and coal geochemistry of Gulf Coast scale topographic maps (1 inch on the the elevation and shape of terrain. The coal-bearing intervals to better under- map represents 2,000 feet on the ground) maps are useful for civil engineering, stand the region’s resources. Planned for Louisiana. The maps depict land- land-use planning, resource monitoring, results of the study include geologic scape features such as lakes and streams, hiking, camping, exploring, and fishing and stratigraphic interpretations char- highways and railroads, boundaries, and expeditions. The map revisions for 1999 acterizing the coal and digital, geo- geographic names. Contour lines depict are shown in figure 6. As the Nation’s largest earth-science and ARK. graphical-referenced data bases that civilian mapping agency, the U.S. Geologi- will include stratigraphic and geochem- cal Survey (USGS) works in cooperation 92 30 Atchafalaya B. Boeuf LOUISIANA ical information. with many Federal, State, and local orga- Basin nizations to provide reliable and impartial 92 00 Baton Mapping Partnerships scientific information to resource manag- MISS. Rouge TEX. ers, planners, and others throughout the RAPIDES The USGS, in partnership with the country. This information is gathered in 31 00 AVOYELLES every state by USGS scientists to minimize Cocodrie Louisiana Office of the Oil Spill Coor- Lake GULF OF MEXICO the loss of life and property from natural dinator, several Federal agencies, and a EVANGELINE 91 30 disasters, contribute to the conservation private aerial mapping company, has B. and sound management of the Nation’s Grosse completed about 95 percent coverage ST. LANDRY POINTE natural resources, and enhance the quality COUPEE of color infrared aerial photography of of life by monitoring water, biological, Tete 30 30 ATCHAFALAYA WEST the State, as part of the National Aerial energy, and mineral resources. This Fact BATON ROUGE Photography Program (NAPP). The Sheet describes some of the USGS activi- BAYOU ties in Louisiana. TECHE IBERVILLE NAPP coverages can be useful in iden- LAFAYETTE Lake Henderson RIVER tifying areas that could be affected LAFAYETTE Atchafalaya Basin Management ST. MARTIN from potential oil spills along the Gulf 91 00 Coast. One of the products from the The Atchafalaya Basin (fig. 1) in south- ASSUMPTION 30 00 NEW color infrared aerial photographs will central Louisiana is the largest river-bot- IBERIA VERMILION IBERIA tomland hardwood swamp in the Nation. Lake be 1:12,000-scale digital orthophoto Verret LAFOURCHE quadrangles that can be useful as base- The USGS, in cooperation with the U.S. 6WDWH·VUHTXHVWHGUHYLVLRQFDQGLGDWHV Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), is ST. maps in geographical information sys- MARY &DQGLGDWHVIRUUHYLVLRQGXHWRKLJKVDOHV monitoring the basin to determine envi- tem data bases. Marsh ronmental effects of flood-management Island practices. Physical and chemical-related 29 30 TERREBONNE The USGS and DOTD partnership pro- Figure 6. Status of 1:24,000-scale topographic map revisions for Louisiana, 1999. properties being monitored include con- vides current and accurate 1:24,000- Lake tinuous velocity and stage, specific con- de Cade ductance, pH, dissolved-oxygen (DO) 01020 30 40 MILES concentrations, water temperature, and 0 10 20 30 40 KILOMETERS The USGS office locations USGS State Representative sediment deposition. 3535 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Suite 120 Baton Rouge, LA 70816 The USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife The USGS has 139 Figure 1. Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana. Telephone: (225) 389-0281 Unit, at Louisiana State University in employees in Louisiana Fax: (225) 389-0706 E-mail: [email protected] Baton Rouge, has been monitoring the wetlands in the 48 contiguous States but The processes and activities that have basin to assess the health of the fin fisher- accounts for 80 percent of wetlands contributed to this conversion include Ruston ies and commercial crawfish farms. In losses. The State’s coastal area (wetlands, long-term erosion and land subsidence USGS Home Page: addition, scientists are analyzing digitized http://www.usgs.gov estuaries, and barrier islands) is under (sinking of the land) caused, in part, by historical maps of the basin to assess sedi- stressed conditions resulting from a com- compaction of Mississippi River Delta mentation patterns. Information from this plex array of adverse natural environmen- sediments and by large storms that strike Reports and products: study will be useful in designing and tal processes and human-related activities. the area about every 5 years, rising sea 1-888-ASK-USGS implementing management plans for the Every year, the Louisiana coastal area, levels, changes in human population, Atchafalaya Basin. Baton Rouge one of the world’s most productive eco- energy development, flood control, and systems, loses as much as 20 to 25 mi2 maintenance of navigation channels. As (square miles) of land. wetlands, estuaries, and barrier islands Lafayette Coastal Wetlands Loss and vanish, the State loses important natural Restoration 2 About 1,000 to 1,500 mi of Louisiana’s buffers protecting New Orleans and Louisiana has 25 percent of the forested coastal wetlands have been converted to other populated coastal areas from U.S. Department of the Interior wetlands and 40 percent of the coastal open water during the past half century. storms and flooding. 'HFHPEHUÃ ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ86*6Ã)DFWÃ6KHHWÃ)6 86Ã'HSDUWPHQWÃRIÃWKHÃ,QWHULRU ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ86*6Ã)DFWÃ6KHHWÃ)6 86Ã*HRORJLFDOÃ6XUYH\ 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.