in ................... 61-67

origin of................................ 12-14

See, alsor Artesian wells; Wells. 

Underground water conditions, effect of

topography and stratigraphy on 27-29 

subdivision of southern Louisiana according to. ------..-.-..--..--.... 28

Veatch, A. C., information furnished by- 84 

Vermilion Parish, rice-irrigation systems

in...-..-.-.-,-.....-.-... 87-88,89,90,91

wells in ..-..-.--.......-..-.-........ 54-55

Wallbillick, Robert, section f urnishedby. 33 

Walsh, H., well of, description of ........ 41

Waltham, John, well of, description and

section of ........................ 55

Washington, well at, section of........... 53

Water, amount used in rice farming,

diagram showing................ 94

analyses of, from wells. ...... 44,47,48.78-79

application of, in rice irrigation.-- 93-94 

Water, artesian, advantages and disadvantages of ----.-.-..-.---. ------ 76

analyses of....................44,47,48,78-79

area of..-...------..------.-....---- 29-30,75

cities and towns using..--.......-- -... 77

flow of, variations in..-....... ...... 61-67

origin of-------------------------------- 12-14

Water, deep well. See Water, artesian. 

Water, underground. See Water, artesian. 

Water supplies from wells, use of, for

domestic purposes............. 74-80

use of, for farms ...................-.. 80

for railroads--..---.-.-.--..--.--.- 81 

for towns -....---.................. 74-80

Way well, description of--.-...----------- 41

Well drilling, methods of ................. 68-71

Wells, flow of, variations in --------------- 61-67

statistics of ...... ..................... 30-61

use of, in rice irrigation. . ---. 84

water supplies from, discussion of... 74-81

Wells, artesian, drilling of, method of.. - 68-71

flow of, variations in ............... . 61-67

pumping, methods of ------------------ 72-73

statistics of-------.----..--..---------- 30-60

views of------ - ---_---.-.._- --.--- 58

See, also. Water, artesian; Wells. 

Wells, blowing, occurrence of-...-.---, 60-61 

Wells, shallow, disadvantages of --------- 74-75

Well systems, map showing --. ......,.- 92

Well water. See Underground water. 

Welsh, pumping plant at, view of-------- 70

well at, variation in height of water in. 64,67 

wells at and near, descriptions and

sections of--------------------- 57

Wendling, John, well of, description of.. 56 

West Baton Rouge Parish, wells in. -.-... 54 

West Feliciana Parish, well in, description of----------..--.-..-..-..-. 49

West Lake, wells near .................... 60

Wilmot, W. J., well of, description of.... 41

Wright, S., well of, description of........ 56

Young Men's Gymnasium Club well, description .of, and analysis of 

 water from __. ._ ..__.._--. 44 

Zachary, wells at....................... 49
LIBRARY CATALOGUE SLIPS.

[Mount each slip upon a separate card, placing the subject at the top of the 

second slip. The name of 'the series should not be repeated on the series 

card, but the additional numbers should be added, as received, to the first 

entry.]

Harris, Gilbert Dennison.

. . . Underground waters of southern Louisiana, by 

Gilbert Dennison Harris; with discussions of their 

uses for water supplies and for rice irrigation, by 

M. L. Fuller. Washington, Gov't print, off., 1904.

98 p., 1 1. illus., 11 pi. (incl. map). 23*cm. (U. S. Geological survey. 

Water-supply and irrigation paper no. 101.) 

Subject series O, Underground waters, 23.

Harris, Gilbert Dennison.

. . . Underground waters of southern Louisiana, by 

^ Gilbert Dennison Harris; with discussions of their 

§ uses for water siipplies and for rice irrigation, by 

* M. L. Fuller. Washington, Gov't print, off., 1904.

98 p., 1 1. illus., 11 pi. (incl. map). 23=Tcm. (U. S. Geological survey. 

Water-supply and irrigation paper no. 101.) 

Subject series O, Underground waters, 23.

U. S. Geological survey.

Water-supply and irrigation papers

I no. 101. Harris, G. D. Underground waters of south- 

* ern La., by G. D. Harris; with discussions of 

their uses for water supplies and for rice irrigation, by M. L. Fuller. 1904.

j U. S. Dept. of the Interior.

«c

I see also

& U. S. Geological survey.
SERIES K PUMPING WATEE.

WS I. Pumping water for irrigation, by H. M. Wilson. 1896. 67 pp., 9 pla.

WS 8. Windmills for irrigation, by E. C. Murphy. 1897. 49 pp., 8 pis.

WS 14. New te«ts of certain pumps and water lifts used in irrigation, by O. P. Hood. 1898.

91 pp., 1 pi.

WS 20. Experiments with windmills, by T. O. Perry. 1899. 97 pp., 12 pis. 

WS 29. Wells and windmills in Nebraska, by E. H. Barbour. 1899. 85 pp., 27 pis. 

WS 41. The windmill; its efficiency and economic use, Pt. I, by E. C. Murphy. 1901. 72 pp., 14 pis. 

WS 42. The windmill, Pt. II (continuation of No. 41). 1901. 73-147 pp., 15-16 pis. 

WS 91. Natural features and economic development of Sandusky, Maumee, Muskingum, and Miami

drainage areas in Ohio, by B. H. Flynn and M. S. Flynn. 1904. 130 pp.

SERIES L QUALITY OF WATBB.

WS 3. Sewage irrigation, by G. W. Rafter. 1897. 100 pp., 4 pis.

WS 22. Sewage irrigation, Part II, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 100 pp., 7 pis.

WS 72. Sewage pollution in the metropolitan area near New York City and its efiect on inland

water resource, by M. O. Leighton. 1902. 75 pp., 8 pis. 

WS 76. Observations on the flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Pressey.

1903. 108 pp., 13 pis. 

WS 79. Normal and polluted waters in northeastern United States, by M. O. Leighton. 1903.

192 pp.

SERIES M GENERAL HYDROGRAPHIC INVESTIGATIONS.

WS 56. Methods of stream measurement. 1901. 51 pp., 12 pis.

WS 64. Accuracy of stream measurements, by E. C. Murphy. 1902. 99 pp., 4 pis.

WS 76. Observations on the flow of rivers in the vicinity of New York City, by H. A. Pressey. 1903.

108 pp., 13 pis.

WS 80. The relation of rainfall to run-off, by G. W. Rafter. 1903. 104 pp. 

WS 81. California hydrography, by J. B. Lippincott. 1903. 488 pp., 1 pi. 

WS 88. The Passaic flood of 1902, by G. B. Hollister and M. O. Leighton. 1903. 56 pp., 15 pis. 

WS 91. Natural features and economic development of Sandusky, Maumee, Muskingum, and Miami

drainage areas in Ohio, by B. H. Flynn and M. S. Flynn. 1904. 130 pp. 

WS 92. The Passaic flood of 1903, by M. O. Leighton. 1904. 48 pp., 7 pis. 

WS 94. Hydrographic manual of the United States Geological Survey, prepared by E. C. Murphy,

J. C. Hoyt, and G. B. Hollister. 1904. 76 pp., 3 pis.

WS 95. Accuracy of stream measurements (second edition), by E. C. Murphy. 1904. 169 pp., 6 pis. 

WS 96. Destructive floods in the United States in 1903, by E. C. Murphy. 1904. 81 pp., 13 pis.

SERIES N WATER POWER.

WS 24. Water resources of State of New York, Pt. 1, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 92 pp., 13 pis.

WS 25. Water re«ourc" s of State of New York, Pt. II, by G. W. Rafter. 1899. 100-200 pp., 12 pis

WS 44. Profiles of rivers, by Henry Gannett. 1901. 100 pp., 11 pis.

WS 62. Hydrography of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Pt. I, by H. A. Preccey. 1902.

95pp., 25 pis. 

WS 63. Hydrography of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region, Pt. II, by H. A. Pressey. 1902.

96-190 pp., 26-44 pis. 

WS 69. Water powers of the State of Maine, by H. A. Pressey. 1902. 124 pp., 14 pis.

IRR 101 3
SERIES O UNDERGROUND WATERS.

WS 4. A reconnaissance in southeastern Washington, by I. C. Ru:-~3ll. 1897. 96 pp. 7 pis.

VVS 6. Underground waters of southwestprn Kansa^, by Erasmir Ha worth. 1897. 6?i pp., 12 pis.

WS 7. Seepage waters of northern Utah, by Samuel Fortier. 1W7. 50 pp., 3 pis.

WS 12. Underground water? of southeastern Nebraska, by N. H. DP rt on. I1-***. 56pp., 21 pis.

WS 21. Wells of northern Indiana, by Frank Leverett. 1?99. £ pp., 2 pis.

WS 26. Wells of southern Indiana (continuation of No. 21), by Fr;ink Lev rrett, 1899. '"4 pp.

WS 80. Water resources of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, bv A. C. Lanu. 18;«9. 97 pp., 7 pK

WS 31. Lower Michigan mineral waters, by A. C. Lane. 181!'. 97 pp., 4 pis.

WS 34. Geology and water resources of a portion of southeastern riouth Dakota, by J. E. Tc-ud. 1900.

34 pp., 19 pis. 

WS S3. Geology and water resources of Nez Perces County, Idaho, Pt. I. bj I. C. Rn.-ot.-U. 1901. 86

pp., 10 pis. 

WS 54. Geology and water resources of Nez Perci s County, Idaho, Pt. [I, by I. C. Rus->-ll. 1901.

87-141 pp. 

WS 65. Geology and water resources of a portion of Yakiina County. WH >h., by G. O. Smith. 1901.

68 pp., 7 pis.

WS 57. Preliminary list of deep borings in the Unit I Pinte>, Pt. 1, bj 1,. H. Barton. 1002. 60 pp. 

WS 59. Development and application of water in Juuthern California, Pt. I, by J. B. Lippincutt.

1902. 95 pp., 11 pis. 

WS fiO. Development and application of water in southern California, Pt. II, by .T, B. Lippinoott.

1902. 96-140 pp.

WS 61. Preliminary list of deep borings in the United Stat^j, Pt. II, by N. H. Darton. 1902. 67 pp. 

WS 67. The motions of underground waters, by C. F Slichter. 1902. lOfi pp., 8 pK 

B 199. Geology and water resourci s of the Snaku River Plains of Idaho, by I. C. RUSM.H. 1902. 1U2.

pp., 25 pis.

WS 77. Water resources of Molokai, Hawaiian Inland', by \Valdemar Lindgren. 1908 62pp., tplWS 78. Preliminary report on artesian ba°ins in southwestern Idaho and southeastern (myon, by

I. C. Russell. 1908. W pp., 2 pis 

PP 17. Preliminary report on the geology and water resources of Nebraska Wt it of the- one hundred

and third meridian, by N. H. Darton. 1903- 69 pp., 43 pis. 

WS 90. Geology and water rfc.^ources of parl of the luwu Jame-j River Vtllej, couth Dakota, by J. E.

Todd and C. M. Hall. 1904. & pp., 19 pis. 

WS 101. Underground waters of southern Louisiana, by G. D. Harris, with di,%cuf«3ons of their uses

for water supplies and for rice irrigation Iiy M. L. Fuller. 1904. ?8 pp., 11 pis. 

The following papers also relate to this subject- I'»uJ..rground waters of Arkansas Valley in eastern 

Colorado, by G. K. Gilbert, in Seventeenth Annual, It. II: Preliminary report on arte°ian waters of a 

portion of the Dakotas, by N. H. Darton, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; VV'j t r re^onrc* « "f Illinois, 

by Frank Leverett, in Seventeenth Annual, Pt. II; Wim-r r^^urres of fndi ma and Ohio, by Frank 

Leverett, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV; New developments in -wpll boring and irrigation in tv^jm 

South Dakota, by N. H. Darton, in Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV: JRock waters of Ohio, by Edward 

Orton, in Nineteenth Annual, Pt. IV: Artesian well prospects in the Atlantic (~vm,sial Plain region, 

by N. H. Darton, Bulletin No. ISA

SERIES P HYDROGRAPHIO PROGRK>« RUPORTProgress reports may be found in the following publications: For Igtfft-' .1, Tenth Annual, Pt. II; 

for 1889-90, Eleventh Annual, Pt. II; for 1890-91, Tw< lUh Annual, Pt. II; for 1891-92, Thirtei nth 

Annual, Pt. Ill; for 1893-94, B 131; for 18S5, B 140; f f L89<S Eighteenth Annual, Pt. IV, WS 11; f.>r 

1897, Nineteenth Annual, Pt. IV, WS 15, 16; for 18%, Twentieth Annual, Pt. IV, VVS 27, /.": for r«M, 

Twenty-first Annual, Pt. IV, WS 85-39; for 1900, Twentj -second Annual, Pt. IV, WH 47-^ for 1901, 

VVS 65, C6, 75; for 1902, WS 82-85.

Correspondence should be addressed to

THE DIRECTOR,

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,

WASHINGTON, D. C. 

IKK 101 4