Water resources of Madison Parish, Louisiana

Abstract

Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Madison Parish, Louisiana, 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. In 2014, 50.66 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water were withdrawn in Madison Parish: 44.37 Mgal/d from groundwater sources and 6.30 Mgal/d from surface-water sources. Withdrawals for agricultural use—composed of general irrigation, rice irrigation, livestock, and aquaculture—accounted for about 96 percent (48.86 Mgal/d) of the total water withdrawn. Other categories of use included public supply and rural domestic. Water-use data collected at 5-year intervals from 1960 to 2010 and again in 2014 indicated that water withdrawals peaked in 2014. The relatively large increase in water use from 2005 to 2010 is largely attributable to a change in the methods used for estimation of general irrigation land usage. General irrigation withdrawals from groundwater increased from 11.13 Mgal/d in 2005 to 28.28 Mgal/d in 2010.