U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2013–3030

May 2013

Prepared in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development 

Water Resources of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

47

39

23

.90

.90

.90

§ ̈¦10

§ ̈¦510

§ ̈¦610

.11

0 10 20 30 MILES

0 10 20 30 KILOMETERS

Marsh and swamp

EXPLANATION

St. Bernard Parish boundary—Chandeleur

 Islands not shown

Surface-water water-quality sites (see table 3)

 Mississippi River at Belle Chasse

 Mississippi River Gulf Outlet at Bayou Dupre

90°00' 89°50' 89°40' 89°30' 89°20' 89°10' 89°00'

30°20'

30°10'

30°00'

29°50'

29°40'

29°30'

Base modified from U.S Geological Survey digital data

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection

North American Datum of 1983

New

 Orleans

Chalmette Meraux

Violet

Verret Caernarvon

Poydras Belle

 Chasse

GULF OF MEXICO

Breton Sound

Lake Borgne

Lake Pontchartrain

Mississippi

River

Pearl Rive r

Intracoastal Waterway

Mississippi River Gulf Outlet

Big

Mar

Lake

 Lery

Bayou

 Dupre

LOUISIANA

MISSISSIPPI

PLAQUEMINES PARISH

ST. BERNARD PARISH

ORLEANS PARISH

JEFFERSON PARISH

ST. TAMMANY

PARISH

TEXAS

ARKANSAS MISSISSIPPI

LOUISIANA

ST. BERNARD

PARISH

Mississippi River

near Red River Landing

Introduction 

In 2010, about 261 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of 

water were withdrawn in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana (fig. 1), 

almost entirely from surface-water sources1 (table 1). Industrial 

use accounted for about 97 percent (253 Mgal/d) of the total 

water withdrawn. Other categories of use included public 

supply, rural domestic, and livestock (table 2). Water-use data 

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

total water withdrawals in the parish ranged from about 138 to 

720 Mgal/d (fig. 2), with industrial use of surface water making 

up the bulk of water withdrawals. The large decline in surfacewater withdrawals from 1980 to 1985 was largely attributable 

to a decrease in industrial use from 654 Mgal/d in 1980 to 

127 Mgal/d in 1985. 

This fact sheet summarizes basic information on the water 

resources of St. Bernard Parish. Information on groundwater 

and surface-water availability, quality, development, use, and 

trends is based on previously published reports listed in the 

Selected References section. 

1

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

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

Figure 1. Location of study area, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.
Figure 2. Water withdrawals in St. Bernard Parish, 

Louisiana,1960-2010.

Groundwater Resources 

Very limited fresh groundwater is available in St. Bernard 

Parish. Fresh groundwater sources in St. Bernard Parish include 

Mississippi River point-bar deposits and small areas within the 

shallow aquifers of the New Orleans area. Deeper aquifers in 

St. Bernard Parish contain only saltwater (water with a chloride 

concentration of 250 milligrams per liter [mg/L]). Recharge to 

aquifers in the parish is from rainfall and leakage from adjacent 

aquifers and seasonally from the Mississippi River. Discharge 

from the aquifers is by natural flow into rivers or canals, 

leakage into adjacent aquifers, and withdrawals from wells. 

State well-registration records listed eight active water wells in 

St. Bernard Parish in 2009. In 2010, groundwater withdrawals 

were for rural-domestic (0.01 Mgal/d) and livestock 

(0.01 Mgal/d) uses (table 2). 

Point-bar deposits of limited extent are present in St. 

Bernard Parish along the Mississippi River from near Chalmette 

to near Meraux. Point-bar deposits are located on the inside of 

bends in the river and consist of fine to very fine sand and silt. 

The deposits generally occur at depths between 10 and 30 ft 

below land surface and may extend to depths of 150 feet (ft) or 

more. Water levels in point-bar deposits generally fluctuate with 

the stage of the Mississippi River. Water from point-bar deposits 

generally is of poor quality because of high iron content (greater 

than 300 micrograms per liter [μg/L]) and very high hardness.2

In 2010, there were no reported water withdrawals from pointbar deposits in St. Bernard Parish. 

The shallow aquifers of the New Orleans area consist 

of distributary-channel deposits and discontinuous, nearsurface sands which are present locally in St. Bernard Parish. 

The extents of these sands generally are limited, and the 

sands often pinch out over short distances. The shallow 

aquifers generally contain saltwater, but there are areas where 

abandoned Mississippi River distributary channel deposits 

could yield freshwater, such as the abandoned channel located 

approximately between Poydras and Verret, where rainwater 

has percolated through the distributary fill into underlying sands 

and flushed the native saltwater from the sands. 

Generally, only small supplies of water can be obtained 

from these deposits because saltwater underlies the freshwater 

or is laterally nearby. The freshwater is very hard and has a 

very high iron content (greater than 300 μg/L). In 2010, all 

groundwater withdrawals in St. Bernard Parish came from the 

shallow aquifers of the New Orleans area and totaled about 

0.02 Mgal/d (table 1). 

Surface-Water Resources 

In 2010, about 261 Mgal/d of surface-water were 

withdrawn in the parish: about 253 Mgal/d for industrial use 

and 7.82 Mgal/d for public supply (table 2). All public-supply 

water was withdrawn from the Mississippi River, which is 0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Annual withdrawal, in million gallons per day

Year

Groundwater

Surface water

EXPLANATION

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). 

Table 1. Water withdrawals, in million gallons per day, by source 

in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, 2010 (modified from Sargent, 

2011). 

Aquifer or

surface water body Groundwater Surface water

Shallow aquifers of the 

New Orleans area 0.02

Mississippi River 259.52

Mississippi River

Gulf Outlet 1.18

Total 0.02 260.70

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

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

Sargent, 2011). 

Category Groundwater Surface water Total

Public supply 0.00 7.82 7.82

Industrial 0.00 252.87 252.87

Rural domestic 0.01 0.00 0.01

Livestock 0.01 0.00 0.01

Total 0.02 260.70 260.71
the primary source of fresh surface water in the parish. Most 

surface water withdrawn for industrial use was for cooling 

purposes and returned to its source after use. The average 

flow of the Mississippi River near Red River Landing, about 

210 river miles upstream of Chalmette (fig. 1, index map), was 

about 460,000 cubic feet per second (about 298,000 Mgal/d) for 

1928–76. 

About 260 Mgal/d were withdrawn from the Mississippi 

River in St. Bernard Parish in 2010 (table 1). Water samples 

analyzed during 1977–2009 indicated that water in the 

Mississippi River at Belle Chasse is generally hard and does 

not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 

Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs)3 for 

drinking water for pH and concentrations of chloride, sulfate, 

and iron (table 3). Dissolved oxygen is generally greater 

than 5 mg/L, which is considered the minimum value for a 

diversified population of fresh, warm-water biota, including 

sport fish. 

In 2010, about 1.18 Mgal/d were withdrawn from the 

Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) in St. Bernard Parish 

(table 1) for industrial use. Water samples analyzed during 1978 

to 1981 indicated that water in the MRGO at Bayou Dupre 

(fig. 1) is very hard and generally does not exceed the SMCLs 

for pH and iron (table 3). The water is saline with chloride 

concentrations above 250 mg/L. Sulfate concentrations are 

generally above the SMCL of 250 mg/L. Dissolved oxygen is 

generally greater than 5 mg/L.

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 aesthetic degradation might exist. SMCLs were

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

Agency (1992).

Table 3. Summary of selected water-quality characteristics for the Mississippi River at Belle Chasse and the Mississippi River Gulf 

Outlet.

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

CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; NA, not applicable; SMCL, Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (2012)]

Specific

conductance,

field (μS/cm

at 25 °C)

Oxygen,

dissolved

pH,

field

(SU)

Hardness 

(as CaCO3)

Calcium,

filtered

(as Ca)

Magnesium,

filtered

(as Mg)

Sodium,

filtered

(as Na)

Chloride,

filtered

(as Cl)

Sulfate,

filtered

(as SO4)

Iron,

filtered,

(μg/L

as Fe)

Mississippi River at Belle Chasse, 1977–20091

Median 408 8.2 7.7 150 39 12 22 28 48 15

10th percentile 316 6.1 7.2 120 32 9.3 13 17 34 <3

90th percentile 521 11.7 7.9 180 47 16 36 42 70 42

Number of 

samples

189 184 188 182 182 182 182 182 182 121

Percentage of 

samples that 

do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 100 NA NA NA NA 99 100 100

Mississippi River Gulf Outlet at Bayou Dupre, 1978–812

Median 15,700 8.8 7.7 1,800 120 360 3,000 5,400 730 20

10th percentile 8,040 6.8 7.4 910 66 180 1,400 2,700 370 <10

90th percentile 23,700 11.2 8.0 2,700 180 540 4,600 8,300 1,100 90

Number of 

samples

34 33 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34

Percentage of 

samples that 

do not exceed 

SMCLs

NA NA 97 NA NA NA NA 0 3 97

 SMCLs 

NA NA 6.5–8.5 NA NA NA NA 250 250 300

1

Station number 07374525 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2012a; specific data at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/qwdata/?site_no=07374525).

2

Station number 295623089501800 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2012b; specific data at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/qwdata/?site_

no=295623089501800).
By Lawrence B. Prakken

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

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 Department of Transportation 

and Development, who contributed to the content 

and design of the fact sheet.

Selected References 

Dial, D.C., 1983, Ground-water data for the Mississippi 

River parishes in the greater New Orleans area, Louisiana: 

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, 

Office of Public Works Water Resources Basic Records 

Report no. 11, 47 p. 

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, 

accessed June 9, 2009, at http:www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/

tabid/1674/Default.aspx. 

Rollo, J.R., 1966, Ground-water resources of the greater New 

Orleans area, Louisiana: Department of Conservation, 

Louisiana Geological Survey, and Louisiana Department of 

Public Works Water Resources Bulletin no. 9, 69 p. 

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

Department of Transportation and Development Water 

Resources Special Report no. 17, 135 p. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992, Secondary 

Drinking Water Regulations—Guidance for nuisance 

chemicals: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

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

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

secondarystandards.cfm.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012, 2012 Edition 

of the drinking water standards and health advisories: U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency publication EPA 822-S12-001, Office of Water, 12 p., accessed August 7, 2012, 

at http://water.epa.gov/action/advisories/drinking/upload/

dwstandards2012.pdf.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2012a, Water quality samples for 

Louisiana [data for USGS 07374525 Mississippi River at 

Belle Chasse, La.]: National Water Information System Web 

Interface, accessed June 2, 2009, at http://nwis.waterdata.

usgs.gov/la/nwis/qwdata/?site_no=07374525. 

U.S. Geological Survey, 2012b, Water quality samples for 

Louisiana [data for USGS 295623089501800 Chalmette 

0030 (MRGO at B. Dupre)]: National Water Information 

System Web Interface, accessed June 2, 2009, at 

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

no=295623089501800. 

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

Mississippi River: Louisiana Department of Transportation 

and Development, Office of Public Works Water Resources 

Technical Report no. 21, 83 p.