Louisiana ground-water map no. 22: Generalized potentiometric surface of the Amite aquifer and the "2,800-foot" sand of the Baton Rouge area in southeastern Louisiana, June-August 2006

Robert B. Fendick

doi:10.3133/sim2984

Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · sim2984

Louisiana ground-water map no. 22: Generalized potentiometric surface of the Amite aquifer and the "2,800-foot" sand of the Baton Rouge area in southeastern Louisiana, June-August 2006

Robert B. Fendick

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The Amite aquifer and the “2,800-foot” sand of the Baton Rouge area (hereafter referred to as the “2,800-foot” sand) are principal sources of fresh ground water in southeastern Louisiana. Both the Amite aquifer and the “2,800-foot” sand are part of the Jasper equivalent aquifer system. The Amite aquifer is heavily pumped in the Bogalusa area, and the “2,800-foot” sand is one of the most heavily pumped aquifers in East Baton Rouge Parish. The Baton Rouge fault zone, which acts as a barrier to flow, trends approximately west-northwest from a point just south of The Rigolets through southern West Baton Rouge Parish, and is the approximate southern limit of freshwater in the aquifers. For the purposes of this report, freshwater is defined as water having less than 250 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of chloride, and most of the water withdrawals described in this report were assumed to be fresh. In 2005, about 18 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) was withdrawn from the Amite aquifer, primarily for public-supply use (8.4 Mgal/d) and industrial use (9.6 Mgal/d). During this same period, about 32 Mgal/d was withdrawn from the “2,800-foot” sand, primarily for public-supply use (13 Mgal/d) and industrial use (19 Mgal/d). Public-supply and industrial withdrawals from the Amite aquifer and the “2,800-foot” sand are listed in table 1. According to data from the Louisiana State Census Data Center, some of the largest population increases in the State during the period 1990 to 2000 occurred in St. Tammany (32.4 percent), Livingston (30.2 percent), and Tangipahoa (17.4 percent) Parishes. These population increases have been accompanied by increased withdrawals of ground water during the same period: 40 percent in St. Tammany Parish, 63 percent in Livingston Parish, and 35 percent in Tangipahoa Parish. An increase in population in these parishes is expected from population displacement due to damages from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita crossing the Louisiana coast in August and September of 2005. Additional information about ground-water flow and effects of increased withdrawals on water levels in the Amite aquifer and the “2,800-foot” sand is needed to assess ground-water-development potential and to protect this resource. To meet this need, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, began a study in 2005 to determine water levels, flow direction, and water-level trends for the Amite aquifer and “2,800-foot” sand. This report presents data and a map that describe the generalized potentiometric surface of the Amite aquifer and “2,800-foot” sand in southeastern Louisiana. Graphs of water levels in selected wells and a table of withdrawals from the Amite aquifer and “2,800-foot” sand show historical changes in water levels and water use. The generalized potentiometric-surface map illustrates the water levels and ground-water flow directions for June–August 2006. These data are on file at the USGS office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Explore related subjects

Scientific Investigations Map Report

Source-reported bounding extent: 30.25° to 31° latitude; -91.7833° to -89.6167° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Robert B. Fendick. 2007. Louisiana ground-water map no. 22: Generalized potentiometric surface of the Amite aquifer and the "2,800-foot" sand of the Baton Rouge area in southeastern Louisiana, June-August 2006. https://doi.org/10.3133/sim2984

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2026

Map depicting locations susceptible to landslide hazards triggered by prolonged intense rainfall, Utuado Municipio, Puerto Rico

Introduction Landslides commonly occur in Puerto Rico during or soon after rainstorms with prolonged intense rainfall. Rainfall-triggered landslides present significant hazards to the built environment and human safety (for example, Jibson, 1986; Larsen and Torres Sanchez, 1992; Bessette-Kirton and others, 2019a). These hazards were illustrated during September 2017 (Hughes and others, 2019) when Hurricane María triggered more than 70,000 landslides across Puerto Rico (fig. 1), causing loss of life and widespread destruction (figs. 2–4). In Utuado Municipio, about 18,000 landslides were observed after Hurricane María (Hughes and others, 2019). Most intense rainfall-triggered landslides in Puerto Rico occur in soil overlying bedrock and travel downslope from where they initiate (for example, Jibson, 1986; Bessette-Kirton and others, 2019a, 2020). Hazards to human life and infrastructure can differ substantially between where landslides initiate and where they travel. At landslide initiation locations, the ground breaks up (fails) as it moves downslope, removing support for buildings, roadways, and other structures located upon the landslides (fig. 3A, B). This ground failure often causes structures to collapse and suffer severe damage or complete destruction, rendering building occupants at extreme risk. Roadways and other vital infrastructure, such as water, power, and communication lines, are often severed. During intense rainfall events, landslide initiation and movement downslope can occur in seconds to hours. Downslope from where they initiate, landslides in Puerto Rico often move very rapidly (faster than a person can walk or run) and can impact and destroy or fill structures with mud and debris (fig. 4) as well as bury roadways (fig. 3A, C). Moving landslides present extreme hazards to human safety; some fatalities during Hurricane María resulted from mud and debris that flowed through windows and doors of a home and buried occupants. Many landslides in Puerto Rico become fast-moving liquefied masses (debris flows), which are especially common in channels where they can quickly travel kilometers downstream. Multiple debris flows may occur in a channel during a single rainstorm (some channels experienced more than 50 debris flows during Hurricane María; Bessette-Kirton and others [2020] ). This hazard map separately depicts locations and the relative likelihood of where landslides may initiate, where they may move downslope, and where channelized debris flows may travel during or soon after intense rainfall like that during Hurricane María. An estimated average of 399 millimeters of rainfall fell across Utuado during September 19–21, 2017 (Ramos-Scharrón and Arima, 2019). Lower rainfall amounts, durations, and intensities also trigger landsliding in Puerto Rico, although landslides and debris flows become more numerous as rainfall intensities, durations, and cumulative amounts increase. The map does not show potential landslide locations in the karst terrain of northern Utuado (Bawiec, 1999) because Hurricane María-induced landslides were very sparse in this region (Hughes and others, 2019; Baxstrom and others, 2021a), even though rainfall amounts were similar to those in other parts of Utuado. Based on data from Hughes and others (2019), landslides were about 10 times more likely to occur outside of the karst terrane than within it, and our preliminary analyses indicated relatively low susceptibility to rainfall-induced landslide hazards within the karst. Landslide-prone soils appear to be poorly developed on the very steep slopes present in the karst region, where weathering by dissolution appears to dominate.

Puerto Rico, Utuado Municipio↗

USGS2026

Map depicting locations susceptible to landslide hazards triggered by prolonged intense rainfall, Naranjito Municipio, Puerto Rico

Introduction Landslides commonly occur in Puerto Rico during or soon after rainstorms with prolonged intense rainfall. Rainfall-triggered landslides present significant hazards to the built environment and human safety (for example, Jibson, 1986; Larsen and Torres Sanchez, 1992; Bessette-Kirton and others, 2019a). These hazards were illustrated during September 2017 (Hughes and others, 2019), when Hurricane María triggered more than 70,000 landslides across Puerto Rico (fig. 1), causing loss of life and widespread destruction (figs. 2–4). In Naranjito Municipio, about 2,000 landslides were observed after Hurricane María (Hughes and others, 2019). Most intense-rainfall-triggered landslides in Puerto Rico occur in soil overlying bedrock and travel downslope from where they initiated (for example, Jibson, 1986; Bessette-Kirton and others, 2019a; 2020). Hazards to human life and infrastructure can differ substantially between where landslides initiate and where they travel. At landslide initiation locations, the ground breaks up (fails) as it moves downslope, removing support for buildings, roadways, and other structures located upon the landslides (figs. 3B, 4A, B). This ground failure often causes structures to collapse and suffer severe damage or complete destruction, rendering building occupants at extreme risk. Roadways and other vital infrastructure, such as water, power, and communication lines are often severed. During intense rainfall events, landslide initiation and movement downslope can occur in seconds to hours. Downslope from where they initiate, landslides in Puerto Rico often move, or runout, very rapidly (faster than a person can walk or run) and can impact and destroy or fill structures with mud and debris (figs. 3A, 4A, C) as well as bury roadways (fig. 4A). Moving landslides present extreme hazards to human safety; some fatalities during Hurricane María resulted from mud and debris that flowed through windows and doors of a home and buried occupants. Many landslides in Puerto Rico become fast-moving debris flows, which are especially common in channels where they can quickly travel kilometers downstream. Multiple debris flows may occur in a channel during a single rainstorm (some channels experienced more than 50 debris flows during Hurricane María; Bessette-Kirton and others, 2020). This map separately depicts locations and the relative likelihood of where landslides may initiate, where they may move downslope, and where channelized debris flows may travel during or soon after intense rainfall like that during Hurricane María. An estimated average of 529 millimeters of rainfall fell across Naranjito during September 19–21, 2017 (Ramos-Scharrón and Arima, 2019). Lower rainfall amounts, durations, and intensities also trigger landsliding in Puerto Rico, although landslides and debris flows become more numerous as rainfall intensities, durations, and cumulative amounts increase.

Naranjito Municipio, Puerto Rico↗

USGS2026

Map depicting locations susceptible to landslide hazards triggered by prolonged intense rainfall, Lares Municipio, Puerto Rico

Introduction Landslides commonly occur in Puerto Rico during or soon after rainstorms with prolonged intense rainfall. Rainfall-triggered landslides present significant hazards to the built environment and human safety (for example, Jibson, 1986; Larsen and Torres Sanchez, 1992; Bessette-Kirton and others, 2019a). These hazards were illustrated during September 2017 (Hughes and others, 2019), when Hurricane María triggered more than 70,000 landslides across Puerto Rico (fig. 1), causing loss of life and widespread destruction (figs. 2 and 3). In Lares Municipio, about 3,500 landslides were observed after Hurricane María (Hughes and others, 2019). Most intense-rainfall-triggered landslides in Puerto Rico occur in soil overlying bedrock and travel downslope from where they initiated (for example, Jibson, 1986; Bessette-Kirton and others, 2019a; 2020). Hazards to human life and infrastructure can differ substantially between where landslides initiate and where they travel. At landslide initiation locations, the ground breaks up (fails) as it moves downslope, removing support for buildings, roadways, and other structures located upon the landslides (figs. 2, 3A, B). This ground failure often causes structures to collapse and suffer severe damage or complete destruction, rendering building occupants at extreme risk. Roadways and other vital infrastructure, such as water, power, and communication lines are often severed. During intense rainfall events, landslide initiation and movement downslope can occur in seconds to hours. Downslope from where they initiate, landslides in Puerto Rico often move, or runout, very rapidly (faster than a person can walk or run) and can impact and destroy or fill structures with mud and debris (figs. 3A, C) as well as bury roadways (fig. 3A). Moving landslides present extreme hazards to human safety; some fatalities during Hurricane María resulted from mud and debris that flowed through windows and doors of a home and buried occupants. Many landslides in Puerto Rico become fast-moving debris flows, which are especially common in channels where they can quickly travel kilometers downstream. Multiple debris flows may occur in a channel during a single rainstorm (some channels experienced more than 50 debris flows during Hurricane María; Bessette-Kirton and others, 2020). This map separately depicts locations and the relative likelihood of where landslides may initiate, where they may move downslope, and where channelized debris flows may travel during or soon after intense rainfall like that during Hurricane María. An estimated average of 256 millimeters of rainfall fell across Lares during September 19–21, 2017 (Ramos-Scharrón and Arima, 2019). Lower rainfall amounts, durations, and intensities also trigger landsliding in Puerto Rico, although landslides and debris flows become more numerous as rainfall intensities, durations, and cumulative amounts increase. The map does not show potential landslide locations in the karst terrain of northern Lares (Bawiec, 1999) because Hurricane María-induced landslides were very sparse in this region (Hughes and others, 2019; Baxstrom and others, 2021a), even though rainfall amounts were similar to those in other parts of Lares. Based on data from Hughes and others (2019), landslides were about ten times more likely to occur outside of the karst terrane than within it, and our preliminary analyses indicate relatively low susceptibility to rainfall-induced landslide hazards within the karst. Landslide-prone soils appear to be poorly developed on the very steep slopes present in the karst region, where weathering by dissolution appears to dominate.

Lares Municipio, Puerto Rico↗