Atchafalaya Basin Management Coastal Wetlands Loss And

Baton Rouge Basin Lake Atchafalaya de Cade

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TERREBONNE ARK. ASSUMPTION

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B. have that and activities processes The include conversion this to contributed subsidence land and erosion long-term (sinking of the land) caused, in part, by Delta River Mississippi of compaction strike that storms by large and sediments sea rising 5 years, every area about the population, human in changes levels, and control, flood development, energy As channels. of navigation maintenance islands barrier and estuaries, wetlands, natural important loses State the vanish, protecting New Orleans and buffers from areas coastal populated other flooding. and storms

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POINTE ATCHAFALAYA Lake

Henderson 2

ST. MARTIN MILES

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TECHE Marsh BAYOU 40 NEW IBERIA

92 00 30

ST. LANDRY KILOMETERS

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31 00 wetlands in the 48 contiguous States but but States contiguous 48 the in wetlands wetlands of percent 80 for accounts area (wetlands, coastal State’s The losses. under is islands) barrier and estuaries, from a com- resulting stressed conditions environmen- natural adverse of array plex activities. human-related and processes tal area, coastal Louisiana the year, Every eco- productive most world’s the of one mi 25 20 to much as as loses systems, (square miles) of land. land. of miles) (square mi 1,500 to 1,000 About coastal wetlands have been converted to to converted been have wetlands coastal century. half past the during water open Figure 1. Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana. Basin, Atchafalaya 1. Figure

U.S. (USACE), is dissolved-oxygen (DO) dissolved-oxygen s the Nation’s largest earth-science and s the Nation’s concentrations, water temperature, and temperature, water concentrations, deposition. sediment Wildlife and Fish USGS Cooperative The in University State Louisiana at Unit, the monitoring been Rouge, has Baton of the fin fisher- to assess the health basin farms. In crawfish commercial and ies digitized analyzing are scientists addition, sedi- assess to the basin of maps historical patterns.mentation Information from this and designing in be useful will study for the plans management implementing Basin. Atchafalaya A Basin Management Atchafalaya south- 1) in (fig. Basin Atchafalaya The river-bot- largest is the Louisiana central Nation. the swamp in hardwood tomland The USGS, in cooperation with the Wetlands Loss and Coastal Restoration forested the of percent 25 has Louisiana coastal the of percent and 40 wetlands civilian mapping agency, the U.S. Geologi-civilian mapping agency, Survey (USGS) workscal in cooperation orga- local and State, Federal, many with nizations to providereliable and impartial scientificinformation to resource managers, planners, and others throughoutthe information This country. is gathered in USGS minimize by scientists to every state the loss of life and property from natural contributedisasters, to the conservation and sound management ofthe Nation’s natural resources, and enhance the quality of life by monitoring biological, water, and mineral resources. This Fact energy, activi- USGS the of some describes Sheet Louisiana.ties in Army Army Corps of Engineers monitoring the basin to determine envi- determine to basin the monitoring flood-management of effects ronmental chemical-related and Physical practices. con- include monitored being properties con- specific stage, and velocity tinuous pH, ductance, 86Ã'HSDUWPHQWÃRIÃWKHÃ,QWHULRU 86Ã*HRORJLFDOÃ6XUYH\ ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ86*6Ã)DFWÃ6KHHWÃ)6 the elevation and shape of terrain. The terrain. of shape and elevation the engineering, civil for useful are maps monitoring, resource planning, land-use fishing and exploring, camping, hiking, 1999 for revisions map The expeditions. 6. figure in shown are U.S. Department of the Interior 3535 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd.,Baton Suite Rouge, 120 LA 70816 Telephone: (225) 389-0281 Fax: (225) 389-0706 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.usgs.gov 1-888-ASK-USGS USGS Home Page: Reports and products: 6WDWH·VUHTXHVWHGUHYLVLRQFDQGLGDWHV &DQGLGDWHVIRUUHYLVLRQGXHWRKLJKVDOHV Baton Rouge

Figure 6. Status of 1:24,000-scale topographic map revisions for Louisiana, 1999. Louisiana, for map revisions 1:24,000-scale topographic of Status 6. Figure scale topographic maps (1maps topographic scale on the inch ground) the on feet 2,000 map represents land- depict maps The Louisiana. for and streams, such as lakes features scape and boundaries, railroads, and highways depict lines Contour names. geographic Ruston Lafayette The USGS has 139 employees in Louisiana The USGS office locations USGS State Representative and coal geochemistry of Gulf Coast Coast Gulf of geochemistry coal and under- better to intervals coal-bearing Planned resources. region’s the stand geologic include study the of results char- interpretations stratigraphic and geo- and digital, coal the acterizing that bases data graphical-referenced and geochem- stratigraphic include will ical information. Mapping Partnerships the with in partnership The USGS, Louisiana Officeof the Oil Spill Coor- and a agencies, Federal several dinator, has company, mapping aerial private coverage percent 95 about completed of photography aerial infrared of color Aerial National the of part as State, the The (NAPP). Program Photography iden- in be useful can coverages NAPP affected be could that areas tifying Gulf the along spills oil potential from the from products the of One Coast. will photographs aerial infrared color orthophoto digital be 1:12,000-scale base- as useful be can that quadrangles sys- information geographical in maps bases. data tem pro- DOTD partnership The USGS and 1:24,000- accurate and current vides 'HFHPEHUÃ The USGS is assessing changes in Resources (DNR) and the Louisiana National Water-Quality Sharing Mercury and distributed a flood-tracking map for The USGS is studying the geologic Louisiana’s coastal environment for Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, is Assessment Program Related Data this basin. The map can be used to framework, stratigraphy, lithology, improved understanding of the contrib- monitoring surface water along the Lou- track rising river stages and, by using and the burial and production histories The USGS is conducting studies in Through the Acadian-Pontchartrain uting processes and activities to assist isiana coast to provide Louisiana with hydrologic information obtained of the Austin Chalk to assess the the Acadian-Pontchartrain Study study, the USGS and the Louisiana Federal, State, and local managers and vital information during hurricanes. The through the voice-mail and news quantitative estimate of this large Unit, http://la.water.usgs.gov/nawqa, Department of Environmental Qual- planners in developing and utilizing data also are used to manage freshwater- media, to make decisions about evac- domestic resource. Distribution of the as part of the National Water-Quality ity (DEQ) are sharing data to evalu- restoration and preservation methods. diversion and coastal restoration uation and protection of personal Austin Chalk from framework studies Assessment Program. This program ate the occurrence of mercury in fish The USGS National Wetlands projects by the State and the USACE. property. The map is available at will assist in outlining geographic is designed to describe the status and tissue and to further understand the local public libraries and information extent, among other factors, to iden- Research Center (NWRC) in Lafayette trends in the quality of the Nation’s transport and fate of mercury in the environment. The USGS has ana- centers and on the Internet at provides basic information and spatial Hypoxia Monitoring ground- and surface-water resources tify current and frontier exploration lyzed bottom-material samples for http://la.water.usgs.gov. analysis of data from small-scale resto- and to provide a sound understanding target areas. The USGS is participating in the evalu- grain size and organic carbon and ration projects (fig. 2) throughout the of the natural and human factors that provided fish tissue samples to DEQ Mississippi River Delta. The restora- ation of an area referred to as a hypoxic affect the quality of these resources. Oil and Gas Assessment Coal Assessment tion projects are supported through the or "dead" zone that appears in the Gulf for analysis of mercury. The USGS National Oil and Gas Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection of Mexico; the area extends westward The study unit, which covers about The assessment of Louisiana’s coal 2 Assessment is a program designed to and Restoration Act of 1992 and man- from the mouth of the Mississippi River 26,000 mi in southern Louisiana and Statewide Real-Time Flood deposits is part of the USGS National assess the undiscovered oil and natu- along the Louisiana coast. Hypoxia southwestern Mississippi, includes Monitoring Coal Resource Assessment. This pro- aged by the Federal and State Wetlands ral gas resources in the United States. Task Force. The NWRC also studies exists when DO concentrations in the many large drainage basins and Lake gram is designed to identify and char- Louisiana leads the Nation in prop- Ongoing USGS investigations in Lou- vigorous “super plants” that could bottom water decrease to levels that are Pontchartrain, one of the Nation’s acterize coal zones that will provide erty damage caused by floods. To isiana include developing the the bulk of the Nation's coal-derived lessen coastal erosion, restoration of insufficient to support marine life such largest estuaries. About 3.1 million help reduce future losses, the USGS, sequence stratigraphy of the Tertiary energy during the next few decades. threatened coastal prairie habitats, as fish, shrimp, and crabs. The deple- people live within this study unit. in cooperation with Federal, State, of southern Louisiana, the geologic The coal mined in Louisiana is used as effects of hurricanes on wetlands and tion of DO occurs nearly every spring characterization of the Austin Chalk, Water-quality concerns in the study and local agencies, operates a state- fuel for electric power generating barrier islands, and changes in and summer in response to inflow of and porosity evolution of deep Tusca- unit include the following: wide real-time flood monitoring sys- plants. global climate. nutrient-enriched water from the Mis- tem to measure river stage and loosa sandstones, all of which provide sissippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. • Elevated mercury concentrations transmit data. During floods and geologic information for further The USGS is working with DNR, the The USGS, in cooperation with the The nutrient-enriched water encourages in fish tissue; hurricanes, this information is passed assessment activities. Louisiana Geological Survey, and var- Louisiana Department of Natural the vigorous growth of algae that, as on to the appropriate emergency ious mining companies to provide • Nutrient enrichment of water bod- In 1995, the USGS determined that they die and decompose, deplete the response agencies and the news interpretive information on the loca- ies, especially in the Lake Pont- the Austin Chalk is our Nation's larg- DO supply. Under hypoxic conditions, media through the Louisiana Office tion, quality, and quantity of the coal chartrain Basin; est, onshore domestic unconventional, most animals move to an area having of Emergency Preparedness (LOEP), to be mined in several areas in east • Saltwater encroachment into aqui- continuous-type oil resource. More and the USGS provides on-site assis- Texas and Louisiana (fig. 5). USGS higher DO concentrations; animals fers and coastal freshwater recently, exploration and production tance at the LOEP. The information scientists are studying the stratigraphy unable to move, such as those living in marshes (fig. 3); and in frontier areas of Texas and Louisi- the mud, die if the hypoxia persists. also is available on the Internet at • Contamination of fresh ground http://la.water.usgs.gov. ana (fig. 4) have shown that the Aus- and surface water by trace ele- tin Chalk has additional potential as a In relation to hypoxia monitoring, the ments and pesticides and other continuous-type deep-gas resource USGS monitors nutrient transport in the organic chemicals. Flood Tracking in the Amite mostly to the east and downdip of Mississippi River as part of the River Basin existing oil plays. National Stream-Quality Accounting Figure 3. USGS scientist sampling flotant marshes at Jean Lafitte National Historical During floods in the Amite River Network and the Midcontinent Herbi- Park and Preserve, south of New Orleans, cide Programs. Data and interpreta- Louisiana. Basin near Baton Rouge, the USGS tions from these programs provide the records real-time, river-stage data on only nutrient-load estimates for water a local voice-mail system (a proto- transported by the Mississippi River type of a planned statewide system), into the Gulf of Mexico. Furthermore, which is accessible by telephone. Additionally, the USGS, in partner- the USGS is a member of the Commit- ship with the Louisiana Department Figure 2. Example of a successful restora- tee of Environment and Natural of Transportation and Development tion project being monitored by the USGS, Resources, White House Office of Sci- showing before (above) and after (below) (DOTD) and the Amite River Basin ence and Policy, that is evaluating restoration of the LaBranche wetland site Drainage and Water Conservation just west of New Orleans, Louisiana, and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Figure 4. The Austin Chalk trend in Texas, Figure 5. Coal assessment study areas adjacent to the Mississippi River. District, has produced and widely Louisiana, and Mississippi. in Texas and Louisiana. The USGS is assessing changes in Resources (DNR) and the Louisiana National Water-Quality Sharing Mercury and distributed a flood-tracking map for The USGS is studying the geologic Louisiana’s coastal environment for Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, is Assessment Program Related Data this basin. The map can be used to framework, stratigraphy, lithology, improved understanding of the contrib- monitoring surface water along the Lou- track rising river stages and, by using and the burial and production histories The USGS is conducting studies in Through the Acadian-Pontchartrain uting processes and activities to assist isiana coast to provide Louisiana with hydrologic information obtained of the Austin Chalk to assess the the Acadian-Pontchartrain Study study, the USGS and the Louisiana Federal, State, and local managers and vital information during hurricanes. The through the voice-mail and news quantitative estimate of this large Unit, http://la.water.usgs.gov/nawqa, Department of Environmental Qual- planners in developing and utilizing data also are used to manage freshwater- media, to make decisions about evac- domestic resource. Distribution of the as part of the National Water-Quality ity (DEQ) are sharing data to evalu- restoration and preservation methods. diversion and coastal restoration uation and protection of personal Austin Chalk from framework studies Assessment Program. This program ate the occurrence of mercury in fish The USGS National Wetlands projects by the State and the USACE. property. The map is available at will assist in outlining geographic is designed to describe the status and tissue and to further understand the local public libraries and information extent, among other factors, to iden- Research Center (NWRC) in Lafayette trends in the quality of the Nation’s transport and fate of mercury in the environment. The USGS has ana- centers and on the Internet at provides basic information and spatial Hypoxia Monitoring ground- and surface-water resources tify current and frontier exploration lyzed bottom-material samples for http://la.water.usgs.gov. analysis of data from small-scale resto- and to provide a sound understanding target areas. The USGS is participating in the evalu- grain size and organic carbon and ration projects (fig. 2) throughout the of the natural and human factors that provided fish tissue samples to DEQ Mississippi River Delta. The restora- ation of an area referred to as a hypoxic affect the quality of these resources. Oil and Gas Assessment Coal Assessment tion projects are supported through the or "dead" zone that appears in the Gulf for analysis of mercury. The USGS National Oil and Gas Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection of Mexico; the area extends westward The study unit, which covers about The assessment of Louisiana’s coal 2 Assessment is a program designed to and Restoration Act of 1992 and man- from the mouth of the Mississippi River 26,000 mi in southern Louisiana and Statewide Real-Time Flood deposits is part of the USGS National assess the undiscovered oil and natu- along the Louisiana coast. Hypoxia southwestern Mississippi, includes Monitoring Coal Resource Assessment. This pro- aged by the Federal and State Wetlands ral gas resources in the United States. Task Force. The NWRC also studies exists when DO concentrations in the many large drainage basins and Lake gram is designed to identify and char- Louisiana leads the Nation in prop- Ongoing USGS investigations in Lou- vigorous “super plants” that could bottom water decrease to levels that are Pontchartrain, one of the Nation’s acterize coal zones that will provide erty damage caused by floods. To isiana include developing the the bulk of the Nation's coal-derived lessen coastal erosion, restoration of insufficient to support marine life such largest estuaries. About 3.1 million help reduce future losses, the USGS, sequence stratigraphy of the Tertiary energy during the next few decades. threatened coastal prairie habitats, as fish, shrimp, and crabs. The deple- people live within this study unit. in cooperation with Federal, State, of southern Louisiana, the geologic The coal mined in Louisiana is used as effects of hurricanes on wetlands and tion of DO occurs nearly every spring characterization of the Austin Chalk, Water-quality concerns in the study and local agencies, operates a state- fuel for electric power generating barrier islands, and changes in and summer in response to inflow of and porosity evolution of deep Tusca- unit include the following: wide real-time flood monitoring sys- plants. global climate. nutrient-enriched water from the Mis- tem to measure river stage and loosa sandstones, all of which provide sissippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. • Elevated mercury concentrations transmit data. During floods and geologic information for further The USGS is working with DNR, the The USGS, in cooperation with the The nutrient-enriched water encourages in fish tissue; hurricanes, this information is passed assessment activities. Louisiana Geological Survey, and var- Louisiana Department of Natural the vigorous growth of algae that, as on to the appropriate emergency ious mining companies to provide • Nutrient enrichment of water bod- In 1995, the USGS determined that they die and decompose, deplete the response agencies and the news interpretive information on the loca- ies, especially in the Lake Pont- the Austin Chalk is our Nation's larg- DO supply. Under hypoxic conditions, media through the Louisiana Office tion, quality, and quantity of the coal chartrain Basin; est, onshore domestic unconventional, most animals move to an area having of Emergency Preparedness (LOEP), to be mined in several areas in east • Saltwater encroachment into aqui- continuous-type oil resource. More and the USGS provides on-site assis- Texas and Louisiana (fig. 5). USGS higher DO concentrations; animals fers and coastal freshwater recently, exploration and production tance at the LOEP. The information scientists are studying the stratigraphy unable to move, such as those living in marshes (fig. 3); and in frontier areas of Texas and Louisi- the mud, die if the hypoxia persists. also is available on the Internet at • Contamination of fresh ground http://la.water.usgs.gov. ana (fig. 4) have shown that the Aus- and surface water by trace ele- tin Chalk has additional potential as a In relation to hypoxia monitoring, the ments and pesticides and other continuous-type deep-gas resource USGS monitors nutrient transport in the organic chemicals. Flood Tracking in the Amite mostly to the east and downdip of Mississippi River as part of the River Basin existing oil plays. National Stream-Quality Accounting Figure 3. USGS scientist sampling flotant marshes at Jean Lafitte National Historical During floods in the Amite River Network and the Midcontinent Herbi- Park and Preserve, south of New Orleans, cide Programs. Data and interpreta- Louisiana. Basin near Baton Rouge, the USGS tions from these programs provide the records real-time, river-stage data on only nutrient-load estimates for water a local voice-mail system (a proto- transported by the Mississippi River type of a planned statewide system), into the Gulf of Mexico. Furthermore, which is accessible by telephone. Additionally, the USGS, in partner- the USGS is a member of the Commit- ship with the Louisiana Department Figure 2. Example of a successful restora- tee of Environment and Natural of Transportation and Development tion project being monitored by the USGS, Resources, White House Office of Sci- showing before (above) and after (below) (DOTD) and the Amite River Basin ence and Policy, that is evaluating restoration of the LaBranche wetland site Drainage and Water Conservation just west of New Orleans, Louisiana, and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Figure 4. The Austin Chalk trend in Texas, Figure 5. Coal assessment study areas adjacent to the Mississippi River. District, has produced and widely Louisiana, and Mississippi. in Texas and Louisiana. Baton Rouge Basin Lake Atchafalaya de Cade