U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2013–3107

May 2014

Prepared in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development 

Water Resources of De Soto Parish, Louisiana

Introduction

Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of 

water in De Soto Parish, Louisiana (fig. 1), is critical for proper 

water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to 

present information that can be used by water managers, parish 

residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. 

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

and water quality from groundwater and surface-water sources 

in the parish is presented. Previously published reports (see 

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

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

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

presented here. 

In 2010, about 36.7 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of 

water were withdrawn in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, including 

about 31.9 Mgal/d from surface-water sources and 4.76 Mgal/d 

from groundwater sources1

 (table 1). Withdrawals for industrial 

use accounted for about 64 percent (23.6 Mgal/d) of the total 

water withdrawn (36.7 Mgal/d) (table 2). Other categories of 

use included public supply, power generation, rural domestic, 

livestock, and general irrigation. Water-use data collected at 

5-year intervals from 1960 to 2010 (fig. 2) indicated that water 

withdrawals peaked in 2010. 

1

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

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

.84

5

.171

§ ̈¦49

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer

Alluvial and

Upland terrace

aquifers

SMITHPORT

DAM

EXPLANATION

Approximate altitude of base of 

 fresh groundwater, in feet below

 National Geodetic Vertical Datum

 of 1929 (NGVD 29) (modified from

 Smoot, 1988)—Deepest freshwater 

 contained within Carrizo-Wilcox

 aquifer, except where noted

 Above NGVD 29

 0 to 99

 100 to 199

Boundary of area showing deepest

 freshwater contained within

 overlying alluvial and Upland

 terrace aquifers 

Line of section (see fig. 3)

Well for which hydrograph is shown

 (see fig. 4)

U.S. Geological Survey surface-water 

 quality site and number (see

 table 4)

U.S. Geological Survey surface-water 

 discharge site and number

U.S. Geological Survey lake elevation

 site and number

DS-329

A'A

C

O

#

07351571

07351750

M

08025350

10 KILOMETERS

0

0 2 4 6 8

2 4 6 8 10 MILES

TEXAS

ARKANSAS MISSISSIPPI

LOUISIANA

DE SOTO

PARISH

08025350 MC

08025360

Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey digital data

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection

North American Datum of 1983 LOUISIANA TEXAS

Frierson

Stonewall

Grand Cane

Evelyn Logansport

Pleasant Hill Converse

Lake End

Powhatan

Mansfield

Coushatta

Caspiana

C

O

#

#

C

O

DS-517

DS-329

08022500

07351571

07351750

Red River

Toledo Bend

 Reservoir

Sabine River

Bayou Castor

Bayou Gra nd

Cane

Bushneck

Bayou

Bayou San Patricio

Bayou Pierre

Clear

Lake Smithport

Lake

Wallace

 Lake

Cow Bayou

Cypress Bayou

Keatchie

Bayou

Rambin Bayou

DE SOTO PARISH

SABINE PARISH NATCHITOCHES PARISH

RED RIVER PARISH

CADDO

PARISH

A

A'

32°20'

32°15'

32°10'

32°05'

32°00'

31°55'

93°30'

93°40'

93°50'

94°00'

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

in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, 2010 (modified from Sargent, 2011).

Aquifer or surface-water body Groundwater Surface water

Red River alluvial aquifer 0.15

Upland terrace aquifer 0.49

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer 4.12

Toledo Bend Reservoir 27.74

Bayou Pierre 0.11

Bayou Grand Cane 0.08

Other water bodies 3.96

Total 4.76 31.89

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

use category in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, 2010 (modified from 

Sargent, 2011).

Use category Groundwater Surface water Total

Public supply 1.41 1.83 3.24

Industrial 2.53 21.04 23.57

Power generation 0.00 8.76 8.76

Rural domestic 0.63 0.00 0.63

Livestock 0.17 0.06 0.23

General irrigation 0.02 0.20 0.23

Total 4.76 31.89 36.66

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Year

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Annual withdrawals, in million gallons per day

Groundwater

Surface water

EXPLANATION

Figure 2. Water withdrawals in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, 

1960–2010 (modified from Sargent, 2011).

Groundwater Resources

The primary groundwater resources underlying De 

Soto Parish include the Red River alluvial aquifer, the 

Upland terrace aquifer, and the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer. 

Fresh groundwater (water having a chloride concentration of 

250 milligrams per liter [mg/L] or less) is available throughout 

most of the parish to depths ranging from about 100 feet (ft) 

or more above the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 

(NGVD 29) to between about 150 ft and 200 ft below NGVD 

29 (fig. 1) (Smoot, 1988). 

State well-registration records listed 1,587 active water 

wells in De Soto Parish in 2010, including 1,423 domestic, 

87 public supply, 46 irrigation, and 31 industrial (Louisiana 

Department of Natural Resources, 2011). In 2010, categories 

of use for groundwater withdrawals included public supply, 

industrial, rural domestic, livestock, and general irrigation 

(table 2). Recharge to aquifers in the parish is from 

precipitation, leakage from adjacent aquifers, and seasonal 

flow from streams. Discharge from the aquifers is by natural 

seasonal flow into streams, leakage into adjacent aquifers, and 

withdrawals from wells. 

Red River Alluvial Aquifer

Red River alluvial deposits are present in a narrow band, 

generally less than 1 mile (mi) wide, along the eastern edge 

of the parish where they flank the Red River. The width of 

the alluvial deposit in De Soto Parish increases to more than 

2 mi east of Smithport Lake and in the southeastern part of the 

parish near the town of Evelyn, where the alluvium reaches 

its greatest thickness of about 100 ft along Bayou Pierre. The 

Red River alluvial aquifer comprises the sands of the alluvium 

and typically are brown or gray in color (Page and Preé, 

1964). Water levels in the alluvial aquifer fluctuate primarily 

in response to the stage of the Red River and precipitation. 

Groundwater flow generally is southerly (down valley) and 

toward the Red River (Whitfield, 1980). 

State well-registration records listed two active water 

wells, both used for irrigation, screened in the Red River 

alluvial aquifer in De Soto Parish in 2010. Depths of these 

wells are 59 ft and 65 ft below land surface (Louisiana 

Department of Natural Resources, 2011). In 2010, withdrawals 

from the Red River alluvial aquifer in De Soto Parish totaled 

about 0.15 Mgal/d. Regional studies indicated that water in the 

Red River alluvial aquifer is very hard2 and contains high iron 

concentrations (greater than 300 micrograms per liter [μg/L]) 

(Page and May, 1964; Tomaszewski, 1992). 

Upland Terrace Aquifer

The Upland terrace aquifer is located in narrow (less 

than 4 mi wide) areas bordering the Red River alluvial aquifer 

in the northeastern part of the parish and along tributaries of 

the Sabine River in the southwestern part of the parish. The 

2

Hardness ranges, expressed as milligrams per liter of calcium carbonate, 

are as follows: 0–60, soft; 61–120, moderately hard; 121–180, hard; greater 

than 180, very hard (Hem, 1985).
terrace deposits generally consist of basal sands or gravels grading 

upward into silts and clays and are generally less than 120 ft thick 

in the parish. The Upland terrace aquifer is the sand and gravel 

part of the terrace deposits. The aquifer generally is unconfined 

in De Soto Parish, with the water table fluctuating in response to 

precipitation (Page and Preé, 1964; Snead and McCulloh, 1984). 

State well-registration records listed 32 active water wells 

screened in the Upland terrace aquifer in De Soto Parish in 2010, 

including 26 domestic, 4 industrial, and 2 public supply. Depths 

of these wells ranged from 15 to 194 ft below land surface, with 

a median depth of 44 ft. Reported yields from wells screened 

in the Upland terrace aquifer in De Soto Parish ranged from 

4 to 250 gallons per minute (gal/min) (Louisiana Department of 

Natural Resources, 2011). In 2010, withdrawals from the Upland 

terrace aquifer in De Soto Parish totaled about 0.49 Mgal/d, and 

uses included about 0.11 Mgal/d for public supply, 0.36 Mgal/d 

for industrial, and 0.02 Mgal/d for rural domestic (Sargent, 2011). 

Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer

The Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer comprises sands and gravels 

within the Carrizo aquifer and Wilcox aquifer, which are 

hydraulically connected and considered to be a single aquifer. In 

De Soto Parish, however, the Carrizo aquifer has eroded away and 

is not present (Page and Preé, 1964). Sands of the Carrizo-Wilcox 

aquifer are generally thin and typically yield only moderate 

supplies of water (40 to 100 gal/min) to public-supply or industrial 

wells (Snider and Covay, 1987). 

The aquifer outcrops throughout De Soto Parish except in 

areas where it is overlain by alluvial or Upland terrace deposits. 

Aquifer thickness ranges from less than 100 ft in the northeastern 

and eastern parts of the parish to over 700 ft along the southern 

boundary (fig. 3; Page and Preé, 1964; Ryals, 1984). The aquifer 

contains freshwater to a maximum depth of between about 150 ft 

and 200 ft below NGVD 29 (fig. 1). Water in the Carrizo-Wilcox 

aquifer occurs under both unconfined (water-table) and confined 

(artesian) conditions. Unconfined conditions result where sand 

beds outcrop at or near land surface; confined conditions occur 

in deeper sands. The aquifer generally receives recharge from 

precipitation in outcrop areas and from overlying sediments in 

areas where the aquifer is confined (Page and Preé, 1964). 

In 1991, water levels in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in De 

Soto Parish ranged from about 260 ft above NGVD 29, near the 

Texas State line in northwestern De Soto Parish, to about 140 

ft above NGVD 29 along the eastern boundary of the parish 

(Seanor and Smoot, 1995). In most of the parish, groundwater 

flows from west to east and discharges into the Red River alluvial 

valley. In southwestern De Soto Parish, groundwater flow is from 

east to west toward the Sabine River valley. Water levels in wells 

DS-329 and DS-517 (fig. 1) fluctuated about 1 to 4 ft annually 

and saw an overall decline from 2005 to 2012 (fig. 4). 

State well-registration records listed 1,384 active water 

wells screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in De Soto Parish in 

2010, including 1,239 domestic, 81 public supply, 39 irrigation, 

and 25 industrial. Depths of these wells ranged from 10 to 431 

ft below land surface, with a median depth of 210 ft. Reported 

yields from wells screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in De 

Soto Parish ranged from 1 to 350 gal/min (Louisiana Department 

of Natural Resources, 2011). 

In 2010, withdrawals from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in 

De Soto Parish totaled about 4.12 Mgal/d and included about 

1.30 Mgal/d for public supply, 2.03 Mgal/d for industrial, 

0.61 Mgal/d for rural domestic, 0.16 Mgal/d for livestock, and 

0.02 Mgal/d for general irrigation (Sargent, 2011). A statistical 

summary of selected water-quality characteristics for freshwater 

samples collected from 158 wells screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox 

aquifer in De Soto Parish is presented in table 3. Median values 

of freshwater constituents from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer 

-300

-200

-100

100

200

300

NGVD 29

-400

-500

-300

-200

-100

100

200

300

NGVD 29

-400

-500

NORTH

A

Land surface

VERTICAL DATUM IS NATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929 (NGVD 29) 0

0

10 MILES

10 KILOMETERS

5

5

SOUTH

A′

CADDO

PARISH

DE SOTO

PARISH

FEET Cypress FEET

Bayou

?

?

SABINE

PARISH

DE SOTO

PARISH

Upland

terrace aquifer

Rambin

Bayou

Base of freshwater

Base of freshwater

(Saltwater) (Saltwater)

Carrizo-Wilcox

aquifer

Carrizo-Wilcox

aquifer

Carrizo-Wilcox

aquifer

Midway confining unit

Midway confining unit

Figure 3. Generalized north-to-south hydrogeologic section through De Soto Parish, Louisiana (modified from Page and Preé, 1964). 

Individual sand and clay layers not shown. Trace of section shown on figure 1.
Year

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Water level, in feet (ft)

150

160

200

210

220

Figure 4. Water levels in wells DS-329 and DS-517 screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in De Soto Parish, Louisiana (see figure 1

for well location; U.S. Geological Survey, 2011). Altitude of land surface is measured in feet (ft) above the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. 

Well: DS-517

Local aquifer: Carrizo-Wilcox

Altitude of land surface: 225 ft

Well depth: 131 ft below land surface

Well: DS-329

Local aquifer: Carrizo-Wilcox

Altitude of land surface: 265 ft

Well depth: 258 ft below land surface

Figure 4. Water levels in wells DS-329 and DS-517 screened in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in De Soto Parish, Louisiana (see fig. 1 for well 

locations; U.S. Geological Survey, 2011). Altitude of land surface and water level is measured in feet (ft) above the National Geodetic Vertical 

Datum of 1929.

were within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 

Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs)3 for color, 

pH, chloride, iron, manganese, and dissolved solids. The 

median value for hardness fell into the soft range. Locally, iron 

concentrations can greatly exceed the SMCL of 300 μg/L. 

Surface-Water Resources 

In 2010, about 31.9 Mgal/d of surface water were 

withdrawn in De Soto Parish. Industrial use accounted for about 

66 percent (21.0 Mgal/d) of the total water withdrawn. Other 

uses included public supply, power generation, livestock, and 

general irrigation (table 2). Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Sabine 

River is the primary source of fresh surface water in the parish, 

providing about 87 percent (27.7 Mgal/d) of all surface-water 

withdrawals in the parish (table 1). Other notable streams in the 

parish include Bayou Pierre, Keatchie Bayou, Cypress Bayou, 

Bayou Grand Cane, and Bayou San Patricio. Other water bodies 

in the parish include Wallace Lake, Clear Lake, and Smithport 

Lake. U.S. Highway 171 (fig. 1) approximately follows the 

drainage divide between the Red River and Sabine River 

systems. Streams on the east eventually discharge into the Red 

3

The SMCLs are nonenforceable Federal guidelines regarding cosmetic 

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

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

effects as well as aesthetic degradation may occur. SMCLs were established as 

guidelines for the States by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1992). 

River through Bayou Pierre and its tributaries, and those to the 

west discharge into the Sabine River (Page and Preé, 1964). 

Toledo Bend Reservoir was constructed primarily for 

water supply, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation. 

The reservoir was completed in 1969 and normally covers an 

area of about 185,000 acres at full-pool stage (Sabine River 

Authority of Louisiana, 2011). Lake elevation and discharge 

gage-site records indicate that lake storage at conservation 

level is 4,472,900 acre-feet, and mean-annual runoff from 1972 

to 2012 was 4,017,000 acre-feet (site numbers 08025350 and 

08025360, located at the south end of Toledo Bend Reservoir 

[fig. 1]; U.S. Geological Survey 2013a). The reservoir extends 

from the dam site, up the Sabine River, for about 65 mi to just 

north of Logansport. The mean discharge for the Sabine River 

at Logansport (site number 08022500) prior to the completion 

of Toledo Bend Reservoir was 3,325 cubic feet per second 

(ft3

/s) for the period 1904–60. In 1961, the drainage area was 

heavily regulated, and average discharge from 1961 to 1967 was 

2,252 ft3

/s (U.S. Geological Survey, 2013a). 

Water samples analyzed during 1971–85 indicated 

that water in the Sabine River at Logansport was soft to 

moderately hard (table 4) and did not exceed the SMCLs for 

concentrations of chloride and sulfate. Iron concentrations 

were below the SMCL for 89 percent of samples. Dissolvedoxygen concentrations were generally greater than 5 mg/L (U.S. 

Geological Survey, 2013b). This concentration is considered 

the minimum value for a diversified population of fresh, 

warmwater biota, including sport fish (Louisiana Department of 

Environmental Quality, 2008). 
Table 3. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics of freshwater in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in De Soto Parish, Louisiana 

(U.S. Geological Survey, 2013b).

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

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

Protection Agency, 2011; NA, not applicable]

Temperature (°C)Color,

(PCU)

Specific

conductance,

field (μS/cm 

at 25 °C)

pH,

field

(SU)

Hardness

(as CaCO3

)

Chloride,

filtered

(as Cl)

Iron,

filtered

(μg/L as Fe)

Manganese,

filtered

(μg/L as Mn)

Dissolved

solids,

filtered

Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, 1941–2004 (158 wells) 

Median 21.0 6 645 8.0 20 42 180 30 404

10th percentile 19.5 0 305 6.5 2 12 10 <10 200

90th percentile 22.0 40 1,390 8.7 170 170 4,200 190 810

Number of samples 83 126 125 113 158 158 108 93 128

Percentage of 

samples that do not 

exceed SMCLs

NA 71 NA 77 NA 100 58 67 70

SMCLs

NA 15 NA 6.5–8.5 NA 250 300 50 500

Table 4. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics for the Sabine River at Logansport and Bayou Pierre below Caspiana, 

Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey, 2013b).

[Values are in milligrams per liter, except as noted. μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; °C, degrees Celsius; SU, standard units; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; 

μg/L, micrograms per liter; SMCL, Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011; NA, not 

applicable]

Specific 

conductance, 

field (μS/cm 

at 25 °C)

Oxygen, 

dissolved

pH,

field

(SU)

Hardness 

(as CaCO3

)

Calcium, 

filtered 

(as Ca)

Magnesium, 

filtered

(as Mg)

Sodium, 

filtered 

(as Na)

Chloride, 

filtered 

(as Cl)

Sulfate, 

filtered 

(as SO4

)

Iron,

filtered

(μg/L

as Fe)

Sabine River at Logansport, 1971–851

Median 321 8.4 6.9 60 16 4.4 34 53 30 100

10th percentile 203.6 6.2 6.5 34 8.6 3.1 17.6 24.6 18.6 10

90th percentile 498.4 11.1 7.4 75 21.4 5.9 66 93.6 38.8 290

Number of samples 47 44 47 47 47 47 47 47 47 19

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 96 NA NA NA NA 100 100 89

Bayou Pierre below Caspiana, 1979–832

Median 394 7.6 7.1 130 31 13 35 39 39 30

10th percentile 150 5.3 6.5 42 11 3.7 12 13 17 7

90th percentile 940 10.2 7.8 350 79 38 65 72 78 160

Number of samples 59 58 59 59 59 59 59 59 59 17

Percentage of samples 

that do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 90 NA NA NA NA 100 100 94

SMCLs

NA NA 6.5–8.5 NA NA NA NA 250 250 300

1

Site number 08022500 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2013b; specific data at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/qwdata/?site_no=08022500). 

2

Site number 07351571 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2013b; specific data at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/qwdata/?site_no=07351571)..
The average discharge for Bayou Pierre near Lake End (site 

number 07351750) (fig. 1) was 921 ft3/s for the period 1981–

2010, and the drainage area is about 860 square miles (mi2) (U.S. 

Geological Survey, 2013a). Water samples collected and analyzed 

during 1979–83 indicated that water in Bayou Pierre below 

Caspiana (site number 07351571) (fig. 1) ranges from soft to very 

hard (table 4) and generally does not exceed the SMCLs for pH 

or concentrations of chloride, sulfate, and iron. Dissolved-oxygen 

concentrations generally are greater than 5 mg/L. The drainage 

area at this site is about 340 mi2 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2013b). 

Wallace Lake, which straddles the boundary between De 

Soto and Caddo Parishes (fig. 1), is a flood-control reservoir, but 

a conservation pool is maintained at all times. The elevation of 

the conservation pool is 142 ft above NGVD 29, which yields 

a surface area of about 3.6 mi2 (2,300 acres) and an average 

depth of about 3.4 ft. The reservoir has a drainage area of about 

260 mi2. Smithport Dam, near the mouth of Rambin Bayou, 

forms Clear and Smithport Lakes, which have a combined surface 

area of 2,250 acres at the spillway elevation of 129.4 ft (Page and 

Preé, 1964; Shampine, 1971). 

References Cited

Hem, J.D., 1985, Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of 

natural water (3d ed.): U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2254, 

264 p., accessed February 20, 2013, at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/

wsp2254.

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, 2008, Environmental 

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

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

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

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 2011, Strategic Online Natural 

Resources Information System (SONRIS): Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources database, accessed November 3, 2011, at http://sonris.com/.

 Page, L.V., and May, H.G., 1964, Water resources of Bossier and Caddo 

Parishes, Louisiana: Department of Conservation, Louisiana Geological 

Survey, and Louisiana Department of Public Works Water Resources Bulletin 

no. 5, 105 p. 

Page, L.V., and Preé, H.L., Jr., 1964, Water resources of De Soto Parish, 

Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1774, 152 p., 

accessed November 2, 2011, at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wsp1774.

Ryals, G.N., 1984, Regional geohydrology of the northern Louisiana saltdome basin, part II, geohydrologic maps of the Tertiary aquifers and related 

confining layers: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations 

Report 83-4135, 6 p., accessed May 15, 2012, at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/

publication/wri834135.

Sabine River Authority of Louisiana, 2011, SRA Louisiana—Engineering: 

Sabine River Authority of Louisiana Web site, accessed November 29, 2011, 

at http://srala-toledo.com/.

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

Transportation and Development Water Resources Special Report no. 17,

135 p. 

Seanor, R.C., and Smoot, C.W., 1995, Louisiana ground-water map no. 8—

Potentiometric surface, 1991, of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in northwestern 

Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 

95-4176, 1 sheet, accessed November 2, 2011, at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/

publication/wri954176.

Shampine, W.J., 1971, Chemical, biological, and physical data for the major 

lakes and reservoirs in Louisiana: Louisiana Department of Public Works 

Basic Records Report no. 5, 98 p.

Smoot, C.W., 1988, Louisiana hydrologic atlas map no. 3—Altitude of the 

base of freshwater in Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 86-4314, 1 sheet, accessed November 2, 2011, at http://

pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri864314.

Snead, J.I., and McCulloh, R.P., comps., 1984, Geologic map of Louisiana: 

Louisiana Geological Survey, 1 sheet. 

Snider, J.L., and Covay, K.J., 1987, Premining hydrology of the Logansport lignite 

area, De Soto Parish, Louisiana: Louisiana Department of Transportation and 

Development Water Resources Technical Report no. 41, 65 p. 

Tomaszewski, D.J., 1992, Louisiana hydrologic atlas map no. 5—Quality of 

freshwater in aquifers of Louisiana, 1988: U.S. Geological Survey WaterResources Investigations Report 90-4119, 7 sheets, accessed November 29, 

2011, at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri904119.

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

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

Agency publication EPA 810/K-92-001, 4 p., accessed September 28, 2011, at 

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/secondarystandards.cfm.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2011, 2011 Edition of the drinking 

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

Agency publication EPA 820-R-11-002, Office of Water, 12 p., accessed 

September 2, 2011, at http://water.epa.gov/action/advisories/drinking/upload/

dwstandards2011.pdf.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2011, Groundwater levels for Louisiana: National Water 

Information System Web Interface, accessed November 2, 2011, at http://nwis.

waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/gwlevels.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2013a, Annual water-data report: USGS Water Resources 

data for the United States, Publications—Annual Water Data Reports, accessed 

November 1, 2013, at http://wdr.water.usgs.gov. 

U.S. Geological Survey, 2013b, Water-quality samples for Louisiana: National 

Water Information System Web Interface, accessed November 1, 2013, at 

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

Whitfield, M.S., Jr., 1980, Chemical character of water in the Red River alluvial 

aquifer, Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations 

Open-File Report 80-1018, 95 p. 

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

Survey, in cooperation with the Louisiana Department 

of Transportation and Development (DOTD). Thanks 

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

Resources Programs, DOTD, who contributed to the 

content of the fact sheet.

By Lawrence B. Prakken and Vincent E. White

For additional information, contact: 

Director, USGS Louisiana Water Science Center

3535 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Suite 120

Baton Rouge, LA 70816

E-mail: dc_la@usgs.gov

Fax: (225) 298–5490

Telephone: (225) 298–5481

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

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20133107