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Summary of Hydrology of the Regional Aquifer Systems, I Gulf Coastal Plain, South-Central United States

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Summary of Hydrology of the Regional Aquifer Systems, I Gulf Coastal Plain, South-Central United States SUMMARY OF HYDROLOGY OF THE REGIONAL AQUIFER SYSTEMS, I GULF COASTAL PLAIN, SOUTH-CENTRAL UNITED STATES PROFESSIONAL PAPER I416-A science for a changing world Availability of Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey Order U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) publications from the Documents. Check or money order must be payable to the offices listed below. Detailed ordering instructions, along with Superintendent of Documents. Order by mail from prices of the last offerings, are given in the current-year issues Superintendent of Documents of the catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Government Printing Office Survey." 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Minerals information is available electronically at http://minerals.er.usgs.gov/minerals/ Electronically Subscription to the catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Some USGS publications, including the catalog "New Publica­ Geological Survey" tions of the U.S. Geological Survey" are also available elec­ tronically on the USGS's World Wide Web home page at Those wishing to be placed on a free subscription list for the http://www.usgs.gov catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey" should write to Preliminary Determination of Epicenters U.S. Geological Survey Subscriptions to the periodical "Preliminary Determination of 903 National Center Epicenters" can be obtained only from the Superintendent of Reston, VA 20192 Summary of Hydrology of the Regional Aquifer Systems, Gulf Coastal Plain, South-Central United States By HAYES F. GRUBB REGIONAL AQUIFER-SYSTEM ANALYSIS GULF COASTAL PLAIN U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1416-A UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1998 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Grubb, Hayes F. Summary of hydrology of the regional aquifer systems, Gulf coastal plain, south-central United States / by Hayes F. Grubb. p. cm. (Regional aquifer-system analysis Gulf coastal plain) (U.S. Geological Survey professional paper ; 1416-A) Includes bibliographical references. 1. Aquifers Gulf Coast Region (U.S.) I. Title. II. Series. III. Series: U.S. Geological Survey professional paper; 1416-A. GB1199.3.G85G78 1997 97-38786 551.49'0976 dc21 CIP For sale by the U.S. Geological Survey Map Distribution Box 25286, Mail Stop 306, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225-0286 FOREWORD THE REGIONAL AQUIFER-SYSTEM ANALYSIS PROGRAM The Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) Program was started in 1978 following a congressional mandate to develop quantitative appraisals of the major ground- water systems of the United States. The RASA Program represents a systematic effort to study a number of the Nation's most important aquifer systems, which in aggregate underlie much of the country and which represent an important component of the Nation's total water supply. In general, the boundaries of these studies are identified by the hydrologic extent of each system and accordingly transcend the political subdivisions to which investigations have often arbitrarily been limited in the past. The broad objective for each study is to assemble geologic, hydrologic, and geochemical information, to analyze and develop an understanding of the system, and to develop predictive capabilities that will contribute to the effective management of the system. The use of computer simulation is an important element of the RASA studies, both to develop an understanding of the natural, undisturbed hydrologic system and the changes brought about in it by human activities, and to provide a means of predicting the regional effects of future pumping or other stresses. The final interpretive results of the RASA Program are presented in a series of U.S. Geological Survey Professional Papers that describe the geology, hydrology, and geochemistry of each regional aquifer system. Each study within the RASA Program is assigned a single Professional Paper number, and where the volume of interpretive material warrants, separate topical chapters that consider the principal elements of the investigation may be published. The series of RASA interpretive reports begins with Professional Paper 1400 and thereafter will continue in numerical sequence as the interpretive products of subsequent studies become available. Charles G. Groat Director AIII CONTENTS Page Page Foreword................................................................................................... AIII History of ground-water development Continued Abstract..................................................................................................... Al Southwestern Louisiana.................................................................. A33 Introduction.............................................................................................. 1 Winter Garden................................................................................... 35 Previous investigations.................................................................... 3 Regional ground-water flow.................................................................. 35 Regional analysis of the gulf coast aquifer systems .................... 5 Predevelopment................................................................................ 36 Geography......................................................................................... 6 Recharge and discharge.......................................................... 36 Population and economy................................................................. 6 Flow patterns............................................................................ 37 Geology.............................................................................................. 10 Permeable zone B.............................................................. 38 Geohydrologic framework..................................................................... 12 Middle Claiborne aquifer................................................. 43 Coastal lowlands aquifer system.................................................... 12 Ground-water budget.............................................................. 43 Texas coastal uplands aquifer system............................................ 18 Effects of water density........................................................... 44 Mississippi embayment aquifer system........................................ 20 Flow during the 1980's..................................................................... 45 Hydraulic conductivity.................................................................... 23 Recharge and discharge .......................................................... 45 Ground-water chemistry........................................................................ 24 Dissolved-solids concentrations....................................................
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