U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2015–3001

May 2015

Prepared in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development 

Water Resources of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Introduction

Information concerning the availability, use, and quality 

of water in East Baton Rouge 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 171 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of 

water were withdrawn in East Baton Rouge Parish, including 

about 150 Mgal/d from groundwater sources and 21.5 Mgal/d 

from surface-water sources (table 1).1

 Withdrawals for 

industrial use accounted for about 51 percent (87.7 Mgal/d), 

and public-supply use accounted for about 44 percent 

(75.12 Mgal/d) of the total water withdrawn (table 2). Other 

categories of use included power generation, rural domestic, 

livestock, general irrigation, and aquaculture. Water-use data 

collected at 5-year intervals from 1960 to 2010 (fig. 2) indicated 

that water withdrawals peaked in 1970 at about 510 Mgal/d.

1

Water-withdrawal data are based on estimated or reported site-specific data 

and aggregated data, which are distributed to sources. For a full description 

of water-use estimate methodology, see “Data Collection” in Sargent (2011). 

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

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

Bayou Baton Rouge

Dawson Creek

 Lower MississippiBaton Rouge

Basin

Amite subbasin

Bayou Sara-Thompson subbasin

EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH

EAST FELICIANA

WEST FELICIANA

PARISH

PARISH

ST HELENA

PARISH

LIVINGSTON

PARISH

ASCENSION PARISH

IBERVILLE

PARISH

WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH

POINTE COUPEE

PARISH

Jasper equivalent

aquifer system

Chicot equivalent

 aquifer system

Comite RiverComite River

Amite River

Bayou Manchac

61

61

190

67

10

110

12

Mt Pleasant

Mississippi River

Bayou

Duplantier

Baker Canal

Beaver Bayou

Sandy Creek

White Bayou

Baton Rouge

Port

Vincent

Baker

Denham

 Springs

Gardere

Inniswold

Zachary

St Francisville

Comite

BATON ROUGE FAULT

DENHAM SPRINGS-SCOTLANDVILLE FAULT

Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey digital data

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection

North American Datum of 1983

A'

A

C

C

C

O

O

EB-146

EB-1000

EB-827

07378500

07378000

07379960

07380120

07373420

10 KILOMETERS

0

0 2 4 6 8

2 4 6 8 10 MILES

TEXAS

ARKANSAS MISSISSIPPI

LOUISIANA

EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH

C

07373291

30°30'

30°40'

30°20'

91°20'

91°10'

91°00'

O

C

EXPLANATION

Approximate altitude of base of fresh

 groundwater, in feet below the National

 Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29)

 (modified from Smoot, 1988)—Deepest

 freshwater contained within the Jasper

 equivalent aquifer system, except

 where noted

 0 to 299

 300 to 499

 500 to 699

 2,000 to 2,499

 2,500 to 2,999

 3,000 and deeper

Approximate area where intermediate sands

 contain saltwater

Approximate boundary of area showing deepest

 freshwater contained within overlying Chicot

 equivalent aquifer system

Fault at ground surface (modified from McColluh,

 1991)—Dashed where approximately located.

 Teeth on downthrown side

River subbasin boundary

Line of section (see fig. 3; modified from

 Griffith, 2003)

Well and number for which hydrograph

 is shown (see fig. 4)

U.S. Geological Survey surface-water

 discharge site and number

U.S. Geological Survey surface-water

 quality site and number (see table 4)

EB-146

A'A

07373420

07378500

Figure 1. Location of study area, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. 
Table 1. Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day, by 

source in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, 2010 (Sargent, 

2011; B.P. Sargent, unpub. data, 2011).

Aquifer, aquifer system, 

or surface-water body Groundwater Surface water

Mississippi River alluvial aquifer 0.09

Chicot equivalent aquifer system 16.44

Evangeline equivalent aquifer system 61.04

Jasper equivalent aquifer system 72.33

Mississippi River 21.51

Miscellaneous streams 0.01

Total 149.89 21.52

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

category in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, 2010 (modified 

from Sargent, 2011).

Use category Groundwater Surface water Total

Public supply 75.12 0.00 75.12

Industrial 66.22 21.51 87.73

Power generation 7.79 0.00 7.79

Rural domestic 0.28 0.00 0.28

Livestock 0.19 0.01 0.21

General irrigation 0.25 0.00 0.25

Aquaculture 0.04 0.00 0.04

Total 149.89 21.52 171.41

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Year

Groundwater

Surface water

EXPLANATION

Annual withdrawals, in million gallons per day

Figure 2. Water withdrawals in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, 

1960–2010 (Sargent, 2011).

Groundwater Resources

The primary sources of fresh groundwater (water with a 

chloride concentration of 250 milligrams per liter [mg/L] or less) 

in East Baton Rouge Parish from shallowest to deepest are the 

Chicot equivalent, Evangeline equivalent, and Jasper equivalent 

aquifer systems (table 1, fig. 3). The Mississippi River alluvial 

aquifer also is present along much of the western edge of the 

parish but is a minor source of freshwater in East Baton Rouge 

Parish (table 1) and is not discussed further in this fact sheet. In 

2010, groundwater withdrawals totaled about 150 Mgal/d for 

various use categories including public supply, industrial, power 

generation, rural domestic, livestock, general irrigation, and 

aquaculture (tables 1 and 2). 

The Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper equivalent aquifer 

systems extend across most of southeastern Louisiana and 

generally consist of silt, sand, and gravel separated by 

discontinuous layers of clay and sandy clay. The aquifer systems 

are primarily recharged by precipitation in outcrop areas north 

of East Baton Rouge Parish in East and West Feliciana Parishes, 

St. Helena Parish, and southwestern Mississippi (Griffith, 2003). 

The aquifer systems dip and thicken to the south and contain 

freshwater to depths of about 3,000 feet (ft) below the National 

Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29) in East Baton 

Rouge Parish.

Groundwater in East Baton Rouge Parish generally flows 

south-southwest in the Chicot equivalent aquifer system, 

southwest in the Evangeline equivalent aquifer system, southwest 

in the upper part of the Jasper equivalent aquifer system, and 

west in the lower part of the Jasper equivalent aquifer system 

(Martin and others, 1988; Tomaszewski, 2011). Saltwater 

movement in East Baton Rouge Parish is an issue affecting the 

availability of fresh groundwater. Generally, the location of the 

Baton Rouge Fault (fig. 1) coincides with an abrupt change in 

depths of freshwater (fig. 3). North of the fault, the base of fresh 

groundwater is present in the Jasper equivalent aquifer system 

at depths ranging from about 2,000 to 3,000 ft below NGVD 29. 

Fresh groundwater is present south of the fault in a small area 

of the “2,000-foot” sand of the Jasper equivalent aquifer system 

at depths ranging from about 2,500 to 3,000 ft below NGVD 

29 in the southeast part of the parish. Fresh groundwater is also 

present south of the fault in the Chicot equivalent aquifer system 

at depths ranging from less than 200 ft below NGVD 29 in the 

southwest part of the parish to about 800 ft below NGVD 29 in 

the southeast part of the parish. Large groundwater withdrawals 

in the Baton Rouge area have induced northward encroachment 

of saltwater across the Baton Rouge Fault into parts of the 

freshwater aquifer systems (Griffith, 2003). 

Table 3 presents a statistical summary of freshwater samples 

collected from 221 wells screened in the Chicot equivalent 

aquifer system, 171 wells screened in the Evangeline equivalent 

aquifer system, and 151 wells screened in the Jasper equivalent 

aquifer system in East Baton Rouge Parish. Generally, freshwater 

from these aquifer systems is soft2

 and does not exceed the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Secondary Maximum 

Contaminant Levels (SMCLs)3 for concentrations of iron and 

dissolved solids. Median values for pH increase as aquifer system 

depth increases (table 3).

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). 3

The SMCLs are nonenforceable Federal guidelines regarding cosmetic effects 

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

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

well as aesthetic degradation might exist. SMCLs were established as guidelines 

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

FAULT

DENHAM SPRINGSSCOTLANDVILLE FAULT

I-10

BEND INSECTIONBEND INSECTION

BEND INSECTION

?

“2,400-foot” sand

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

“2,000-foot” sand

“1,500-foot” sand

“1,200-foot” sand

“1,000-foot” sand

“800-foot” sand

“600-foot” sand

“400-foot” sand

Mississippi River

alluvial aquifer

Shallow sand

“800-foot” sand

“1,200-foot” sand

“1,500-foot” sand

“1,700-foot” sand

“2,000-foot” sand

“2,400-foot” sand

“2,800-foot” sand

Catahoula

aquifer

“2,800-foot” sand

“2,400-foot” sand

“2,000-foot”

sand

“2,400-foot”

sand

“1,700-foot”

sand

“1,700-foot” sand

“1,500-foot” sand

“1,200-foot” sand

“1,000-foot” sand

“600-foot” sand

“400-foot” sand

Shallow sand

“600-foot” sand

“800-foot” sand

“1,700-foot” sand

“400-foot” sand Shallow sand

Shallow sand

EAST FELICIANAPARISHEAST BATONROUGE PARISHEAST BATONROUGE PARISHIBERVILLEPARISH

A'

SOUTH

A

NORTH

?

Jasper equivalent aquifer system

 Catahoula aquifer

GENERALIZED 

SURFACE PROFILE

0

0 10 KILOMETERS

10 MILES

Freshwater in sand

Saltwater in sand—Saltwater contains greater 

than 250 milligrams per liter chloride

Clay

Lithologic contact—Separates clay and sand 

layers. Dashed where approximate. Queried 

where uncertain

Hydrogeologic contact—Defines boundary 

between conjoined or merged aquifers

Fault

?

Hydrogeologic contact—Defines boundary 

between aquifers or aquifer systems

EXPLANATION

Chicot equivalent aquifer system

Evangeline equivalent

 aquifer system

VERTICAL SCALE IS GREATLY EXAGGERATED

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

FEET

200

NGVD 29

-200

-400

-600

-800

-1,000

-1,200

-1,400

-1,600

-1,800

-2,000

-2,200

-2,400

-2,600

-2,800

-3,000

-3,200

FEET

200

NGVD 29

-200

-400

-600

-800

-1,000

-1,200

-1,400

-1,600

-1,800

-2,000

-2,200

-2,400

-2,600

-2,800

-3,000

-3,200

Figure 3. Generalized north-to-south hydrogeologic section through East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana (modified from Griffith, 2003). Trace 

of section shown on figure 1.

The Chicot Equivalent Aquifer System

The primary aquifers composing the Chicot equivalent 

aquifer system in East Baton Rouge Parish from shallowest 

to deepest are the shallow, “400-foot,” and “600-foot” sands of 

the Baton Rouge area (Griffith, 2003). The shallow sands of the 

Baton Rouge area consist of discontinuous sand deposits, which 

may or may not be hydraulically connected. The “400-foot” 

and “600-foot” sands underlie the shallow sands or the surficial 

confining layer and often coalesce into a single layer (fig. 3). 

The altitude of the base of the Chicot equivalent aquifer system 

ranges in depth from about 250 ft below NGVD 29 near the 

north-central parish line to about 950 ft below NGVD 29 near 

the south-central parish line (Griffith, 2006). 

In 2009, water levels in the Chicot equivalent aquifer 

system in East Baton Rouge Parish ranged from almost 100 ft 

above NGVD 29 along the northern parish line to about 

3 ft below NGVD 29 just north of the Baton Rouge Fault 

(Tomaszewski, 2011). Water levels in the “600-foot” sand 

at well EB-827, which is located in west-central East Baton 

Rouge Parish (fig. 1), fluctuated seasonally about 10 ft and 

declined about 5 ft between 1991 and 2012 (fig. 4). 

In 2014, State well-registration records listed 581 active 

water wells screened in the Chicot equivalent aquifer 

system in East Baton Rouge Parish, including 371 domestic, 

104 irrigation, 65 public supply, and 41 industrial. Well depths 

ranged from 15 to 980 ft below land surface. Reported yields 

from wells screened in the Chicot equivalent aquifer system 

in East Baton Rouge Parish ranged from 4 to 2,334 gallons 

per minute (gal/min) (Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources, 2014). 
Table 3. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics for freshwater in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper equivalent aquifer systems 

in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey, 2012b).

[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 (2012); NA, not applicable]

Temperature 

(°C)

Color

(PCU)

Specific conductance, field

(μS/cm at 25 °C)

pH,

field

(SU)

Hardness 

(as CaCO3

)

Chloride,

filtered

(as Cl)

Iron, 

filtered 

(μg/L as Fe)

Manganese, 

filtered

(μg/L as Mn)

Dissolved 

solids, 

filtered

Chicot equivalent aquifer system, 1940–2011 (221 wells)

Median 22.0 6 324 7.4 44 13 120 90 240

10th percentile 20.0 0 219 6.6 10 4.1 <10 <10 179

90th percentile 24.0 40 864 8.1 180 87 1,400 420 507

Number of samples 116 68 138 123 179 219 58 53 82

Percentage of samples that 

do not exceed SMCLs

NA 72 NA 93 NA 100 69 36 89

Evangeline equivalent aquifer system, 1939–2011 (171 wells)

Median 26.4 10 301 8.0 9 4.5 40 20 206

10th percentile 24.0 0 252 7.2 2 2.8 <5 <6 190

90th percentile 29.5 31 388 8.8 36 8.4 340 100 237

Number of samples 106 59 95 114 132 168 39 34 72

Percentage of samples that 

do not exceed SMCLs

NA 71 NA 75 NA 100 87 71 100

Jasper equivalent aquifer system, 1939–2011 (151 wells)

Median 33.0 12 372 8.6 4 4.0 40 <10 242

10th percentile 29.5 0 281 7.7 0.4 2.4 <10 0 184

90th percentile 35.5 36 640 9.0 16 23 170 84 451

Number of samples 93 68 105 93 115 151 44 37 83

Percentage of samples that 

do not exceed SMCLs

NA 53 NA 46 NA 100 93 84 90

SMCLs

NA 15 NA 6.5–8.5 NA 250 300 50 500

The Evangeline Equivalent Aquifer System

The aquifers composing the Evangeline equivalent 

aquifer system in East Baton Rouge Parish are the “800-foot,” 

“1,000-foot,” “1,200-foot,” “1,500-foot,” and “1,700-foot” sands 

of the Baton Rouge area (Griffith, 2003; fig. 3). The altitude of 

the base of the aquifer system ranges from about 800 ft below 

NGVD 29 near the northern parish line to about 2,400 ft below 

NGVD 29 near the southern parish line (fig. 3) (Griffith, 2003). 

In 2003, water levels in the “1,500-foot” and “1,700-foot” 

sands north of the Baton Rouge Fault ranged from about 75 ft 

above NGVD 29 in the extreme northeastern corner of the parish 

to about 140 ft below NGVD 29 in southwestern East Baton 

Rouge Parish (Prakken, 2004). Water levels in the “1,200-foot” 

sand at well EB-146, located in the city of Baton Rouge (fig. 1), 

generally fluctuated from 5 to 10 ft seasonally and declined about 

35 ft between 1991 and 2012 (fig. 4). 

In 2014, State well-registration records listed 131 active 

water wells screened in the Evangeline equivalent aquifer 

system in East Baton Rouge Parish, including 58 public supply, 

36 industrial, 32 domestic, 4 irrigation, and 1 power generation. 

Well depths ranged from 300 to 2,170 ft below land surface. 

Reported yields from these wells ranged from about 20 to 

3,000 gal/min (Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 2014). 

The Jasper Equivalent Aquifer System 

The aquifers composing the Jasper equivalent aquifer system 

in East Baton Rouge Parish are the “2,000-foot,” “2,400-foot,” 

and “2,800-foot” sands of the Baton Rouge area (Griffith, 2003; 

fig. 3). In East Baton Rouge Parish, the Jasper equivalent aquifer 

system dips and thickens in a southerly direction toward the Gulf 

of Mexico. The altitude of the base of the aquifer system is not well 

defined but probably ranges from about 2,300 ft below NGVD 29 

near the northwestern parish line to about 3,000 ft below NGVD 29 

at the Baton Rouge Fault (fig. 3) (Griffith, 2003). 

In 2006, water levels in the Jasper equivalent aquifer system 

north of the Baton Rouge Fault ranged from about 40 ft above 

NGVD 29 in the extreme northeastern corner of the parish to about 

49 ft below NGVD 29 in the northwestern corner of the parish near 

Mt. Pleasant (Fendick, 2007). Water levels in the “2,800-foot” sand 

at well EB-1000, located in west-central East Baton Rouge Parish 

(fig. 1), fluctuated less than about 5 ft yearly and declined about 

20 ft between 1991 and 2012 (fig. 4). 

In 2014, State well-registration records listed 126 active 

water wells screened in the Jasper equivalent aquifer system in 

East Baton Rouge Parish, including 65 public supply, 39 industrial, 

12 domestic, 7 power generation, and 3 irrigation. Well depths 

ranged from 1,300 to 2,770 ft below land surface. Reported yields 

from these wells range from about 5 to 2,503 gal/min (Louisiana 

Department of Natural Resources, 2014). 

Surface-Water Resources 

Surface-water resources in East Baton Rouge Parish are 

found in two regional drainage basins: the Lower MississippiBaton Rouge Basin, which runs in a narrow strip along the 

Mississippi River, and the regional Lake Maurepas Basin. The 

Lake Maurepas Basin is subdivided into two subbasins in East 

Baton Rouge Parish: the Bayou Sara-Thompson subbasin and the 
Year

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Water-level altitude, in feet (ft) 

-75

-100

-50

-25

0

25

50

Well: EB-146

Aquifer: “1,200-foot” sand of the Baton Rouge area

Altitude of land surface: 52 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 1,259 ft below land surface 

Well: EB-1000

Aquifer: “2,800-foot” sand of the Baton Rouge area

Altitude of land surface: 68 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 2,926 ft below land surface 

Well: EB-827

Aquifer: “600-foot” sand of the Baton Rouge area

Altitude of land surface: 63.96 ft above NGVD 29

Well depth: 370 ft below land surface 

Figure 4. Water levels in well EB-827 screened in the Chicot equivalent aquifer system; well EB-1000 screened in the Jasper equivalent 

aquifer system; and well EB-146 screened in the Evangeline equivalent aquifer system in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana (see fig. 1 for 

well locations; U.S. Geological Survey, 2012a). Land surface and water levels are measured in feet (ft) relative to the National Geodetic Vertical 

Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29). 

Amite subbasin (fig. 1). In 2010, about 21.5 Mgal/d of surface 

water were withdrawn in East Baton Rouge Parish, including 

about 21.5 Mgal/d from the Mississippi River for industrial 

use and 0.01 Mgal/d from miscellaneous streams for livestock 

(tables 1 and 2). 

The Lower Mississippi-Baton Rouge Basin drains little land 

area in the parish because of the presence of levees along the 

river; however, upstream sources contribute to an average flow 

of the Mississippi River near Red River Landing (site number 

07373291; fig. 1) of about 460,000 ft3

/s for the period 1928–76 

(Wells, 1980). Analysis of water samples collected between 

1978 and 2010 from the Mississippi River near St. Francisville 

(site number 07373420) (fig. 1) indicated that the water is 

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

and concentrations of chloride, sulfate, and iron. The dissolved 

oxygen concentration is generally greater than 5 mg/L. 

The Bayou Sara-Thompson subbasin is located in the 

northwestern corner of the parish and is drained by small creeks, 

bayous, and canals, including Bayou Baton Rouge and Baker 

Canal. Few discharge data are available for these drainages.

The Amite subbasin drains the majority of the parish 

and is present in all but the northwestern corner and western 

edge of the parish. The Amite subbasin includes the Amite 

and Comite Rivers, White and Beaver Bayous, Sandy and 

Dawson Creeks, and Bayous Duplantier and Manchac (fig. 1). 

During 1913–2013, the annual average discharge for the 

Amite River near Denham Springs (site number 07378500) 

was 2,069 cubic feet per second (ft3/s). During 1944–2013, the 

annual average discharge for the Comite River near Comite 

(site number 07378000) was 479 ft3

/s. During 2002–5, the 

average daily discharge for Dawson Creek at Bluebonnet 

Boulevard near Baton Rouge (site number 07379960) was 

36 ft3

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

collected from the Amite River at Port Vincent (site number 

07380120) during 1958–98 were found to have dissolved oxygen 

concentrations generally greater than 5 mg/L, a median pH 

of 6.8, and chloride concentrations below 250 mg/L (table 4). 

A dissolved oxygen concentration of 5 mg/L is considered 

the minimum value for a diversified population of fresh, 

warmwater biota, including sport fish (Louisiana Department of 

Environmental Quality, 2008). 

References Cited 

Fendick, R.B., Jr., 2007, Louisiana ground-water map no. 22—Generalized 

potentiometric surface of the Amite aquifer and “2,800-foot” sand of the 

Baton Rouge area in southeastern Louisiana, June–August 2006: U.S. 

Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2984, 1 sheet, accessed 

March 2, 2012, at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2984/. 

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

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Water Resources 

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

Griffith, J.M., 2006, Hydrogeologic maps and sections of the “400-foot,” 

“600-foot,” and “800-foot” sands of the Baton Rouge area and adjacent 

aquifers in East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, and Pointe 

Coupee Parishes, Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations 

Report 2006–5072, 15 p., 13 pls., accessed April 2, 2012, at http://pubs.

er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20065072. 

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.
Table 4. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics for the Amite River and Mississippi River near East Baton Rouge Parish, 

Louisiana (U.S. Geological Survey, 2012b). 

[Values are in milligrams per liter, except as noted. SU, standard units; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; μg/L, micrograms per liter; SMCL, Secondary Maximum 

Contaminant Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2012); NA, not applicable; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; °C, degrees Celsius; 

<, less than]

Amite River at Port Vincent, 1958–981

Dissolved 

solids, 

filtered

Oxygen,

dissolved

pH,

field

(SU)

Hardness

(as CaCO3

)

Calcium,

filtered

(as Ca)

Magnesium,

filtered

(as Mg)

Manganese, 

filtered 

(μg/L)

Chloride,

filtered

(as Cl)

Sulfate,

filtered

(as SO4

)

Iron,

filtered

(μg/L as 

Fe)

Median 76 7.8 6.8 19.2 5 1.8 150 14.5 3.8 270

10th percentile 53 5.1 6.1 13 3.4 0.9 55.5 7.05 1.6 152

90th percentile 171 9.9 7.3 33.5 9.1 2.7 240 65 7.8 430

Number of samples 81 41 83 76 76 76 36 82 81 35

Percentage of samples that 

do not exceed SMCLs

100 NA 69 NA NA NA 8 100 NA 69

SMCLs 500 NA 6.5–8.5 NA NA NA 50 250 NA 300

Mississippi River near St. Francisville, 1978–20102

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)

Median 380 8.6 7.8 150 38 12 17 20 44 10

10th percentile 298 6.5 7.3 110 31 8.7 11 14 32 <10

90th percentile 473 11.8 8.0 180 46 16 27 28 66 40

Number of samples 412 402 407 400 400 405 346 410 409 393

Percentage of samples that 

do not exceed SMCLs

NA NA 100 NA NA NA NA 100 100 100

SMCLs NA NA 6.5–8.5 NA NA NA NA 250 250 300

1

Site number 07380120. 

2

Site number 07373420.

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, 2014, Strategic Online Natural 

Resources Information System (SONRIS): Louisiana Department of Natural 

Resources database, accessed November 5, 2014, at http://sonris.com/.

Martin, Angel, Jr.; Whiteman, C.D., Jr.; and Becnel, M.J., 1988, Generalized 

potentiometric surfaces of the upper and lower Jasper and equivalent aquifers in 

Louisiana, 1984: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 

87–4139, 2 sheets, accessed February 24, 2012, at http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/

publication/wri874139.

McCulloh, R.P., 1991, Surface faults in East Baton Rouge Parish—Baton Rouge, 

La.: Louisiana Geological Survey Open-File Series 91–02, 25 p.

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

Survey in cooperation with the Louisiana Department 

of Transportation and Development (DOTD). 

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

Water Resources Programs, Louisiana DOTD, who 

contributed to the content of the fact sheet.

By Vincent E. White and Lawrence B. Prakken

For additional information, contact: 

Director, USGS Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

3535 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Suite 120

Baton Rouge, LA 70816

E-mail: gs-w-lmg_center_director@usgs.gov

Fax: (225) 298–5490

Telephone: (225) 298–5481

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

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/110.3133/fs20153001